2 Chronicles 1
1 Then Salomon the sonne of Dauid was confirmed in his kingdome: and the Lord his God was with him, and magnified him highly.
David’s son [King] Solomon was able to gain complete control over his kingdom, because Yahweh his God helped him and enabled him to become very powerful.
2 And Salomon spake vnto all Israel, to the captaines of thousandes, and of hundreths, and to the iudges, and to all the gouernours in all Israel, euen the chiefe fathers.
[When] David [was king, he had arranged for a new] Sacred Tent [to be] made in Jerusalem. Then David [and the Israeli leaders] had brought God’s Sacred Chest from Kiriath-Jearim [city] to the new Sacred Tent in Jerusalem that he had prepared for it. But [when Solomon became the king, ] the first Sacred Tent was still at Gibeon [city]. That was the tent that Moses, the man who served God [well], had [arranged to be] made in the desert. And the bronze altar that Bezalel, the son of Uri and grandson of Hur, had made was also still in Gibeon, in front of the first Sacred Tent. [One day] Solomon summoned the army commanders of 1,000 soldiers and the commanders of 100 soldiers and the judges and all the other leaders in Israel. He told them to go with him to Gibeon. So they all went to a hill in Gibeon [where the Sacred Tent was], and Solomon and all the others with him worshiped Yahweh there.
3 So Salomon and all the Congregation with him went to the hie place that was at Gibeon: for there was the Tabernacle of the Congregation of God which Moses the seruant of the Lord had made in the wildernesse.
4 But the Arke of God had Dauid brought vp from Kiriath-iearim, when Dauid had made preparation for it: for he had pitched a tent for it in Ierusalem.
5 Moreouer the brasen altar that Bezaleel the sonne of Vri, the sonne of Hur had made, did hee set before the Tabernacle of the Lord: and Salomon and the Congregation sought it.
6 And Salomon offred there before the Lord vpon the brasen altar that was in the Tabernacle of the Congregation: euen a thousand burnt offrings offred he vpon it.
Then Solomon went up to the bronze altar in front of the Sacred Tent, and he offered 1,000 animals to be [killed and] completely burned [on the altar].
7 The same night did God appeare vnto Salomon, and sayde vnto him, Aske what I shall giue thee.
That night God appeared to Solomon [in a dream] and said to him, “Request whatever you want me to give to you.”
8 And Salomon sayde vnto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy vnto Dauid my father and hast made me to reigne in his stead.
Solomon replied, “You were very kind to David my father, and now you have appointed me to be the king to succeed him.
9 Nowe therefore, O Lord God, let thy promise vnto Dauid my father be true: for thou hast made mee King ouer a great people, like to the dust of the earth.
So Yahweh my God, you have caused me to become the king to rule people who are as many as the particles of dirt on the earth. So do what you promised my father David.
10 Giue me now wisdome and knowledge, that I may go out and go in before this people: for who can iudge this thy great people?
Please enable me to be wise and to know [what I should do], in order that I may rule these people [well], because there is no one who can rule all this great nation of yours [without your help].”
11 And God sayde to Salomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, treasures nor honour, nor the liues of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life, but hast asked for thee wisdome and knowledge that thou mightest iudge my people, ouer whome I haue made thee King,
God replied, “[I am pleased with what] you desire; you have not requested a huge amount of money or to be honored or that your enemies be killed. And you have not requested that you live for a long time. Instead, you have requested that [I enable] you [to] be wise and [to] know [what you should do] in order that you may govern [well] my people whom I have appointed you to rule.
12 Wisdome and knowledge is granted vnto thee, and I will giue thee riches and treasures and honour, so that there hath not bene the like among the Kings which were before thee, neither after thee shall there be the like.
Therefore I will enable you to be wise and to know [what you should do to rule my people well]. But I will also enable you to have a huge amount of money and to be honored, more than anyone who was previously a king ever was honored, more than anyone who later becomes king will be honored.”
13 Then Salomon came from the hie place, that was at Gibeon, to Ierusalem from before the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and reigned ouer Israel.
Then Solomon [and the people who were with him all] left from being in front of he Sacred Tent [on the hill in Gibeon], and they returned to Jerusalem. From there he ruled the Israeli people.
14 And Salomon gathered the charets and horesemen: and he had a thousand and foure hundreth charets, and twelue thousande horsemen, whome he placed in the charet cities, and with the King at Ierusalem.
Solomon acquired 1,400 chariots and 12,000 men who rode [on horses]. He put some of the chariots and horses in Jerusalem, and put some of them in various other cities.
15 And the King gaue siluer and gold at Ierusalem as stones, and gaue cedar trees as the wilde figge trees, that are abundantly in the playne.
During the years that Solomon was king, silver and gold were as common in Jerusalem as stones, and [lumber from] cedar trees were as plentiful as [lumber from] ordinary sycamore trees in the foothills.
16 Also Salomon had horses brought out of Egypt and fine linen: the Kings marchants receiued the fine linen for a price.
Solomon’s horses were imported/brought from Egypt and from [the] Kue [region in Turkey].
17 They came vp also and brought out of Egypt some charet, worth sixe hundreth shekels of siluer, that is an horse for an hundreth and fiftie: and thus they brought horses to all the Kings of the Hittites, and to the Kings of Aram by their meanes.
In Egypt his men paid 15 pounds of silver for each chariot and 3-3/4 pounds of silver for each horse. They also exported/sold many of them to the kings of the Heth and Aram people-groups.
