TORAH
NEVI'IM
KETUVIM
II - Chapter 1
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1Shlomo son of David took firm hold of his kingdom, for Hashem his God was with him and made him exceedingly great.
אוַיִּתְחַזֵּק שְׁלֹמֹה בֶן־דָּוִיד עַל־מַלְכוּתוֹ וַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהָיו עִמּוֹ וַיְגַדְּלֵהוּ לְמָעְלָה׃
2Shlomo summoned all Yisrael—the officers of thousands and of hundreds, and the judges, and all the chiefs of all Yisrael, the heads of the clans.
בוַיֹּאמֶר שְׁלֹמֹה לְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְשָׂרֵי הָאֲלָפִים וְהַמֵּאוֹת וְלַשֹּׁפְטִים וּלְכֹל נָשִׂיא לְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל רָאשֵׁי הָאָבוֹת׃
3Then Shlomo, and all the assemblage with him, went to the shrine at Givon, for the Tent of Meeting, which Moshe the servant of Hashem had made in the wilderness, was there.
גוַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁלֹמֹה וְכָל־הַקָּהָל עִמּוֹ לַבָּמָה אֲשֶׁר בְּגִבְעוֹן כִּי־שָׁם הָיָה אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד־יְהֹוָה בַּמִּדְבָּר׃
4But the Aron of Hashem David had brought up from Kiryat Ye'arim to the place which David had prepared for it; for he had pitched a tent for it in Yerushalayim.)
דאֲבָל אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים הֶעֱלָה דָוִיד מִקִּרְיַת יְעָרִים בַּהֵכִין לוֹ דָּוִיד כִּי נָטָה־לוֹ אֹהֶל בִּירוּשָׁלָ ִם׃
5The bronze mizbayach, which Betzalel son of Uri son of Chur had made, was also there before the Mishkan of Hashem, and Shlomo and the assemblage resorted to it.
הוּמִזְבַּח הַנְּחֹשֶׁת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה בְּצַלְאֵל בֶּן־אוּרִי בֶן־חוּר שָׂם לִפְנֵי מִשְׁכַּן יְהֹוָה וַיִּדְרְשֵׁהוּ שְׁלֹמֹה וְהַקָּהָל׃
6There Shlomo ascended the bronze mizbayach before Hashem, which was at the Tent of Meeting, and on it sacrificed a thousand burnt offerings.
ווַיַּעַל שְׁלֹמֹה שָׁם עַל־מִזְבַּח הַנְּחֹשֶׁת לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר לְאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וַיַּעַל עָלָיו עֹלוֹת אָלֶף׃
7That night, Hashem appeared to Shlomo and said to him, “Ask, what shall I grant you?”
זבַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא נִרְאָה אֱלֹהִים לִשְׁלֹמֹה וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ שְׁאַל מָה אֶתֶּן־לָךְ׃
8Shlomo said to Hashem, “You dealt most graciously with my father David, and now You have made me king in his stead.
חוַיֹּאמֶר שְׁלֹמֹה לֵאלֹהִים אַתָּה עָשִׂיתָ עִם־דָּוִיד אָבִי חֶסֶד גָּדוֹל וְהִמְלַכְתַּנִי תַּחְתָּיו׃
9Now, O Hashem, let Your promise to my father David be fulfilled; for You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth.
טעַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהִים יֵאָמֵן דְּבָרְךָ עִם דָּוִיד אָבִי כִּי אַתָּה הִמְלַכְתַּנִי עַל־עַם רַב כַּעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ׃
10Grant me then the wisdom and the knowledge to lead this people, for who can govern Your great people?”
a-TAH khokh-MAH u-ma-DA ten LEE v'-AY-tz'-AH lif-NAY ha-am ha-ZEH v'-a-VO-ah kee MEE yish-POT et a-m'-KHA ha-ZEH ha-ga-DOL
יעַתָּה חָכְמָה וּמַדָּע תֶּן־לִי וְאֵצְאָה לִפְנֵי הָעָם־הַזֶּה וְאָבוֹאָה כִּי־מִי יִשְׁפֹּט אֶת־עַמְּךָ הַזֶּה הַגָּדוֹל׃
1:10 For who can govern Your great people
Supreme court building in Jerusalem
When given the opportunity to make a request of Hashem, Shlomo asks for wisdom and understanding to be able to judge the nation properly. Just as David his father “executed true justice among all his people” (I Chronicles 18:14) though he was “a man of battles and have shed blood” (Chronicles 28:3), Shlomo’s reign will be similarly characterized by justice. While the wars to secure Israel’s borders are significant, what personifies the Land of Israel in general, and the city of Yerushalayim in particular, is justice and righteousness (see, for example, Isaiah 33:5). Thus, Eretz Yisrael is inherited through justice (Deuteronomy 16:20), justice allows for the land to flourish, and conversely, a lack of justice leads to its downfall and destruction. The Beit Hamikdash, built by Shlomo, is the seat of justice (Deuteronomy 17:8-10), and it is where the High Court would meet. In making this request of God, Shlomo sought to ensure that he would lead the Nation of Israel, in the Land of Israel, in justice and truth. Today, the State of Israel has an established judicial system which continues to pursue justice in the Holy Land, ensuring that the population is law-abiding and protecting the rights of its citizens. Like the High Court of old, Israel’s Supreme Court is located in Yerushalayim.
