Solomon’s gift of wisdom
1 Solomon, son of David, took firm control of the Kingdom of Israel. Yahweh, his God, was with him and exal ted him greatly.
2 Solomon then spoke to all Israel, to commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to all the princes of Israel, the heads of families.
3 Then Solomon, and with him the whole assembly, went to the High place at Gibeon, where God’s Tent of Meeting was, which Moses, the servant of God, had made in the wilder ness;
4 David, however, had brought the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place he had prepared for it, having set up a tent for it in Jerusalem.
5 The bronze altar that Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, had made stood there in front of the Holy Tent of Yahweh; Solomon, with the assembly, came to this altar, looking for Yahweh’s presence.
6 Solomon went up to the bronze altar that was by the Tent of Meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.
7 That night, God appeared to Solo mon and said, “Ask what you would like me to give you.”
8 Solomon replied to God, “You showed great kind ness to David my father; and you have made me king in his place.
9 Yahweh God, the promise you made to David my father has now been fulfilled, since you have made me king over a people who are so many that they cannot be counted.
10 Therefore now give me wisdom and knowledge to act as leader of this people, for who could govern a people so great as yours?”
11 God said to Solomon, “Since that is what you want, you have asked, not for riches, treasure, honor, the lives of your enemies, or even for a long life, but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people of whom I have made you king;
12 therefore wisdom and knowledge are granted you. I give you riches too, and treasures, and honor such as none of the kings had that were before you, nor shall any have that come after you.”
13 Solomon left the High place and the Tent of Meeting at Gibeon and returned to Jerusalem.
14 Solomon built up a force of chariots and horses; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses; these he stationed in the chariot towns and with the king in Jerusalem.
15 During his reign, silver and gold became as common in Jerusalem as stone, while cedar wood was as plentiful as the ordinary sycamore trees in the foothills of Judah.
16 Solomon’s horses were imported from Cilicia; the king’s agents took delivery of them from Cilicia at a fixed rate.
17 They imported chariots from Egypt for 600 pieces of silver each, and horses for 150 each. These men acted in the same way for all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.
18 So lomon decided to build a house for Yahweh’s Name and a palace for himself.