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.
The queen of Sheba heard how famous Solomon was, so she came to Jerusalem to test him with tough questions. 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.
2 And Solomon explained to her all that she proposed: and there was not any thing that he did not make clear unto her.
Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing he couldn't explain to her.
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 Solomon's wisdom, and 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 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.
5 And she said to the king: The word is true which I heard in my country of thy virtues and wisdom.
She told the king, “It's true what I heard in my own country about your proverbs and your wisdom!
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 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!
7 Happy are thy men, and happy are thy servants, who stand always before thee, and hear thy wisdom.
How happy your people must be! How happy those who work for you, who stand here every day listening to 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.
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.”
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.
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.
10 And the servants also of Hiram, with the servants of Solomon, brought gold from Ophir, and thyine trees, and most precious stones:
(Hiram and of Solomon's men, 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 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.)
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 wanted, whatever she asked for. This was far more than she had brought the king. Then she and her attendants returned home to her own country.
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 Solomon received 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 that received from traders and merchants. All the kings of Arabia 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 shields of hammered gold. Each shield required six hundred shekels of hammered gold.
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. Each of these shields required three hundred gold coins. The king placed them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.
17 The king also made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
The king also made a great throne of ivory, and covered 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, with a golden footstool attached. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with lions standing beside the armrests.
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 on opposite ends 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 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.
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.
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.
22 And Solomon was magnified above all the kings of the earth for riches and glory.
King Solomon was greater than any other king on earth in wealth 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 wanted to meet Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had placed in his mind.
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, every visitor would bring gifts—articles of silver and gold, clothes, 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 four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. He kept them in the chariot towns, 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 ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border with 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 plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar wood as plentiful as sycamore-figs 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 many other 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.
The rest of the acts of Solomon, from start to finish, are written in the Records of Nathan the Prophet, in the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the Visions of Iddo the Seer about Jeroboam, son of Nebat.
30 And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.
Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all of Israel for 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.
Then Solomon died and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam took over as king.
