Kings III 10

1 And the queen of Saba heard of the name of Solomon, and the name of the Lord, and she came to try him with riddles.

And the queen of Saba, having; heard of the fame of Solomon in the name of the Lord, came to try him with hard questions.

2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train; and [there came] camels bearing spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and she came in to Solomon, and told him all that was in her heart.

And entering into Jerusalem with a great train, and riches, and camels that carried spices, and an immense quantity of gold, and precious stones, she came to king Solomon, and spoke to him all that she had in her heart.

3 And Solomon answered all her questions: and there was not a question overlooked by the king which he did not answer her.

And Solomon informed her of all the things she proposed to him: there was not any word the king was ignorant of, and which he could not answer her.

4 And the queen of Saba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house which he built,

And when the queen of Saba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house which he had built,

5 and the provision of Solomon and the sitting of his attendants, and the standing of his servants, and his raiment, and his cupbearers, and his whole burnt offering which he offered in the house of the Lord, and she was utterly amazed.

And the meat of his table, and the apartments of his servants, and the order of his ministers, and their apparel, and the cupbearers, and the holocausts, which he offered in the house of the Lord: she had no longer any spirit in her,

6 And she said to king Solomon, [It was] a true report which I heard in my land of your words and your wisdom.

And she said to the king: The report is true, which I heard in my own country,

7 But I believed not them that told me, until I came and my eyes saw: and, behold, the words as they reported to me are not the half: you have exceeded in goodness all the report which I heard in my land.

Concerning thy words, and concerning thy wisdom. And I did not believe them that told me, till I came myself, and saw with my own eyes, and have found that the half hath not been told me: thy wisdom and thy works, exceed the fame which I heard.

8 Blessed [are] your wives, blessed [are] these your servants who stand before you continually, who hear all your wisdom.

Blessed are thy men, and blessed are thy servants, who stand before thee always, and hear thy wisdom.

9 Blessed be the Lord your God, who has taken pleasure in you, to set you upon the throne of Israel, because the Lord loved Israel to establish [him] for ever; and he has made you king over them, to execute judgment with justice, and in their causes.

Blessed be the Lord thy God, whom thou hast pleased, and who hath set thee upon the throne of Israel, because the Lord hath loved Israel for ever, and hath appointed thee king, to do judgment and justice.

10 And she gave to Solomon a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and very many spices, and precious stones: there had not come any other spices so abundant as those which the queen of Saba gave to king Solomon.

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

11 And the ship of Chiram which brought the gold from Suphir, brought very much hewn timber and precious stones.

(The navy also of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir great plenty of thyine trees, and precious stones.

12 And the king made the hewn timber [into] buttresses of the house of the Lord and the king's house, and lyres and harps for singers: such hewn timber had not come upon the earth, nor have been seen anywhere until this day.

And the king made of the thyine trees the rails of the house of the Lord, and of the king’s house, and citterns and harps for singers: there were no such thyine trees as these brought, nor seen unto this day.)

13 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Saba all that she desired, whatever she asked, besides all that he had given her by the hand of king Solomon: and she returned, and came into her own land, she and her servants.

And king Solomon gave the queen of Saba all that she desired, and asked of him: besides what he offered he himself of his royal bounty. And she returned, and went to her own country with her servants.

14 And the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold.

And the weight of the gold that was brought to Solomon every year, was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold:

15 Besides the tributes of them that were subjects, both merchants and all the kings of the [country] beyond [the river], and of the princess of the land.

Besides that which the men brought him that were over the tributes, and the merchants, and they that sold by retail, and all the kings of Arabia, and the governors of the country.

16 And Solomon made three hundred spears of beaten gold: three hundred shekels of gold were upon one spear.

And Solomon made two hundred shields of the purest gold: he allowed six hundred sides of gold for the plates of one shield.

17 And three hundred shields of beaten gold: and three pounds of gold were in one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

And three hundred targets of fine gold: three hundred pounds of gold covered one target: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Libanus.

18 And the king made a great ivory throne, and gilded it with pure gold.

King Solomon also made a great throne of ivory: and overlaid it with the finest gold.

19 The throne [had] six steps, and calves in bold relief to the throne behind it, and side-pieces on either hand of the place of the seat, and two lions standing by the side-pieces,

It had six steps: and the top of the throne was round behind: and there were two hands on either side holding the seat: and two lions stood, one at each hand.

20 and twelve lions standing there on the six steps on either side: it was not so done in any [other] kingdom.

And twelve little lions stood upon the six steps on the one side and on the other: there was no such work made in any kingdom.

21 And all the vessels made by Solomon [were] of gold, and the lavers [were] golden, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; there was no silver, for it was not accounted of in the days of Solomon.

Moreover all the vessels, out of which king Solomon drank, were of gold: and all the furniture of the house of the forest of Libanus was of most pure gold: there was no silver, nor was any account made of it in the days of Solomon:

22 For Solomon had a ship of Tharsis in the sea with the ships of Chiram: one ship came to the king every three years out of Tharsis, [laden with] gold and silver, and wrought stones, and hewn stones.

For the king’s navy, once in three years, went with the navy of Hiram by sea to Tharsis, and brought from thence gold, and silver, and elephants’ teeth, and apes, and peacocks.

23 And Solomon increased beyond all the kings of the earth in wealth and wisdom.

And king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches, and wisdom.

24 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which the Lord [had] put into his heart.

And all the earth desired to see Solomon’s face, to hear his wisdom, which God had given in his heart.

25 And they brought every one their gifts, vessels of gold, and raiment, and stacte, and spices, and horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

And every one brought him presents, vessels of silver and of gold, garments and armour, and spices, and horses and mules every year.

26 And Solomon had four thousand mares for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen: and he put them in the cities of his chariots, and with the king in Jerusalem: and he ruled over all the kings from the river to the land of the Philistines, and to the borders of Egypt.

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

27 And the king made gold and silver in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as the sycamores in the plain for multitude.

And he made silver to be as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones: and cedars to be as common as sycamores which grow in the plains.

28 And the goings forth of Solomon's horsemen [was] also out of Egypt, and the king's merchants [were] of Thecue; and they received them out of Thecue at a price.

And horses were brought for Solomon out of Egypt, and Coa: for the king’s merchants brought them out of Coa, and bought them at a set price.

29 And that which proceeded out of Egypt went up [thus, even] a chariot for a hundred [shekels] of silver, and a horse for fifty [shekels] of silver: and thus for all the kings of the Chettians, and the kings of Syria, they came out by sea.

And a chariot of four horses came out of Egypt, for six hundred sides of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. And after this manner did all the kings of the Hethites, and of Syria, sell horses.