1 Kings 10

1 The queen of Sheba heard how famous Solomon was, so she came to Jerusalem to test him with tough questions.

And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.

2 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.

And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bore spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

3 Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing he couldn't explain to her.

And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.

4 When the queen of Sheba saw Solomon's wisdom, and the palace he had built,

And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house that he had built,

5 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.

And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up to the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.

6 She told the king, “It's true what I heard in my own country about your proverbs and your wisdom!

And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts and of your wisdom.

7 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!

However, I believed not the words, until I came, and my eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: your wisdom and prosperity exceeds the fame which I heard.

8 How happy your people must be! How happy those who work for you, who stand here every day listening to your wisdom!

Happy are your men, happy are these your servants, which stand continually before you, and that hear your wisdom.

9 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.”

Blessed be the LORD your God, which delighted in you, to set you on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he you king, to do judgment and justice.

10 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.

And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

11 (Hiram's fleet of ships brought gold from Ophir, and also carried algum wood and precious stones.

And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.

12 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.)

And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the LORD, and for the king’s house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen to this day.

13 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.

And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.

14 The weight of gold that Solomon received each year was 666 talents,

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred three score and six talents of gold,

15 not including that received from traders and merchants, and all the kings of Arabia and governors of the land.

Beside that he had of the merchants, and of the traffic of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.

16 King Solomon made two hundred shields of hammered gold. Each shield required six hundred shekels of hammered gold.

And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of gold went to one target.

17 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.

And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pound of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

18 The king also made a great throne of ivory, and covered it with pure gold.

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold.

19 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.

The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind: and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays.

20 Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one on opposite ends of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.

And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.

21 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.

And all king Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.

22 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.

For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

23 King Solomon was greater than any other king on earth in wealth and wisdom.

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.

24 The whole world wanted to meet Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had placed in his mind.

And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

25 Year after year, every visitor would bring gifts—articles of silver and gold, clothes, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armor, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

26 Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen. He kept them in the chariot towns, and also with him in Jerusalem.

And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.

27 The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar wood as plentiful as sycamore-figs in the foothills.

And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.

28 Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and Kue—the royal merchants purchased them in Kue.

And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price.

29 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.

And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means.