11Hashem said to Shlomo, “Because you want this, and have not asked for wealth, property, and glory, nor have you asked for the life of your enemy, or long life for yourself, but you have asked for the wisdom and the knowledge to be able to govern My people over whom I have made you king,
יאוַיֹּאמֶר־אֱלֹהִים לִשְׁלֹמֹה יַעַן אֲשֶׁר הָיְתָה זֹאת עִם־לְבָבֶךָ וְלֹא־שָׁאַלְתָּ עֹשֶׁר נְכָסִים וְכָבוֹד וְאֵת נֶפֶשׁ שֹׂנְאֶיךָ וְגַם־יָמִים רַבִּים לֹא שָׁאָלְתָּ וַתִּשְׁאַל־לְךָ חָכְמָה וּמַדָּע אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁפּוֹט אֶת־עַמִּי אֲשֶׁר הִמְלַכְתִּיךָ עָלָיו׃
12wisdom and knowledge are granted to you, and I grant you also wealth, property, and glory, the like of which no king before you has had, nor shall any after you have.”
יבהַחָכְמָה וְהַמַּדָּע נָתוּן לָךְ וְעֹשֶׁר וּנְכָסִים וְכָבוֹד אֶתֶּן־לָךְ אֲשֶׁר לֹא־הָיָה כֵן לַמְּלָכִים אֲשֶׁר לְפָנֶיךָ וְאַחֲרֶיךָ לֹא יִהְיֶה־כֵּן׃
13From the shrine at Givon, from the Tent of Meeting, Shlomo went to Yerushalayim and reigned over Yisrael.
יגוַיָּבֹא שְׁלֹמֹה לַבָּמָה אֲשֶׁר־בְּגִבְעוֹן יְרוּשָׁלַ ִם מִלִּפְנֵי אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וַיִּמְלֹךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
14Shlomo assembled chariots and horsemen; he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses that he stationed in the chariot towns and with the king in Yerushalayim.
ידוַיֶּאֱסֹף שְׁלֹמֹה רֶכֶב וּפָרָשִׁים וַיְהִי־לוֹ אֶלֶף וְאַרְבַּע־מֵאוֹת רֶכֶב וּשְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר אֶלֶף פָּרָשִׁים וַיַּנִּיחֵם בְּעָרֵי הָרֶכֶב וְעִם־הַמֶּלֶךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָ ִם׃
15The king made silver and gold as plentiful in Yerushalayim as stones, and cedars as plentiful as the sycamores in the Shephelah.
טווַיִּתֵּן הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף וְאֶת־הַזָּהָב בִּירוּשָׁלַ ִם כָּאֲבָנִים וְאֵת הָאֲרָזִים נָתַן כַּשִּׁקְמִים אֲשֶׁר־בַּשְּׁפֵלָה לָרֹב׃
16Shlomo's horses were imported from Egypt and from Que; the king's traders would buy them from Que at the market price.
טזוּמוֹצָא הַסּוּסִים אֲשֶׁר לִשְׁלֹמֹה מִמִּצְרָיִם וּמִקְוֵא סֹחֲרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ מִקְוֵא יִקְחוּ בִּמְחִיר׃
17A chariot imported from Egypt cost 600 shekalim of silver, and a horse 150. These in turn were exported by them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Arameans.
יזוַיַּעֲלוּ וַיּוֹצִיאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם מֶרְכָּבָה בְּשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת כֶּסֶף וְסוּס בַּחֲמִשִּׁים וּמֵאָה וְכֵן לְכָל־מַלְכֵי הַחִתִּים וּמַלְכֵי אֲרָם בְּיָדָם יוֹצִיאוּ׃
18Then Shlomo resolved to build a House for the name of Hashem and a royal palace for himself.
יחוַיֹּאמֶר שְׁלֹמֹה לִבְנוֹת בַּיִת לְשֵׁם יְהֹוָה וּבַיִת לְמַלְכוּתוֹ׃