King Solomon Prays for Wisdom
(1 Kings 3.1-15)1 Solomon, the son of King David, took firm control of the kingdom of Israel, and the Lord his God blessed him and made him very powerful.
2 King Solomon gave an order to all the officers in charge of units of a thousand men and of a hundred men, all the government officials, all the heads of families, and all the rest of the people, 3 commanding them to go with him to the place of worship at Gibeon. They went there because that was where the Tent of the Lord's presence was located, which Moses, the Lord's servant, had made in the wilderness. ( 4 The Covenant Box, however, was in Jerusalem, kept in a tent which King David had set up when he brought the Box from Kiriath Jearim.) 5 The bronze altar which had been made by Bezalel, the son of Uri and grandson of Hur, was also in Gibeon in front of the Tent of the Lord's presence. King Solomon and all the people worshiped the Lord there. 6 In front of the Tent the king worshiped the Lord by offering sacrifices on the bronze altar; he had a thousand animals killed and burned whole on it.
7 That night God appeared to Solomon and asked, “What would you like me to give you?”
8 Solomon answered, “You always showed great love for my father David, and now you have let me succeed him as king. 9 O Lord God, fulfill the promise you made to my father. You have made me king over a people who are so many that they cannot be counted, 10 so give me the wisdom and knowledge I need to rule over them. Otherwise, how would I ever be able to rule this great people of yours?”
11 God replied to Solomon, “You have made the right choice. Instead of asking for wealth or treasure or fame or the death of your enemies or even for long life for yourself, you have asked for wisdom and knowledge so that you can rule my people, over whom I have made you king. 12 I will give you wisdom and knowledge. And in addition, I will give you more wealth, treasure, and fame than any king has ever had before or will ever have again.”
King Solomon's Power and Wealth
(1 Kings 10.26-29)13 So Solomon left the place of worship at Gibeon, where the Tent of the Lord's presence was, and returned to Jerusalem. There he ruled over Israel. 14 He built up a force of fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand cavalry horses. Some of them he kept in Jerusalem, and the rest he stationed in various other cities. 15 During his reign silver and gold became as common in Jerusalem as stone, and cedar was as plentiful as ordinary sycamore in the foothills of Judah. 16 The king's agents controlled the export of horses from Musri and Cilicia, 17 and the export of chariots from Egypt. They supplied the Hittite and Syrian kings with horses and chariots, selling chariots for 600 pieces of silver each and horses for 150 each.
1 Kad Salamans, Dāvida dēls, nostiprinājās savā ķēniņa varā - jo Tas Kungs, viņa Dievs, bija ar viņu, un Viņš to augstu cēla - 2 tad Salamans deva rīkojumu visam Israēlam, gan virsniekiem pār tūkstoti, gan virsniekiem pār simtu, tāpat soģiem un ikvienam vadonim visā Israēlā, ikvienam tēvu nama galvenajam, 3 lai viņi noietu un arī Salamans pats, un visa draudze līdz ar viņu uz augstieni pie Gibeonas, jo tur bija novietota Dieva derības Saiešanas telts, ko Mozus, Tā Kunga kalps, bija darinājis tuksnesī, 4 kurpretī Dieva šķirstu Dāvids bija licis atvest no Kirjat-Jeārimas uz to vietu, ko viņš tam bija sagatavojis, jo viņš tā vajadzībām bija uzcēlis telti Jeruzālemē. 5 Arī vara altāris, ko Becaleēls, Ūrija dēls, Hūra dēladēls, bija licis darināt, stāvēja tur Tā Kunga mājokļa priekšā, un Salamans un draudze tur meklēja To Kungu. 6 Un Salamans tur upurēja Tā Kunga vaiga priekšā uz vara altāra pie Saiešanas telts, un viņš upurēja uz tā Tam Kungam veselu tūkstoti dedzināmo upuru. 7 Tanī naktī Dievs parādījās Salamanam un sacīja viņam: "Lūdz, ko lai Es tev dodu!" 8 Un Salamans atbildēja Tam Kungam: "Tu esi manam tēvam Dāvidam parādījis lielu žēlastību, un Tu esi mani cēlis par ķēniņu viņa vietā. 9 Tad nu tagad, Kungs, mans Dievs, liec piepildīties Savam apsolījumam, ko Tu esi devis manam tēvam Dāvidam, jo Tu esi mani cēlis par ķēniņu pār lielu tautu, kuru ir tik daudz kā zemes pīšļu. 10 Tad nu dod man gudrību un izpratni, ka es šo tautu varētu vadīt, jo kas gan citādi spētu šo Tavu lielo tautu valdīt?" 11 Tad Dievs sacīja Salamanam: "Tā kā šāda vēlēšanās ir tavā sirdī un tu neesi lūdzis pārticību un bagātību, un godu, un savu ienaidnieku nāvi, un ilgu mūžu, bet esi lūdzis sev gudrību un zināšanas, lai tu spētu spriest tiesu pār Manu tautu, pār kuru Es esmu tevi iecēlis par ķēniņu, 12 tad tev arī tiks piešķirta gudrība un zināšanas; taču arī pārticību, bagātību un godu tev došu, kā nav bijis nevienam ķēniņam pirms tevis un nebūs nevienam pēc tevis." 13 Tad Salamans nokāpa no augstienes Gibeonā un devās no Saiešanas telts laukuma atpakaļ uz Jeruzālemi un sāka valdīt pār Israēlu. 14 Un Salamans savāca vienkopus kara ratus un jātniekus, un viņam bija tūkstotis četri simti kara ratu un divpadsmit tūkstoši jātnieku, un viņš tos nometināja kara ratu pilsētās un pie ķēniņa Jeruzālemē. 15 Un darīja ķēniņš, ka sudraba un zelta Jeruzālemē bija tik daudz kā akmeņu un ciedru koku tik daudz kā vīģu koku ielejās. 16 Un Salamans ieveda zirgus no Ēģiptes un no Koas; un ķēniņa uzpircēji tos saņēma no Koas par cietu cenu. 17 Un tie ieveda no Ēģiptes kara ratus par seši simti sudraba seķeļiem, bet vienu zirgu par simts piecdesmit. Un tāpat ar viņa starpniecību tos piegādāja visiem hetiešu ķēniņiem un Aramas ķēniņiem. 18 Un Salamans nolēma uzcelt namu Tā Kunga Vārdam un pili sev, savai ķēniņa valsts varai.
