Kings III 10
1 And the queen of Saba heard of the name of Solomon, and the name of the Lord, and she came to try him with riddles.
The queen of Sheba heard how famous Solomon was, so she came to Jerusalem to test him with tough questions.
2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train; and [there came] camels bearing spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and she came in to Solomon, and told him all that was in her heart.
She brought with her a very large entourage, with camels loaded with spices, large amounts of gold, and precious gemstones. She came to Solomon and asked him about everything she had on her mind.
3 And Solomon answered all her questions: and there was not a question overlooked by the king which he did not answer her.
Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing he couldn't explain to her.
4 And the queen of Saba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house which he built,
When the queen of Sheba saw Solomon's wisdom, and the palace he had built,
5 and the provision of Solomon and the sitting of his attendants, and the standing of his servants, and his raiment, and his cup-bearers, and his whole-burnt-offering which he offered in the house of the Lord, and she was utterly amazed.
the food on the table, how his officials lived, how his servants operated and how they were dressed, the clothes of the waiters, and the burnt offerings he presented at the Lord's Temple, she was so astonished she could hardly breathe.
6 And she said to king Solomon, [It was] a true report which I heard in my land of thy words and thy wisdom.
She told the king, “It's true what I heard in my own country about your proverbs and your wisdom!
7 But I believed not them that told me, until I came and my eyes saw: and, behold, the words as they reported to me are not the half: thou hast exceeded in goodness all the report which I heard in my land.
But I didn't believe what they told me until I came and saw with my own eyes. In fact, I wasn't told the half of it—the extent of your wisdom far exceeds what I heard!
8 Blessed [are] thy wives, blessed [are] these thy servants who stand before thee continually, who hear all thy wisdom.
How happy your people must be! How happy those who work for you, who stand here every day listening to your wisdom!
9 Blessed be the Lord thy God, who has taken pleasure in thee, to set thee upon the throne of Israel, because the Lord loved Israel to establish [him] for ever; and he has made thee king over them, to execute judgment with justice, and in their causes.
Praise the Lord your God who is so pleased with you, who placed you on his throne as king to rule on his behalf. Because of the love of your God for Israel he has made them secure forever, and he has made you king over them to do what is fair and right.”
10 And she gave to Solomon a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and very many spices, and precious stones: there had not come any other spices so abundant as those which the queen of Saba gave to king Solomon.
She presented the king with one hundred and twenty talents of gold, huge amounts of spices and precious stones. Never before had there been spices like those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
11 And the ship of Chiram which brought the gold from Suphir, brought very much hewn timber and precious stones.
(Hiram's fleet of ships brought gold from Ophir, and also carried algum wood and precious stones.
12 And the king made the hewn timber [into] buttresses of the house of the Lord and the king's house, and lyres and harps for singers: such hewn timber had not come upon the earth, nor have been seen anywhere until this day.
The king used the algum wood to make steps for the Temple and for the royal palace, and into lyres and harps for the musicians. Nothing like them had ever been seen before in the land of Judah.)
13 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Saba all that she desired, whatsoever she asked, besides all that he had given her by the hand of king Solomon: and she returned, and came into her own land, she and her servants.
King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she wanted, whatever she asked for. This was in addition to the usual gifts he had generously given her. Then she and her attendants returned home to her own country.
14 And the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold.
The weight of gold that Solomon received each year was 666 talents,
15 Besides the tributes of them that were subjects, both merchants and all the kings of the [country] beyond [the river], and of the princess of the land.
not including that received from traders and merchants, and all the kings of Arabia and governors of the land.
16 And Solomon made three hundred spears of beaten gold: three hundred shekels of gold were upon one spear.
King Solomon made two hundred shields of hammered gold. Each shield required six hundred shekels of hammered gold.
17 And three hundred shields of beaten gold: and three pounds of gold were in one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold. Each of these shields required three gold minas. The king placed them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.
18 And the king made a great ivory throne, and gilded it with pure gold.
The king also made a great throne of ivory, and covered it with pure gold.
19 The throne [had] six steps, and calves in bold relief to the throne behind it, and side-pieces on either hand of the place of the seat, and two lions standing by the side-pieces,
The throne had six steps, with a rounded top at the back. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with lions standing beside the armrests.
20 and twelve lions standing there on the six steps on either side: it was not so done in any [other] kingdom.
Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one on opposite ends of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.
21 And all the vessels made by Solomon [were] of gold, and the lavers [were] golden, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; there was no silver, for it was not accounted of in the days of Solomon.
All of King Solomon's drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. No silver was used, because it was not valued in the days of Solomon.
22 For Solomon had a ship of Tharsis in the sea with the ships of Chiram: one ship came to the king every three years out of Tharsis, [laden with] gold and silver, and wrought stones, and hewn stones.
The king had a fleet of ships from Tarshish crewed by Hiram's sailors. Once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive with a cargo of gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
23 And Solomon increased beyond all the kings of the earth in wealth and wisdom.
King Solomon was greater than any other king on earth in wealth and wisdom.
24 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which the Lord [had] put into his heart.
The whole world wanted to meet Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had placed in his mind.
25 And they brought every one their gifts, vessels of gold, and raiment, and stacte, and spices, and horses, and mules, a rate year by year.
Year after year, every visitor would bring gifts—articles of silver and gold, clothes, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
26 And Solomon had four thousand mares for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen: and he put them in the cities of his chariots, and with the king in Jerusalem: and he ruled over all the kings from the river to the land of the Philistines, and to the borders of Egypt.
Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen. He kept them in the chariot towns, and also with him in Jerusalem.
27 And the king made gold and silver in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as the sycamores in the plain for multitude.
The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar wood as plentiful as sycamore-figs in the foothills.
28 And the goings forth of Solomon's horsemen [was] also out of Egypt, and the king's merchants [were] of Thecue; and they received them out of Thecue at a price.
Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and Kue—the royal merchants purchased them in Kue.
29 And that which proceeded out of Egypt went up [thus, even] a chariot for a hundred [shekels] of silver, and a horse for fifty [shekels] of silver: and thus for all the kings of the Chettians, and the kings of Syria, they came out by sea.
A chariot imported from Egypt cost six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse a hundred and fifty. They also exported them to all the Hittite kings, and to the Aramean kings.
