2 Chronicles 9
1 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.
And the queen of Saba heard [of] the name of Solomon, and she came to Jerusalem with a very large force, to prove Solomon with hard questions, and [she had] camels bearing spices in abundance, and gold, and precious stones: and she came to Solomon, and told him all that was in her mind.
2 Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing he couldn't explain to her.
And Solomon told her all her words; and there passed not a word from Solomon which he told her not.
3 When the queen of Sheba saw Solomon's wisdom, and the palace he had built,
And the queen of Saba saw the wisdom of Solomon, and the house which he had built,
4 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 the tables, and the sitting of his servants, and the standing of his ministers, and their raiment; and his cupbearers, and their apparel; and the whole burnt offerings which he offered up in the house of the Lord; then she was in ecstasy.
5 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 which I heard in my land concerning your words, and concerning your wisdom.
6 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!
Yet I believed not the reports until I came, and my eyes saw: and, behold, the half of the abundance of your wisdom was not told me: you have exceeded the report which I heard.
7 How happy your people must be! How happy those who work for you, who stand here every day listening to your wisdom!
Blessed [are] your men, blessed [are] these your servants, who stand before you continually, and hear your wisdom.
8 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, who took pleasure in you, to set you upon his throne for a king, to the Lord your God: forasmuch as the Lord your God loved Israel to establish them for ever, therefore he has set you over them for a king to execute judgement and justice.
9 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 a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in very great abundance, and precious stones: and there were not [any where else] such spices as those which the queen of Saba gave king Solomon.
10 (Hiram and of Solomon's men, who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum wood and precious stones.
And the servants of Solomon and the servants of Chiram brought gold to Solomon out of Suphir, and pine timber, and precious stones.
11 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 pine timber steps to the house of the Lord, and to the king's house, and harps and lutes for the singers: and such were not seen before in the land of Juda.
12 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.
And king Solomon gave to the queen of Saba all that she requested, besides all that she brought to king Solomon: and she returned to her [own] land.
13 The weight of gold that Solomon received each year was 666 talents,
And the weight of the gold that was brought to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,
14 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.
besides what the men who were regularly appointed and the merchants brought, and all the kings of Arabia and princes of the land: all brought gold and silver to king Solomon.
15 King Solomon made two hundred shields of hammered gold. Each shield required six hundred shekels of hammered gold.
And king Solomon made two hundred shields of beaten gold: there were six hundred [shekels] of pure gold to one shield.
16 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.
And three hundred buckles of beaten gold: [the weight] of three hundred gold shekels went to one buckler: and the king placed them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
17 The king also made a great throne of ivory, and covered it with pure gold.
And the king made a great throne of ivory, and he gilded it with pure gold.
18 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.
And [there were] six steps to the throne, riveted with gold, and elbows on either side of the seat of the throne, and two lions standing by the elbows:
19 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 standing there on the six steps on each side. There was not the like in any [other] kingdom.
20 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 vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were covered with gold: silver was not thought anything of in the days of Solomon.
21 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 a ship went for the king to Tharsis with the servants of Chiram: once every three years came vessels from Tharsis to the king, laden with gold, and silver, and ivory, and apes.
22 King Solomon was greater than any other king on earth in wealth and wisdom.
And Solomon exceeded all [other] kings both in riches and wisdom.
23 All the kings of the earth wanted to meet Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had placed in his mind.
And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
24 Year after year, every visitor would bring gifts—articles of silver and gold, clothes, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
And they brought every one his gifts, silver vessels and golden vessels, and raiment, myrrh and spices, horses and mules, a rate every year.
25 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.
And Solomon had four thousand mares for chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; and he put them in the chariot cities, and with the king in Jerusalem.
26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border with Egypt.
And he rules over all the kings from the river even to the land of the Philistines, and to the borders of Egypt.
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 gold and silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars as the sycamore trees in the plain for abundance.
28 Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and from many other lands.
And Solomon imported horses from Egypt, and from every [other] country.
29 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.
And the rest of the acts of Solomon, the first and the last, behold, these are written in the words of Nathan the prophet, and in the words of Achia the Selonite, and in the visions of Joel the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nabat.
30 Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all of Israel for forty years.
And Solomon reigned over all Israel forty years.
31 Then Solomon died and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam took over as king.
And Solomon fell asleep, and they buried him in the city of David his father: and Roboam his son reigned in his stead.
