II Chronicles

Solomon son of David took firm hold of his kingdom, for the ETERNAL his God was with him and made him exceedingly great.

Solomon summoned all Israel—the officers of thousands and of hundreds, and the judges, and all the chiefs of all Israel, the heads of the clans.

aCf. 1 Kings 3.4–15. Then Solomon, and all the assemblage with him, went to the shrine at Gibeon, for the Tent of Meeting, which Moses the servant of GOD had made in the wilderness, was there.

(But the Ark of God David had brought up from Kiriath-jearim to the place that David had prepared for it; for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.)

The bronze altar, which Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur had made, was also there before the Tabernacle of GOD, and Solomon and the assemblage resorted to it.

There Solomon ascended the bronze altar before GOD, which was at the Tent of Meeting, and on it sacrificed a thousand burnt offerings.

That night, God appeared tobappeared to Or “made contact with.” Solomon and said to him, “Ask, what shall I grant you?”

Solomon said to God, “You dealt most graciously with my father David, and now You have made me king in his stead.

Now, O ETERNAL God, let Your promise to my father David be fulfilled; for You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth.

Grant me then the wisdom and the knowledge to lead this people,cto lead this people Lit. “that I may go out before this people and come in.” for who can govern Your great people?”

God said to Solomon, “Because you want this, and have not asked for wealth, property, and glory, nor have you asked for the life of your enemy, or long life for yourself, but you have asked for the wisdom and the knowledge to be able to govern My people over whom I have made you king,

wisdom and knowledge are granted to you, and I grant you also wealth, property, and glory, the like of which no king before you has had, nor shall any after you have.”

From the shrine at Gibeon, from the Tent of Meeting, Solomon went to Jerusalem and reigned over Israel.

dCf. 1 Kings 10.26–29. Solomon assembled chariots and horses; he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses that he stationed in the chariot towns and with the king in Jerusalem.

The king made silver and gold as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars as plentiful as the sycamores in the Shephelah.

Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Que; the king’s traders would buy them from Que at the market price.

A chariot imported from Egypt cost 600 shekels of silver, and a horse 150. These in turn were exported by themethem That is, Solomon’s dealers. to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Arameans.

Then Solomon resolved to build a House for GOD’s name and a royal palace for himself.