2 Chronicles 1
New International Reader's Version
Solomon Asks God for Wisdom
1 Solomon was the son of David. Solomon made his position secure over his kingdom. The Lord his God was with him. He made Solomon very great.
2 Solomon spoke to the whole community of Israel. He spoke to the commanders of thousands of men and commanders of hundreds. He spoke to the judges and all the leaders in Israel. He spoke to the leaders of Israel’s families. 3 Solomon and the whole community went to the high place at Gibeon. That’s because God’s tent of meeting was there. The Lord’s servant Moses had made the tent in the desert. 4 David had carried up the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim. He had it brought to the place he had prepared for it. He had set up a tent for it in Jerusalem. 5 But the bronze altar that Bezalel had made was in Gibeon. Bezalel was the son of Uri. Uri was the son of Hur. The altar was in front of the Lord’s holy tent. So Solomon and the whole community asked the Lord for advice in Gibeon. 6 Solomon went up to the bronze altar in front of the Lord at the tent of meeting. Solomon sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings on the altar.
7 That night God appeared to Solomon. He said to him, “Ask for anything you want me to give you.”
8 Solomon answered God, “You were very kind to my father David. Now you have made me king in his place. 9 Lord God, let the promise you gave to my father David come true. You have made me king. My people are as many as the dust of the earth. They can’t be counted. 10 Give me wisdom and knowledge. Then I’ll be able to lead these people. Without your help, who would be able to rule this great nation of yours?”
11 God said to Solomon, “I am glad that those are the things you really want. You have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor. You have not even asked to have your enemies killed. You have not asked to live for a long time. Instead, you have asked for wisdom and knowledge. You want to be able to rule my people wisely. I have made you king over them. 12 So wisdom and knowledge will be given to you. I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor. You will have more than any king before you ever had. And no king after you will have as much.”
13 Then Solomon left the high place at Gibeon. He went from the tent of meeting there to Jerusalem. And he ruled over Israel.
14 Solomon had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He kept some of them in the chariot cities. He kept others with him in Jerusalem. 15 The king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones. He made cedar wood as common there as sycamore-fig trees in the western hills. 16 Solomon got horses from Egypt and Kue. The king’s buyers purchased them from Kue at the current price. 17 They could get a chariot from Egypt for 15 pounds of silver. They could get a horse for less than four pounds of silver. They sold horses and chariots to all the Hittite and Aramean kings.
2 Chronicles 1
Expanded Bible
Solomon Asks for Wisdom(A)
1 Solomon, David’s son, ·became a powerful king [solidified/secured/established his kingdom/royal authority; L strengthened himself over his kingdom], because the Lord his God was with him and ·made him very great [exalted/magnified/empowered him].
2 Solomon spoke to all the people of Israel—the ·commanders [officers] of thousands of men and of hundreds of men, the judges, every leader in all Israel, and the ·leaders [L heads] of the ·families [clans]. 3 Then Solomon and all the ·people [assembly] with him went to the ·place of worship [L high place] at the town of Gibeon. God’s ·Meeting Tent [Tabernacle], which Moses the Lord’s servant had made in the ·desert [wilderness], was there. 4 David had brought the Ark of God from Kiriath Jearim to Jerusalem, where he had ·made [prepared] a place for it and had set up a tent for it [1 Sam. 6:1–15]. 5 But the bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri, who was the son of Hur, had made was in Gibeon in front of the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle]. So Solomon and the ·people [assembly] worshiped there. 6 Solomon went up to the bronze altar ·in the presence of [before] the Lord at the ·Meeting Tent [Tabernacle] and ·offered [sacrificed] a thousand burnt offerings on it.
7 That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
8 Solomon answered, “You have ·been very kind [shown/demonstrated loyalty/unfailing love] to my father David, and you have made me king in his place. 9 Now, Lord God, ·may your promise to my father David come true [or your promise to my father David has been fulfilled]. You have made me king of a ·people [nation] ·who are as many [as numerous] as the dust of the earth [Gen. 1:16]. 10 Now give me wisdom and knowledge so I can lead these people, ·because no one can rule them without your help [for who can rule/govern this great people/nation of yours?].”
11 God said to Solomon, “You have not asked for wealth or riches or ·honor [fame], or for the ·death of your enemies [L life of those who hate you], or for a long life. ·But since [Because] you have asked for wisdom and knowledge to ·lead [rule; govern] my people, over whom I have made you king, 12 I will give you wisdom and knowledge. I will also give you more wealth, riches, and ·honor [fame] than any king who has lived before you or any who will live after you.”
13 Then Solomon left the ·place of worship [L high place], the ·Meeting Tent [Tabernacle], at Gibeon and went back to Jerusalem. There King Solomon ·ruled [reigned] over Israel.
Solomon’s Wealth(B)
14 Solomon ·had [gathered; amassed; accumulated] fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses. He kept some in ·special cities for the chariots [chariot cities], and others he kept with him in Jerusalem. 15 In Jerusalem Solomon made silver and gold as ·plentiful [common] as stones and cedar trees as ·plentiful [common] as the ·fig [sycamore-fig] trees on the ·western hills [L Shephelah]. 16 He imported horses from Egypt and ·Kue [Cilicia; C present-day southern Turkey]; his traders bought them in ·Kue [Cilicia] for the ·prevailing [usual; standard] price. 17 They imported chariots from Egypt for ·about fifteen pounds [L six hundred shekels] of silver apiece, and horses cost ·nearly four pounds of silver [L one hundred fifty] apiece. Then they ·sold [exported] the horses and chariots to all the kings of the Hittites and the Arameans.
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