1 Kings 10

1 And, when, the queen of Sheba, heard the report of Solomon, as pertaining to the Name of Yahweh, she came to prove him, with abstruse questions.

Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions.

2 Yea she came to Jerusalem with a very heavily-laden train, of camels bearing spices, and gold in great abundance, and precious stones, —and, when she was come to Solomon, she spake unto him all that was near her heart;

She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones. So she came to Solomon and spoke to him all that was on her mind.

3 and Solomon answered her all her questions, —there was nothing hidden from the king, which he told her not.

And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for the king to explain.

4 And, when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, —and the house which he had built;

When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built,

5 and the food of his table, and the seated assembly of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers with their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he ascended unto the house of Yahweh, there was in her no more spirit.

the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the service and attire of his attendants and cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he presented at the house of the LORD, it took her breath away.

6 And she said unto the king, True, was the word which I heard in mine own land, —concerning thine affairs, and concerning thy wisdom.

She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words and wisdom is true.

7 Howbeit I believed not the words, until that I had come and mine own eyes had seen, and lo! there had not been told me, the half, —thou dost exceed, in wisdom and prosperity, even the report which I heard!

But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told to me. Your wisdom and prosperity have far exceeded the report I heard.

8 How happy, are thy wives, how happy, are these thy servants, —who do stand before thee continually, who hear thy wisdom!

How blessed are your men! How blessed are these servants of yours who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!

9 Yahweh thy God be blessed, who delighted in thee, to set thee upon the throne of Israel, —because Yahweh loveth Israel unto times age-abiding, therefore hath he appointed thee to be king, to execute justice and righteousness.

Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, He has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness.”

10 And she gave unto the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in great abundance, and precious stones, —there came in no more, such spice for abundance, as that which the queen of Sheba gave unto King Solomon.

Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again was such an abundance of spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

11 Moreover also, the fleet of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought in, from Ophir sandal-wood in great abundance, and precious stones.

(The fleet of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir also brought from Ophir a great cargo of almug wood and precious stones.

12 So the king made of the sandal-wood a footpath to the house of Yahweh, and to the house of the king, lyres also and harps, for the singers, —there hath neither come in such sandal-wood, nor been seen, unto this day.

The king made the almug wood into steps for the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had such almug wood been brought in, nor has such been seen to this day.)

13 And, when, King Solomon, had given unto the queen of Sheba, all her desire, which she asked, besides that which he gave her as the bounty of King Solomon, she turned, and went to her own land, she and her servants.

King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired—whatever she asked—besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned to her own country, along with her servants.

14 And it came to pass that, the weight of the gold which came in unto Solomon in one year, was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold;

The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents,

15 besides the tribute of the subjugated, and of the travelling merchants, —and of all the kings of Arabia, and the pashas of the land.

not including the revenue from the merchants, traders, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land.

16 And King Solomon made two hundred shields, of beaten gold, six hundred [shekels] of gold, laid he upon one shield;

King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield.

17 and three hundred bucklers, of beaten gold, one hundred and fifty shekels of gold, laid he upon one buckler, —and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

18 And the king made a great throne of ivory, —and overlaid it with gold from Uphaz.

Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.

19 There were, six steps, to the throne, and there was, a circular top, to the throne, behind it, and there were supports on this side and on that, unto the place of the seat, —with two lions standing beside the supports;

The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest.

20 and, twelve lions, were standing there, upon the six steps, on this side and on that, —there had never been made the like, for any of the kingdoms.

Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.

21 And, all the drinking vessels of King Solomon, were of gold, and, all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon, were of pure gold, —none was of silver, it was accounted in the days of Solomon, as nothing.

All King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, because it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.

22 For, a fleet of Tarshish, had the king, at sea, with the fleet of Hiram, —once in three years, came in the fleet of Tarshish, bringing gold and silver, ivory and apes, and peacocks.

For the king had the ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

23 So King Solomon became greater than any of the kings of the earth, —for riches and for wisdom.

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

24 And, all the earth, did seek the face of Solomon, —to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

The whole world sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.

25 And, they, did bring every man his present—vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses and mules, —a rate of a year in a year.

Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen, and so it was that he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, —for whom he found place in the chariot cities, and near the king, in Jerusalem.

Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses, which he stationed in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem.

27 And the king caused silver in Jerusalem to be as stones, —cedars also, caused he to be as the sycamores that are in the lowlands, for abundance.

The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills.

28 And the horses that Solomon had were, an export, out of Egypt, —and, a company of the merchants of the king, used to fetch, a drove, at a price,

Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue; the royal merchants purchased them from Kue.

29 And a chariot came up and forth 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, by their means, came they forth.

A chariot could be imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. Likewise, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram.