Chronicles II 1
1 And Solomon the son of David was established over his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him, and increased him exceedingly.
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 Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the captains of thousands, and to the captains of hundreds, and to the judges, and to all the rulers over Israel, even the heads of the families;
[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 and Solomon and all the congregation went to the high place that was in Gabaon, where was God's tabernacle of witness, which Moses the servant of the Lord made in the wilderness.
4 But David had brought up the ark of God out of the city of Cariathiarim; for David had prepared a place for it, for he had pitched a tabernacle for it in Jerusalem.
5 And the brazen altar which Beseleel the son of Urias, the son of Or, had made, was there before the tabernacle of the Lord: and Solomon and the congregation enquired at it.
6 And Solomon brought [victims] there to the brazen altar that was before the Lord in the tabernacle, and offered upon it a thousand whole burnt offerings.
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 In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, Ask what I shall give you.
That night God appeared to Solomon [in a dream] and said to him, “Request whatever you want me to give to you.”
8 And Solomon said to God, You have dealt very mercifully with my father David, and have made me king 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 And now, O Lord God, let, I pray you, your name be established upon David my father; for you have made me king over a people numerous as 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 Now give me wisdom and understanding, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who shall judge this your 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 said to Solomon, Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked great wealth, nor glory, nor the life of your enemies, and you have not asked long life; but have asked for yourself wisdom and understanding, that you might judge my people, over whom I have made you 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 I give you this wisdom and understanding; and I will give you wealth, and riches, and glory, so that there shall not have been [any] like you among the kings before you, neither shall there be such after you.
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 And Solomon came from the high place that was in Gabaon to Jerusalem, [from] before the tabernacle of witness, and reigned over 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 Solomon collected chariots and horsemen: and he had fourteen hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen: and he set them in the cities of chariots, and the people [were] with the king in Jerusalem.
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 made silver and gold in Jerusalem [to be] as stones, and cedars in Judea as sycamores in the plain for multitude.
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 And Solomon imported horses from Egypt, and the charge of the king's merchants for going [was as follows], and they traded,
Solomon’s horses were imported/brought from Egypt and from [the] Kue [region in Turkey].
17 and went and brought out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred [pieces] of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty [pieces] of silver: and so they brought for all the kings of the Chettites, and for the kings of Syria by their means.
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.
