2 Chronicles
The Book of Chronicles—Part Second
1 And David’s son Solomon took a strong hold on his royal prerogatives; and his God Jehovah was with him and made him surpassingly great. 2 And Solomon gave word to all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds and to the judges and to every prince of all Israel, the heads of families; 3 and Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the height at Gibeon, because that was where Jehovah’s tent of meeting was, which Jehovah’s servant Moses had made in the wilderness; 4 the ark of God, though, David had brought up from Kirjath-Jeʽarim when David made the arrangements for it, for David had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. 5* And the bronze altar that Besalel the son of Uri the son of Hur had made was there before Jehovah’s tabernacle; and Solomon and all the assembly visited it, 6 and Solomon made burnt-offerings there on the bronze altar before Jehovah that belonged to the tent of meeting: he offered a thousand burnt-offerings on it.
7 That night God appeared to Solomon and said “Ask for what I am to give you.”
8 And Solomon said to God “You greatly befriended my father David, and have made me king in his place. 9* Now, Jehovah God, let your words with my father David prove true; for you have made me king over a people numerous as the particles of the earth. 10 Now give me wisdom and knowledge that I may go out and in before this people; for who is to judge this great people of yours?”
11 And God said to Solomon “Since you had your mind on this, and did not ask for riches and substance and honors and the lives of those who hate you, and did not ask for long life either, but asked to have wisdom and knowledge that you might judge my people over which I have made you king, 12 the wisdom and knowledge is given to you, and I will give you such riches and substance and honors as the kings before you have not had the like of nor shall there be the like after you.”
13 And Solomon came from the height at Gibeon to Jerusalem from before the tent of meeting, and reigned over Israel. 14 And Solomon amassed chariots and horses, and had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he quartered in the chariot cities and at Jerusalem with the king. 15 And the king made silver and gold as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as sycamores in the lowlands. 16* And Solomon’s sources of supply for ponies were Egypt and Kue; the king’s dealers had them from Kue on commission, and used to bring up a chariot out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver and a pony for a hundred and fifty; 17 and they were similarly imported through them for all the kings of the Hittites and for the kings of Syria.