A reading from the book of Second Chronicles.

Solomon, the son of David, established himself in his kingdom,

and the Lord His God was with him and made him exceedingly great.

Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds,

to the judges and to all the leaders in all

Israel, the heads of Father's houses. And Solomon and all the assembly with him went to the

high place that was at Gibbon, for the tent of meeting of God, which Moses the servant of the

Lord had made in the wilderness, was there. But David had brought

up the Ark of God from Kiryath-Jurham to the place that David had prepared for it, for he had

pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. Moreover, the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Yuri,

son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of the

Lord, and Solomon and the assembly sought it out. And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar

before the Lord, which was at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

In that night, God appeared to Solomon and said to him,

Ask what I shall give you.

And Solomon said to God,

You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father,

and have made me king in his place.

O Lord God, let your word to David, my father, be now fulfilled, for you have made me king

over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth.

Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people,

for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great? God answered Solomon,

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