2 Chronicles 1

1 And Solomon son of David grew strong over his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him, and made him great, high above. [a] 2 And Solomon spoke to all Israel — to the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, and to the judges, and to all the leaders before Israel, the leaders of the fathers’ houses — 3 and Solomon went, and the whole assembly with him, to the high place at Gibeon, where the tent of witness of God was, which Moses the servant of the Lord made in the wilderness. 4 But the ark of God David had brought up from the city of Kiriath-jearim, for he had made ready a tent for it in Jerusalem. [b]

5 And the bronze altar, which Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, had made, was there before the tent of the Lord; and Solomon and the assembly sought it out. [c] 6 And there Solomon brought offerings up on the bronze altar before the Lord, the one that was at the tent, and he offered on it a thousand whole burnt offerings.

7 That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask what I should give you.” 8 And Solomon said to God, “You have dealt in great mercy with David my father, and you have made me king in his place. 9 And now, Lord God, let your name be made sure upon David my father, for you have made me king over a people as many as the dust of the earth. 10 Now give me wisdom and understanding, and I will go out before this people and come in. For who can judge this great people of yours?”

11 And God said to Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you did not ask for wealth of possessions, or glory, or the life of your enemies, and you did not ask for many days, but asked for yourself wisdom and understanding, so that you may judge my people, over whom I have made you king — 12 the wisdom and the understanding I give you; and wealth and possessions and glory I will give you, such that there has been no one like you among the kings before you, and after you there will be no one like this.”

13 And Solomon came from the high place at Gibeon to Jerusalem, from before the tent of witness, and he reigned over Israel. [d]

14 And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, and he left them in the chariot cities; and the people were with the king in Jerusalem. 15 And the king made the gold and the silver in Jerusalem like stones, and the cedars in Judah like the sycamores in the lowland, for their great number.

16 Solomon’s horses came out of Egypt, and the price of them belonged to the king’s merchants; they went trading, they bought, [e] 17 and they went up and brought out of Egypt a chariot for fifteen pounds of silver, and a horse for three and three-quarter pounds; and in the same way, by their own hands, they brought them out for all the kings of the Hittites and for the kings of Aram. [f]

18 And Solomon said that he would build a house for the name of the Lord, and a house for his kingdom. [g]