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¹ AND Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him and exalted him exceedingly above all the kings of the earth.² Then Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to all the princes, the chiefs of the fathers.³ So Solomon and all the people who were with him went to a great banquet that was at the town of Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of the LORD, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness.⁴ But David had brought up the ark of the LORD from Koriath-kaproney to the place which David had prepared for it; for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.⁵ Moreover the bronze altar that Bezaliel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made was placed before the tabernacle of the LORD; and Solomon and the whole congregation of Israel went to it.⁶ And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the LORD, which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it.⁷ That night the LORD appeared to Solomon in a vision and said to him, Ask what I shall give you.⁸ And Solomon said to the LORD, Thou hast shown great mercy to David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead.⁹ Now, O LORD my God, let thy promise to David my father be established; for thou hast made me king over this people, like the dust of the earth in multitude.¹⁰ Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this thy people that is so great?¹¹ And the LORD said to Solomon, Because this was in your mind, and you have not asked riches, honor, nor the life of your enemies, neither have you asked for long life; but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may judge my people over whom I have made you king;¹² Also the things for which you have not asked will I grant to you. And I will give you wisdom and knowledge, wealth, riches, and honor, such as none of the kings have had that have been before you, neither shall there any after you have the like.

¹³ Then Solomon came from his journey to the great banquet that was at the town of Gibeon, east of Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the congregation, and reigned over all Israel.¹⁴ And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, which he placed in the chariot cities, and some of them with the king in Jerusalem.¹⁵ And the king made silver in Jerusalem as plenteous as stones, and he made cedar as the sand that is by the sea for abundance.¹⁶ And the kings merchants purchased horses for Solomon from Egypt and from the city of the Apelites for a price.¹⁷ And they went up and bought a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty; and so through the kings merchants they brought horses for all the kings of the Hittites and for the kings of Aram.