2 Chronicles 1

1 ¹ Solomon son of David strengthened his hold on his kingdom; our Father was with him, making him very great.

² Solomon spoke to all Israel — the commanders of thousands and hundreds, the judges, and every leader in Israel, the family heads. ³ Solomon and the whole assembly went to the high place at Gibeon, where our Father's tent of meeting stood, which Moses, our Father's servant, made in the wilderness. ⁴ But David had brought the ark of our Father up from Kiriath-jearim to the place he prepared for it, pitching a tent for it in Jerusalem. ⁵ The bronze altar Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, made was there before the tabernacle of our Father; so Solomon and the assembly sought our Father there. ⁶ Solomon went up to the bronze altar before our Father at the tent of meeting and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

⁷ That night our Father appeared to Solomon and said to him, "Ask what I should give you."

⁸ Solomon said to our Father, "You showed great covenant love to David my father, and made me king in his place." ⁹ Now, my Father, confirm your promise to my father David, for you made me king over a people as many as the earth's dust. ¹⁰ Give me wisdom and knowledge now to lead this people, for who can govern this great people of yours?

¹¹ Our Father said to Solomon, "Because this was in your heart—you asked not for riches, wealth, or honor, nor your enemies' lives, nor long life, but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people, over whom I made you king ¹² —wisdom and knowledge are given you. I will also give you riches, wealth, and honor no king before you had, and none after you will.

¹³ So Solomon went from Gibeon's high place, from before the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem, and reigned over Israel.

¹⁴ Solomon gathered 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, stationing them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. ¹⁵ In Jerusalem the king made silver and gold like stones, and cedar as plentiful as foothill sycamore-figs. ¹⁶ Solomon's horses came from Egypt and Kue; the king's traders bought them from Kue at market price. ^a a v16 Kue was a region in what is now southern Turkey, prized in the ancient world for its horses. ¹⁷ They imported a chariot from Egypt for about fifteen pounds of silver, a horse for about four; through them they exported these to all the kings of the Hittites and Aram.