2 Chronicles
Chapter 1 of 36
1Solomon son of David grew strong in his kingdom. The LORD his God was with him, lifted him up, and made him exceedingly great. 2Solomon spoke to all Israel: to the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, to the officials, and to all the leaders before all Israel, the heads of the ancestral families. He said, "Let us go to Gibeon." 3So Solomon went, and the whole assembly of Israel with him, to the high place at Gibeon, because the tent of meeting of the LORD was there, the one Moses the LORD's servant had made in the wilderness. 4But David had brought the ark of the LORD up from Kiriath-jearim, because David had prepared a house for it in Jerusalem. 5The bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, had made was there in front of the LORD's tent. Solomon and the whole assembly of Israel sought the ark of the LORD. 6Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the LORD, the one at the tent, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it. 7That night the LORD appeared to Solomon and said to him, "Ask me for whatever I should give you." 8Solomon said to the LORD, "Lord, you showed great mercy to David my father, and you have made me king after him. 9Now, Lord my God, let your word to David my father be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people as many as the sand of the sea. 10So now, Lord, give me wisdom and understanding, so that I may go out and come in before this people. For no one is able to judge this great people." 11The LORD said to Solomon, "Because this was in your heart, because this rose up in your heart, you did not ask me for riches, wealth, or honor, or for the life of your enemies, and you did not ask me for a long life. 12Instead you asked me for wisdom and understanding so that you may judge my people over whom I have made you king. I will give you wisdom and understanding. I will also give you riches, wealth, and honor such as no king before you was given, and none after you will be given the like." 13Then Solomon came down from the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem, and Solomon reigned over Israel. 14Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen. He had one hundred thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses. He stationed them in the chariot cities, and kept some of the troops with the king in Jerusalem. 15Solomon made gold as common as stone in Jerusalem, and cedar wood in the land of Judah as plentiful as the sycamore trees in the valleys. 16Solomon's horses were brought out of Egypt, and his traders came from Tekoa. This was their business: the king sent them out from among the leading men of the land to go and trade. [unclear in the Ge'ez] 17They went up and brought a chariot out of Egypt for six hundred measures of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. In the same way all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria brought them to him through their agents. ‹
›
2 Chronicles · Chapter 1 of 36