Sulayman1 son of Dawud2 was strengthened in his kingdom, and YAHWEH3 his God4 was with him, and magnified him greatly.
2Sulayman spoke to all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every prince in all Israel, the heads of the fathers’ houses. 3So Sulayman, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for God’s tent of meeting was there, which Musa5 the servant of YAHWEH had made in the wilderness. 4But Dawud had brought the ark of God up from Kiriath Jearim to the place that Dawud had prepared for it; for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem. 5Moreover the bronze altar, that Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, had made, was there before the tent of YAHWEH: and Sulayman and the assembly sought him there. 6Sulayman went up there to the bronze altar before YAHWEH, which was at the tent of meeting, and offered one thousand burnt offerings on it.
7That night, God appeared to Sulayman, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.”
8Sulayman said to God, “You have shown great loving kindness to Dawud my father, and have made me king in his place. 9Now, YAHWEH God, let your promise to Dawud my father be established; for you have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. 10Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this your people, that is so great?”
11God said to Sulayman, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of those who hate you, neither yet have asked long life; but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge my people, over whom I have made you king: 12wisdom and knowledge is granted to you; and I will give you riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings before you have had, and none after you will have.”
13So Sulayman came from the high place that was at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem; and he reigned over Israel.
14Sulayman gathered chariots and horsemen: and he had one thousand four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem. 15The king made silver and gold to be in Jerusalem as plentiful as stones, and he made cedars to be as abundant as sycamore trees in the lowland. 16The horses which Sulayman had were brought from Egypt and from Kue; the king’s merchants purchased them from Kue. 17They imported chariots from Egypt for six hundred pieces of silver, and horses for one hundred fifty: and so exported to all the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of Syria, in the same way.
- 1:1 Sulayman, this Arabic name and the name Solomon are both derived from the Hebrew name Shlomo which means “peace.” ↩︎
- 1:1 Dawud, this Arabic name is derived from David (Hebrew) and means “Beloved.” ↩︎
- 1:1 YAHWEH, God’s personal Name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15: ‘God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”’ ↩︎
- 1:1 God, English translation of elohim. Elohim (Hebrew) is related to allah (Arabic) and alaha (Syriac), all of which translate as “God,” and refer to the one true God. ↩︎
- 1:3 Musa, this Arabic name is derived from the Hebrew name Moses meaning “to pull out” or “draw out” (of water); referring to the biblical story where he was rescued from the Nile River by Firaun’s daughter. ↩︎