2 Chronicles 1

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

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 fathers’ houses. ³ So Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was God’s Tent of Meeting, which Moses the servant of Yahweh had made in the wilderness. ⁴ But David had brought God’s ark up from Kiriath Jearim to the place that David had prepared for it; for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem. ⁵ Moreover the bronze altar, that Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, was there before Yahweh’s tabernacle; and Solomon and the assembly sought to it.

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

⁷ In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I shall 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. ⁹ Now, Yahweh 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. ¹⁰ Give me now 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?”

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

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.

¹⁴ Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen: and he had one thousand four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at 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. ¹⁶ The horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt; the king’s merchants purchased them in droves, each drove at a price. ¹⁷ They brought up and brought out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for one hundred fifty; and so brought they out horses for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, by their means.