Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom
(1 Kings 3:1–15; Psalm 45:1–17; Psalm 72:1–20)

1And Solomon son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and YHWH his God was with him and exceedingly exalted him.

2And Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the captains of the thousands and of the hundreds, and to the judges, and to every leader in all Israel, the heads of the fathers. 3And they went—Solomon and all the assembly with him—to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the Tent of Meeting of God, which Moses the servant of YHWH had made in the wilderness.

4But the ark of God, David had brought up from Kiriath-jearim to where David had prepared for it, for he had pitched for it a tent at Jerusalem. 5And the bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur had made, was in Gibeon before† the tabernacle of YHWH. And Solomon and the assembly sought Him.

6And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before YHWH that was at the Tent of Meeting, and he caused to ascend on it a thousand burnt offerings.

7On that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask what I shall give to you.”

8And Solomon said to God, “You have shown to David my father great loving devotion† and have made me king in his place. 9Now, O YHWH God, let Your promise to David my father be established. For You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10Now give to me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out before this people and come in.† For who can judge this great people of Yours?”

11And God said to Solomon, “Because that this was in your heart, and you have not requested riches, or wealth, or honor, or the life of your enemies, and even long life you have not requested—and you have requested for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may judge My people, whom I have made you king over them— 12the wisdom and the knowledge are granted to you, and riches and wealth and honor I will give to you, such as has not been so to the kings who were before you, and after you will not be thus.”

13And Solomon came from the high place that was at Gibeon to Jerusalem, from before the Tent of Meeting, and he reigned over Israel.

Solomon’s Riches
(1 Kings 10:26–29)

14And Solomon gathered chariots and horses.† And there were unto him a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horses, and he placed them in the cities of the chariots and with the king in Jerusalem. 15And the king made the silver and the gold in Jerusalem as common as stones, and the cedars he made as abundant as the sycamores that are in the Shephelah.†

16And horses were imported that were unto Solomon from Egypt and from Kue;† merchants of the king from Kue took them at a price. 17And they came up and brought out from Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver,† and a horse for fifty and a hundred.† Thus to all the kings of the Hittite, and the kings of Aram, by their hand they brought them out.

Footnotes:

5 LXX, Vulgate, and some Hebrew manuscripts was there before; MT he put before
8 Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as loving devotion; the range of meaning includes love, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and mercy, as well as loyalty to a covenant.
10 That is, so that I may lead this people
14 Or horsemen or charioteers; twice in this verse
15 Or foothills or lowlands; that is, the western foothills of Judea
16 Probably an area in Cilicia, a province in the southeast of Asia Minor
17 600 shekels is approximately 15.1 pounds or 6.8 kilograms of silver.
17 150 shekels is approximately 3.8 pounds or 1.7 kilograms of silver.