1 Solomon son of David made himself strong in his kingdom; the LORD his God was with him and made him very great.
2 Solomon addressed all Israel: the leaders of thousands and of hundreds, the judges, and every chief in all Israel, the heads of the fathers' houses.
3 Then Solomon and the whole assembly with him went to the high place at Gibeon, because God's tent of meeting, which Moses the LORD's servant had made in the wilderness, was there.
4 (The ark of God, however, David had brought up from Kiriath-jearim to the place he had made ready for it, since he had set up a tent for it in Jerusalem.)
5 The bronze altar made by Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, was there in front of the tabernacle of the LORD, and Solomon and the assembly sought him there.
6 Solomon went up there, to the bronze altar before the LORD at the tent of meeting, and on it he offered a thousand burnt offerings.
7 That night God appeared to Solomon and told him, "Ask! What shall I give you?"
8 Solomon answered God, "You showed great steadfast love to my father David, and you have made me king after him.
9 Now, LORD God, let your promise to my father David come true, for you have made me king over a people as many as the dust of the earth.
10 Give me, then, wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?"
11 God answered Solomon, "Since this is what was in your heart, and you did not ask for riches, wealth, or honor, or for the death of your enemies, or even for a long life, but you asked for wisdom and knowledge so that you can govern my people over whom I made you king,
12 wisdom and knowledge are given to you. And I will give you riches, wealth, and honor too, such as no king before you possessed and none after you will possess."
13 Then Solomon came from the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem, and reigned over Israel.
14 Solomon built up a force of chariots and horsemen: he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, and he kept them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.
15 The king made silver and gold in Jerusalem as plentiful as stones, and cedar as plentiful as the sycamores in the Shephelah.
16 Solomon's horses came from Egypt and from Kue; the king's merchants got them from Kue for a price.
17 They would bring a chariot up out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver and a horse for a hundred and fifty, and so also, through their agency, they supplied them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.