2 Chronicles 1

1 Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly.

Solomon, son of David, strengthened his hold over the kingdom, and the Lord God was with him and made him extremely powerful.

2 Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every prince in all Israel, the heads of the ancestral houses.

Solomon sent for all the Israelite leaders, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to every family leader.

3 So Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the Tent of Meeting of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness.

Solomon went with the whole assembly to the high place at Gibeon, for this was the site of God's Tent of Meeting that Moses, the Lord's servant, had made in the wilderness.

4 But David had brought the ark of God up from Kiriath Jearim to the place that David had prepared for it; for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.

David had brought up the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place in Jerusalem where he had set up a tent for it.

5 Moreover the bronze altar, that Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of the LORD: and Solomon and the assembly were seeking counsel there.

However, the bronze altar made by Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, was there in front of the Tent of the Lord, so that is where Solomon and the assembly went to worship.

6 Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the LORD, which was at the Tent of Meeting, and offered one thousand burnt offerings on it.

Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the Lord, in front of the Tent of Meeting. There he presented one thousand burnt offerings.

7 In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, "Ask what I shall give you."

That night God appeared to Solomon and told him, “Ask what you want me to give you.”

8 Solomon said to God, "You have shown great loving kindness to David my father, and have made me king in his place.

Solomon responded to God, “You showed trustworthy love without limit to my father David, and you have made me king in his place.

9 Now, LORD God, let your promise to David my father be established; for you have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.

Lord God, please keep the promise you made to my father David. You have made me king over a nation that has as many people as the dust of the earth.

10 Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this your people, that is so great?"

Please give me wisdom and knowledge to lead this people—for who can rule with justice this great people of yours?”

11 God said to Solomon, "Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches, wealth, or honor, nor the life of those who hate you, neither yet have asked long life; but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge my people, over whom I have made you king:

God told Solomon: “Because this is what you really wanted, and you didn't ask for wealth, possessions, or honor, or the death of those who hate you, or for a long life, but instead you asked for wisdom and knowledge so you can rule with justice my people that I have made you king over;

12 wisdom and knowledge is granted to you. I will give you riches, wealth, and honor, such as none of the kings have had who have been before you; neither shall there any after you have the like."

wisdom and knowledge is given to you. I will give you wealth, possessions, and honor as well, much more than any king who came before you has had, or who comes after you will ever have.”

13 So Solomon came from the high place that was at Gibeon, from before the Tent of Meeting, to Jerusalem; and he reigned over Israel.

Then Solomon returned to Jerusalem from the Tent of Meeting in Gibeon, and he ruled over Israel.

14 Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen: and he had one thousand four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

Solomon built up an army of chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses, which he placed in the chariot cities, and also with him in Jerusalem.

15 The king made silver and gold to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland, for abundance.

The king made silver and gold as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar wood as plentiful as sycamore-figs trees in the foothills.

16 The horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt and from Kue; the king's merchants purchased them from Kue.

Solomon imported horses for himself from Egypt and Kue; the king's traders bought them in Kue.

17 They brought up and brought out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred pieces of silver, and a horse for one hundred fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of Aram, they brought them out by their means.

A chariot could be imported from Egypt for six hundred silver shekels, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. In the same way they exported them to all the Hittite kings and the Aramean kings.