CHAPTER 1

¹And Solomon son of David entrenched himself in his kingship, and the LORD his God was with him and made him very great. ²And Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the officers of the thousands and of the hundreds and to the judges and to every leader in all Israel, the heads of the patriarchal houses. ³And Solomon and all the assembly with him went to the high place that was in Gibeon, for there the Tent of God’s Meeting was that Moses servant of God had made in the wilderness. ⁴But the Ark of God David had brought up from Kiriath-Jearim as David had readied for it, for he had pitched a tent in Jerusalem. ⁵And the bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri had made was there in front of the LORD’S tabernacle, and Solomon and the assembly sought it out. ⁶And Solomon offered up there on the bronze altar before the LORD, which was at the Tent of Meeting, offered on it a thousand burnt offerings. ⁷On that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask what I should give you.” ⁸And Solomon said to God, “You, Who did great kindness with David my father and made me king in his stead⁹—now, LORD God, may Your words to David be confirmed that You have made me king over a people as multitudinous as the dust of the earth. ¹⁰Now, give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who can judge this great people?” ¹¹And God said to Solomon, “Inasmuch as this was in your heart, and you did not ask for possessions and honor nor the lives of your foes nor for long life did you ask, but you asked for wisdom and knowledge with which you might judge My people over whom I made you king, ¹²the wisdom and knowledge are given to you, and wealth and possessions and honor I will give you, the like of which no kings before you had nor after you will have.” ¹³And Solomon came from the high place that was in Gibeon. ¹⁴And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen, and he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, and he placed them in the chariot towns and with the king in Jerusalem. ¹⁵And the king made silver and gold in Jerusalem as abundant as stones, and cedars like the sycamores that are in the lowlands. ¹⁶And the source of Solomon’s horses was from Egypt and from Kue, and the king’s merchants would take them from Kue at a set price. ¹⁷And a chariot coming from Egypt cost six hundred silver shekels and a horse a hundred fifty, and they would bring them out to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.