2 Chronicles 1

1 And Solomon, son of David, strengthened himself over his kingdom, —and, Yahweh, his God, was with him, and made him surpassingly great.

David’s son [King] Solomon was able to gain complete control over his kingdom, because Yahweh his God helped him and enabled him to become very powerful.

2 And Solomon gave word to all Israel—to the rulers of thousands, and hundreds, and to the judges, and to all the leaders of all Israel, ancestral chiefs;

[When] David [was king, he had arranged for a new] Sacred Tent [to be] made in Jerusalem. Then David [and the Israeli leaders] had brought God’s Sacred Chest from Kiriath-Jearim [city] to the new Sacred Tent in Jerusalem that he had prepared for it. But [when Solomon became the king, ] the first Sacred Tent was still at Gibeon [city]. That was the tent that Moses, the man who served God [well], had [arranged to be] made in the desert. And the bronze altar that Bezalel, the son of Uri and grandson of Hur, had made was also still in Gibeon, in front of the first Sacred Tent. [One day] Solomon summoned the army commanders of 1,000 soldiers and the commanders of 100 soldiers and the judges and all the other leaders in Israel. He told them to go with him to Gibeon. So they all went to a hill in Gibeon [where the Sacred Tent was], and Solomon and all the others with him worshiped Yahweh there.

3 and Solomon, and all the convocation with him, went to the high place that was in Gibeon, —for, there, was the tent of meeting of God, which Moses the servant of Yahweh made in the desert.

4 Howbeit, the ark of God, had David brought up from Kiriath-jearim, into the place that David had prepared for it, —for he had pitched for it a tent, in Jerusalem.

5 Also, the altar of bronze that Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur had made, was there before the habitation of Yahweh, —so Solomon and the convocation sought it.

6 And Solomon went up thither, unto the altar of bronze before Yahweh, which belonged to the tent of meeting, —and caused to go up thereon a thousand ascending-sacrifices.

Then Solomon went up to the bronze altar in front of the Sacred Tent, and he offered 1,000 animals to be [killed and] completely burned [on the altar].

7 During that night, God appeared unto Solomon, —and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.

That night God appeared to Solomon [in a dream] and said to him, “Request whatever you want me to give to you.”

8 And Solomon said unto God, Thou thyself, didst deal with David my father in great lovingkindness, —and hast made me king in his stead.

Solomon replied, “You were very kind to David my father, and now you have appointed me to be the king to succeed him.

9 Now, O Yahweh Elohim, let thy word with David my father be brought to pass, -for, thou, hast made me king over a people, for multitude like the dust of the earth.

So Yahweh my God, you have caused me to become the king to rule people who are as many as the particles of dirt on the earth. So do what you promised my father David.

10 Now, wisdom and knowledge, give thou unto me, that I may go out before this people, and may come in, —for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?

Please enable me to be wise and to know [what I should do], in order that I may rule these people [well], because there is no one who can rule all this great nation of yours [without your help].”

11 And God said unto Solomon, Because this was near thy heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, or the life of them that hate thee, nor even, many days, hast thou asked, —but hast asked for thyself, wisdom and knowledge, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king,

God replied, “[I am pleased with what] you desire; you have not requested a huge amount of money or to be honored or that your enemies be killed. And you have not requested that you live for a long time. Instead, you have requested that [I enable] you [to] be wise and [to] know [what you should do] in order that you may govern [well] my people whom I have appointed you to rule.

12 wisdom and knowledge, are granted unto thee, —moreover, riches and wealth and honour, will I give thee, such as the kings who were before thee did not possess, neither shall they who come after thee possess the like.

Therefore I will enable you to be wise and to know [what you should do to rule my people well]. But I will also enable you to have a huge amount of money and to be honored, more than anyone who was previously a king ever was honored, more than anyone who later becomes king will be honored.”

13 And Solomon came from the high place that was in Gibeon unto Jerusalem, from before the tent of meeting, —and reigned over Israel.

Then Solomon [and the people who were with him all] left from being in front of he Sacred Tent [on the hill in Gibeon], and they returned to Jerusalem. From there he ruled the Israeli people.

14 And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen, and came to have a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, —and he settled them in chariot cities, and with the king, in Jerusalem.

Solomon acquired 1,400 chariots and 12,000 men who rode [on horses]. He put some of the chariots and horses in Jerusalem, and put some of them in various other cities.

15 And the king made silver and gold in Jerusalem, like stones, and, cedars, made he like the sycomores that are in the lowland, for abundance.

During the years that Solomon was king, silver and gold were as common in Jerusalem as stones, and [lumber from] cedar trees were as plentiful as [lumber from] ordinary sycamore trees in the foothills.

16 And the horses which Solomon had were, an export, out of Egypt, —and a, company of royal merchants, used to fetch a drove, at a price;

Solomon’s horses were imported/brought from Egypt and from [the] Kue [region in Turkey].

17 and they built and brought forth out of Egypt a chariot, for six hundred [shekels] of silver, and a horse, for a hundred and fifty, -and, so, for all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria, by their means, brought they them forth.

In Egypt his men paid 15 pounds of silver for each chariot and 3-3/4 pounds of silver for each horse. They also exported/sold many of them to the kings of the Heth and Aram people-groups.