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.

When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the LORD’s name, she came to test 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.

She came to Jerusalem with a very great caravan, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she had come to Solomon, she talked with him about all that was 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.

Solomon answered all her questions. There wasn’t anything hidden from the king which he didn’t tell her.

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

When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that 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.

the food of his table, the sitting of his servants, the attendance of his officials, their clothing, his cup bearers, and his ascent by which he went up to the LORD’s house, there was no more 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.

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 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.

However, I didn’t believe the words until I came and my eyes had seen it. Behold, not even half was told me! Your wisdom and prosperity 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.

Happy are your men, happy are these your servants who stand continually before you, who hear your 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 is the LORD your God, who delighted in you, to set you on the throne of Israel. Because the LORD loved Israel forever, therefore he made you king, to do justice and righteousness.”

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.

She gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again was there such an abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba 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 fleet of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir also brought in from Ophir great quantities of almug 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.

The king made of the almug trees pillars for the LORD’s house and for the king’s house, harps also and stringed instruments for the singers; no such almug trees came or were seen to 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.

King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, in addition to that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own land, she and her servants.

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

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred 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.

in addition to that which the traders brought, and the traffic of the merchants, and of all the kings of the mixed people, and of the governors of the country.

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

King Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of gold went to one buckler.

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.

He made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went to one shield; and the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

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

Moreover the king 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,

There were six steps to the throne, and the top of the throne was round behind; and there were armrests on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.

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

Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps. Nothing like it was 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.

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, because it was considered of little value 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 had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years the fleet of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

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

So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in 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.

All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put 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.

Year after year, every man brought his tribute, vessels of silver, vessels of gold, clothing, armor, spices, horses, and mules.

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.

Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen. He kept them in the chariot cities and with the king at 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.

The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and cedars as common as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland.

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.

The horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt. The king’s merchants received them in droves, each drove at a 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.

A chariot was imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for one hundred fifty shekels; and so they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Syria.