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 in connection with the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with riddles.

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 an exceedingly great train, with camels bearing spices, and gold in great abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she spoke with him of all that was on her heart.

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

And Solomon solved [for] her all her questions: nothing remained hidden from the king, which he did not tell her.

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

And when the queen of Sheba saw 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 food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cup-bearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto 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, The truth only was the word that I heard in my own land of thy acts and of thy 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!

And I believed not in the words, until I came, and my eyes saw [all]: and, behold, the half hath not been told me; thou excellest in wisdom and prosperity the report which I have 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 thy men, happy are these thy servants, who stand before thee continually, who hear thy 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 thy God, who hath had delight in thee, to place thee on the throne of Israel; because the Lord loveth Israel for ever, therefore hath he made thee king, to do justice and righteousness.

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 to the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices a very great store, and precious stones: there came no more spices in such abundance 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 also the ship of Hiram, that fetched gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir in great abundance sandal-wood 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 sandal-wood a railing for the house of the Lord, and for the king's house, and harps and psalteries for the singers: there came no such sandal-wood, nor was it seen [again] until 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 unto the queen of Sheba all her pleasure, whatsoever she asked, beside what Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned about 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 the gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty 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 [what he had] of the traveling tradesmen, and of the traffic of the merchants, and of the kings of confederate nations, 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 he used for each 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 manehs of gold he used for each 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.

The king also 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 there was a round top on the throne behind; and there were arms on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the arms.

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 upon the six steps on both sides: there was not the like made in any other 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 not valued in the days of Solomon at the least.

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 a Tharshish-ship at sea with the ship of Hiram: once in three years the Tharshish-ship used to come home, laden with gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

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

And king Solomon became greater than 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 [men of] all the earth sought the presence of 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: and so 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 quartered in the cities for chariots, and near 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 rendered the silver in Jerusalem like stones, and the cedars he rendered like the sycamore-trees that are in the lowlands, 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 a company of the king's merchants bought a quantity 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-team came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a 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.