Solomon & The Temple

And strengthen himself doth Solomon son of David over his kingdom, and Jehovah his God is with him, and maketh him exceedingly great.

And Solomon saith to all Israel, to heads of the thousands, and of the hundreds, and to judges, and to every honourable one of all Israel, heads of the fathers,

and they go--Solomon, and all the assembly with him--to the high place that is in Gibeon, for there hath been God's tent of meeting, that Moses, servant of Jehovah, made in the wilderness,

but the ark of God had David brought up from Kirjath-Jearim, when David prepared for it, for he stretched out for it a tent in Jerusalem;

and the altar of brass that Bezaleel son of Uri, son of Hur made, he put before the tabernacle of Jehovah; and Solomon and the assembly seek to it.

And Solomon goeth up thither, on the altar of brass, before Jehovah, that is at the tent of meeting, and causeth to ascend upon it a thousand burnt-offerings.

In that night hath God appeared to Solomon, and saith to him, `Ask--what do I give to thee?'

And Solomon saith to God, `Thou hast done with David my father great kindness, and hast caused me to reign in his stead.

Now, O Jehovah God, is Thy word with David my father stedfast, for Thou hast caused me to reign over a people numerous as the dust of the earth;

now, wisdom and knowledge give to me, and I go out before this people, and I come in, for who doth judge this Thy great people?'

And God saith to Solomon, `Because that this hath been with thy heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, and honour, and the life of those hating thee, and also many days hast not asked, and dost ask for thyself wisdom and knowledge, so that thou dost judge My people over which I have caused thee to reign--

the wisdom and the knowledge is given to thee, and riches and wealth and honour I give to thee, that there hath not been so to the kings who are before thee, and after thee it is not so.'

And Solomon cometh in from the high place that is in Gibeon to Jerusalem, from before the tent of meeting, and reigneth over Israel,

and Solomon gathereth chariots and horsemen, and he hath a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, and he placeth them in the cities of the chariots, and with the king in Jerusalem.

And the king maketh the silver and the gold in Jerusalem as stones, and the cedars he made as sycamores that are in the low country, for abundance.

And the source of the horses that are to Solomon is from Egypt and from Keva; merchants of the king from Keva take at a price,

and they come up, and bring out from Egypt a chariot for six hundred silverlings, and a horse for fifty and a hundred, and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of Aram--by their hand they bring out.

And Solomon saith to build a house for the name of Jehovah, and a house for his kingdom,

and Solomon numbereth seventy thousand men bearing burden, and eighty thousand men hewing in the mountain, and overseers over them--three thousand and six hundred.

And Solomon sendeth unto Huram king of Tyre, saying, `When thou hast dealt with David my father, then thou dost send to him cedars to build for him a house to dwell in;

lo, I am building a house to the name of Jehovah my God, to sanctify it to Him, to make perfume before Him, perfume of spices, and a continual arrangement, and burnt-offerings at morning and at evening, at sabbaths, and at new moons, and at appointed seasons of Jehovah our God; to the age this is on Israel.

`And the house that I am building is great, for greater is our God than all gods;

and who doth retain strength to build to Him a house, for the heavens, even the heavens of the heavens, do not contain Him? and who am I that I do build to Him a house, except to make perfume before Him?

`And now, send to me a wise man to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and knowing to grave gravings with the wise men who are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father prepared;

and send to me cedar-trees, firs, and algums from Lebanon, for I have known that thy servants know to cut down trees of Lebanon, and lo, my servants are with thy servants,