Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom
And Solomon the son of David held strong over his kingdom; and the LORD his God was with him, and made him exceedingly great.
And Solomon spoke to all Israel — to the commanders of the thousands and the hundreds, and to the judges, and to every leader in all Israel, the heads of the fathers.
And Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon — for there was the tent of meeting of God, which Moses, the servant of the LORD, had made in the wilderness.
But the ark of God David had brought up from Kiriath-jearim to the place David had prepared for it — for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.
And the altar of bronze that Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made was there, before the dwelling place of the LORD; and Solomon and the assembly sought it out.
And Solomon went up there, to the altar of bronze before the LORD, which belonged to the tent of meeting; and he offered up on it a thousand burnt offerings.
That night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask — what shall I give you?”
And Solomon said to God: “You have done great loyal love with David my father, and have made me king in his place.
Now, LORD God, let your word with David my father be confirmed — for you have made me king over a people as many as the dust of the earth.
Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out before this people and come in — for who can judge this great people of yours?”
And God said to Solomon: “Because this was with your heart, and you have not asked for riches, wealth, and honor, or the life of those who hate you — and you have not even asked for many days — but have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge, so that you may judge my people over whom I have made you king:
the wisdom and the knowledge are given to you; and riches, and wealth, and honor I will give you, such as the kings before you never had, and such as none after you will have.”
And Solomon came from the high place that was at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem; and he reigned over Israel.
Solomon’s Riches
And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; and he had a thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.
And the king made the silver and the gold in Jerusalem like the stones, and the cedars he made like the sycamores that are in the lowland, for abundance.
And the source of the horses that Solomon had was Egypt and Kue; the merchants of the king would take them from Kue at a price.
And they would go up and bring out from Egypt a chariot for six hundred pieces of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty; and so, by their hand, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.