2 Chronicles 9
1 Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon, she came to test him with difficult questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. So she came to Solomon and spoke with him about all that was on her mind.
When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. She came with a very long caravan, with camels loaded with spices, much gold, and many precious gemstones. When she had come to Solomon, she told him all that was in her heart.
2 And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for him to explain.
Solomon answered her all her questions; nothing was too difficult for Solomon; there was no question that he did not answer.
3 When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built,
When the queen of Sheba saw Solomon's wisdom and the palace that he had built,
4 the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the service and attire of his attendants and cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he presented at the house of the LORD, it took her breath away.
the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the work of his servants and their clothing, also his cupbearers and their clothing, and the burnt offerings he made at the house of Yahweh, and there was no more breath in her.
5 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words and wisdom is true.
She said to the king, “It is true, the report that I heard in my own land of your words and your wisdom.
6 But I did not believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not half of the greatness of your wisdom was told to me. You have far exceeded the report I heard.
I did not believe what I heard until I came here, and now my eyes have seen it. Not half was told me about your wisdom and wealth! You have exceeded the fame that I heard about.
7 How blessed are your men! How blessed are these servants of yours who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!
How blessed are your people, and how blessed are your servants who constantly stand before you, because they hear your wisdom.
8 Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you to set you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God. Because your God loved Israel enough to establish them forever, He has made you king over them to carry out justice and righteousness.”
Blessed be Yahweh your God, who has taken pleasure in you, who placed you on his throne, to be king for Yahweh your God. Because your God loved Israel, in order to establish them forever, he had made you king over them, for you to do justice and righteousness!”
9 Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
She gave the king 120 talents of gold and a large amount of spices and precious stones. No greater amount of spices as these that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon was ever given to him again.
10 (The servants of Hiram and of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir also brought algum wood and precious stones.
The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum wood and precious stones.
11 The king made the algum wood into steps for the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had anything like them been seen in the land of Judah.)
With the algum wood, the king made steps for the house of Yahweh and for his house, as well as harps and lyres for the musicians. No wood like this had been seen before in the land of Judah.
12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired—whatever she asked—far more than she had brought the king. Then she left and returned to her own country, along with her servants.
King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba everything she desired and whatever she asked for; he gave her more than what she had brought to the king. So she left and went back to her own land, she and her servants.
13 The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents,
Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold,
14 not including the revenue from the merchants and traders. And all the Arabian kings and governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon.
besides the gold that the traders and merchants brought. All the kings of Arabia and the governors in the country also brought gold and silver to Solomon.
15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield.
King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold. Six hundred shekels of gold went into each one.
16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.
He also made three hundred shields of beaten gold. Three minas of gold went into each shield; the king put them into the House of the Forest of Lebanon.
17 Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.
Then the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with the finest gold.
18 The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest.
There were six steps to the throne, and a footstool was attached to the throne. On each side of the throne there were armrests with two lions standing beside each of them.
19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.
Twelve lions stood on the steps, one on each side of each of the six steps. There was no throne like it in any other kingdom.
20 All King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, because it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.
All King Solomon's drinking cups were gold, and all the drinking cups in the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were silver because silver was not considered valuable in Solomon's days.
21 For the king had the ships of Tarshish that went with Hiram’s servants, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
The king had at sea a fleet of oceangoing ships, along with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet brought gold, silver, and ivory, as well as apes and baboons.
22 So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the world in riches and in wisdom.
23 All the kings of the earth sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.
All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon in order to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
24 Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
Those who visited brought tribute, vessels of silver and of gold, clothes, armor, and spices, as well as horses and mules, year after year.
25 Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horses, which he stationed in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem.
Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, which he stationed in the chariot cities and with himself in Jerusalem.
26 He reigned over all the kings from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.
He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.
27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills.
The king had silver in Jerusalem, as much as the stones on the ground. He made cedar wood to be as abundant as the sycamore fig trees that are in the lowlands.
28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from all the lands.
They brought horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all the lands.
29 As for the rest of the acts of Solomon, from beginning to end, are they not written in the Records of Nathan the Prophet, in the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the Visions of Iddo the Seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat?
As for the other matters concerning Solomon, first and last, are they not written in The History of Nathan the Prophet, in The Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in The Visions of Iddo the Seer (which also had information about Jeroboam son of Nebat)?
30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.
Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.
31 And Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. And his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.
He slept with his ancestors and the people buried him in the city of David his father. Rehoboam, his son, became king in his place.
