Solomon Asks God for Wisdom
1Solomon 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.
2Solomon 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. 3Solomon 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. 4David 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. 5But 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. 6Solomon 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.
7That night God appeared to Solomon. He said to him, “Ask for anything you want me to give you.”
8Solomon answered God, “You were very kind to my father David. Now you have made me king in his place. 9Lord 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. 10Give 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?”
11God 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. 12So 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.”
13Then Solomon left the high place at Gibeon. He went from the tent of meeting there to Jerusalem. And he ruled over Israel.
14Solomon had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He kept some of them in the chariot cities. He kept others with him in Jerusalem. 15The 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. 16Solomon got horses from Egypt and Kue. The king’s buyers purchased them from Kue at the current price. 17They 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.
所罗门王求智慧
1大卫的儿子所罗门巩固了自己的王位。因为他的上帝耶和华与他同在，使他极其伟大。
2所罗门召集所有以色列人，包括千夫长、百夫长、审判官、首领和族长， 3与他们一起去基遍的丘坛，因为那里有上帝的会幕，是耶和华的仆人摩西在旷野制造的。 4大卫已经把上帝的约柜从基列·耶琳搬到耶路撒冷，因为他在那里为约柜搭了一个帐篷。 5户珥的孙子、乌利的儿子比撒列造的铜坛在基遍耶和华的会幕前，所罗门和会众就在那里求问耶和华。 6所罗门上到耶和华会幕前的铜坛那里，献上一千头祭牲作为燔祭。
7当天晚上，上帝向所罗门显现，问他：“你要我给你什么？只管求吧。” 8所罗门回答说：“你厚待我父大卫，并让我继位。 9耶和华上帝啊，求你成就你给我父大卫的应许。你立我为王，使我统治这多如地上尘土的百姓。 10现在，求你赐我智慧和知识以带领他们。不然，谁能治理这么多的百姓呢？” 11上帝对所罗门说：“你既然有此心愿，不为自己求富贵、资财、尊荣、长寿，也没有求灭绝你的敌人，只求智慧和知识以治理我的子民——我交在你王权之下的百姓， 12我必赐你智慧和知识，并且我还要赐你空前绝后的富贵、资财和尊荣。”
13于是，所罗门从基遍丘坛的会幕前回到耶路撒冷治理以色列。
所罗门王的兵力和财富
14所罗门组建了战车和骑兵，有一千四百辆战车、一万二千名骑兵，驻扎在屯车城和他所在的耶路撒冷。 15王使耶路撒冷的金银多如石头，使香柏木多如丘陵的无花果树。 16所罗门的马匹都是由王室商队从埃及和古厄按定价买来的。 17他们从埃及买来的车马，每辆车六百块银子，每匹马一百五十块银子，他们也把车马卖给赫人诸王和亚兰诸王。
