2 Chronicles 9
1 And when the queen of Saba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to try him with hard questions at Jerusalem, with great riches, and camels, which carried spices, and abundance of gold, and precious stones. And when she was come to Solomon, she proposed to him all that was in her heart.
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.
2 And Solomon explained to her all that she proposed: and there was not any thing that he did not make clear unto her.
And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for him to explain.
3 And when she had seen these things, to wit, the wisdom of Solomon, and the house which he had built,
When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built,
4 And the meats of his table, and the dwelling places of his servants, and the attendance of his officers, and their apparel, his cupbearers also, and their garments, and the victims which he offered in the house of the Lord: there was no more spirit in her, she was so astonished.
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.
5 And she said to the king: The word is true which I heard in my country of thy virtues and wisdom.
She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words and wisdom is true.
6 I did not believe them that told it, until I came, and my eyes had seen, and I had proved that scarce one half of thy wisdom had been told me: thou hast exceeded the same with thy virtues.
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.
7 Happy are thy men, and happy are thy servants, who stand always before thee, and hear thy wisdom.
How blessed are your men! How blessed are these servants of yours who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!
8 Blessed be the Lord thy God, who hath been pleased to set thee on his throne, king of the Lord thy God. Because God loveth Israel, and will preserve them for ever: therefore hath he made thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.
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.”
9 And she gave to the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in great abundance, and most precious stones: there were no such spices as these which the queen of Saba gave to king Solomon.
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.
10 And the servants also of Hiram, with the servants of Solomon, brought gold from Ophir, and thyine trees, and most precious stones:
(The servants of Hiram and of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir also brought algum wood and precious stones.
11 And the king made of the thyine trees stairs in the house of the Lord, and in the king’s house, and harps and psalteries for the singing men: never were there seen such trees in the land of Juda.
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.)
12 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Saba all that she desired, and that she asked, and many more things than she brought to him: so she returned, and went to her own country with her servants.
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.
13 And the weight of the gold, that was brought to Solomon every year, was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold:
The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents,
14 Beside the sum which the deputies of divers nations, and the merchants were accustomed to bring, and all the kings of Arabia, and the lords of the lands, who I brought gold and silver to Solomon.
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.
15 And king Solomon made two hundred golden spears, of the sum of six hundred pieces of gold, which went to every spear:
King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield.
16 And three hundred golden shields of three hundred pieces of gold, which went to the covering of every shield: and the king put them in the armoury, which was compassed with a wood.
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.
17 The king also made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.
18 And six steps to go up to the throne, and a footstool of gold, and two arms one on either side, and two lions standing by the arms:
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.
19 Moreover twelve other little lions standing upon the steps on both sides: there was not such a throne in any kingdom.
Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.
20 And all the vessels of the king’s table were of gold, and the vessels of the house of the forest of Libanus were of the purest gold. For no account was made of silver in those days.
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.
21 For the king’s ships went to Tharsis with the servants of Hiram, once in three years: and they brought thence gold and silver, and ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
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.
22 And Solomon was magnified above all the kings of the earth for riches and glory.
So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
23 And all the kings of the earth desired to see the face of Solomon, that they might hear the wisdom which God had given in his heart.
All the kings of the earth sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.
24 And every year they brought him presents, vessels of silver and of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, and horses, and mules.
Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
25 And Solomon had forty thousand horses in the stables, and twelve thousand chariots, and horsemen, and he placed them in the cities of the chariots, and where the king was in Jerusalem.
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.
26 And he exercised authority over all the kings from the river Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, and to the borders of Egypt.
He reigned over all the kings from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.
27 And he made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones: and cedars as common as the sycamores, which grow in the plains.
The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills.
28 And horses were brought to him out of Egypt, and out of all countries.
Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from all the lands.
29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are written in the words of Nathan the prophet, and in the boobs of Ahias the Silonite, and in the vision of Addo the seer, against Jeroboam the son of Nabat.
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?
30 And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.
Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.
31 And he slept with his fathers: and they buried him in the city of David: and Roboam his son reigned in his stead.
And Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. And his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.
