2 Chronicles 9
1 When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. She came with a very long caravan, with camels loaded with spices, much gold, and many precious gemstones. When she had come to Solomon, she told him all that was in her heart.
Now the queen of Sheba, hearing great things of Solomon, came to Jerusalem to put his wisdom to the test with hard questions; and with her came a very great train, and camels weighted down with spices, and great stores of gold and jewels: and when she came to Solomon she had talk with him of everything in her mind.
2 Solomon answered her all her questions; nothing was too difficult for Solomon; there was no question that he did not answer.
And Solomon gave her answers to all her questions; there was no secret which he did not make clear to her.
3 When the queen of Sheba saw Solomon's wisdom and the palace that he had built,
And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house which he had made,
4 the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the work of his servants and their clothing, also his cupbearers and their clothing, and the burnt offerings he made at the house of Yahweh, and there was no more breath in her.
And the food at his table, and all his servants seated there, and those who were waiting on him in their places, and their robes, and his wine-servants and their robes, and the burned offerings which he made in the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her.
5 She said to the king, “It is true, the report that I heard in my own land of your words and your wisdom.
And she said to the king, The account which was given to me in my country of your acts and your wisdom was true.
6 I did not believe what I heard until I came here, and now my eyes have seen it. Not half was told me about your wisdom and wealth! You have exceeded the fame that I heard about.
But I had no faith in what was said about you, till I came and saw for myself; and truly, word was not given me of half your great wisdom; you are much greater than they said.
7 How blessed are your people, and how blessed are your servants who constantly stand before you, because they hear your wisdom.
Happy are your wives and happy these your servants whose place is ever before you, hearing your words of wisdom.
8 Blessed be Yahweh your God, who has taken pleasure in you, who placed you on his throne, to be king for Yahweh your God. Because your God loved Israel, in order to establish them forever, he had made you king over them, for you to do justice and righteousness!”
Praise be to the Lord your God whose pleasure it was to put you on the seat of his kingdom to be king for the Lord your God: because, in his love for Israel, it was the purpose of your God to make them strong for ever, he made you king over them, to be their judge in righteousness.
9 She gave the king 120 talents of gold and a large amount of spices and precious stones. No greater amount of spices as these that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon was ever given to him again.
And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and a great store of spices and jewels: never had such spices been seen as the queen of Sheba gave to Solomon.
10 The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum wood and precious stones.
And the servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon, in addition to gold from Ophir, came back with sandal-wood and jewels.
11 With the algum wood, the king made steps for the house of Yahweh and for his house, as well as harps and lyres for the musicians. No wood like this had been seen before in the land of Judah.
And with the sandal-wood the king made steps for the house of the Lord and for the king's house, and instruments of music for the makers of melody; never before had such been seen in the land of Judah.
12 King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba everything she desired and whatever she asked for; he gave her more than what she had brought to the king. So she left and went back to her own land, she and her servants.
And King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she made request for, in addition to what she had taken to the king. So she went back to her country with her servants.
13 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold,
Now the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents;
14 besides the gold that the traders and merchants brought. All the kings of Arabia and the governors in the country also brought gold and silver to Solomon.
And in addition to what he got from traders of different sorts, all the kings of Arabia and the rulers of the country gave gold and silver to Solomon.
15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold. Six hundred shekels of gold went into each one.
And King Solomon made two hundred body-covers of hammered gold, every one having six hundred shekels of gold in it.
16 He also made three hundred shields of beaten gold. Three minas of gold went into each shield; the king put them into the House of the Forest of Lebanon.
And he made three hundred smaller body-covers of hammered gold, using three hundred shekels of gold for every cover, and the king put them in the house of the Woods of Lebanon.
17 Then the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with the finest gold.
Then the king made a great ivory seat, plated with the best gold.
18 There were six steps to the throne, and a footstool was attached to the throne. On each side of the throne there were armrests with two lions standing beside each of them.
There were six steps up to it, and a foot-rest of gold fixed to it, and arms on the two sides of the seat, with two lions at the side of the arms.
19 Twelve lions stood on the steps, one on each side of each of the six steps. There was no throne like it in any other kingdom.
And twelve lions were placed on one side and on the other side on the six steps: there was nothing like it in any kingdom.
20 All King Solomon's drinking cups were gold, and all the drinking cups in the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were silver because silver was not considered valuable in Solomon's days.
All King Solomon's drinking-vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the Woods of Lebanon were of the best gold: no one gave a thought to silver in the days of Solomon.
21 The king had at sea a fleet of oceangoing ships, along with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet brought gold, silver, and ivory, as well as apes and baboons.
For the king had Tarshish-ships sailing with the servants of Huram: once every three years the Tarshish-ships came back with gold and silver, ivory and monkeys and peacocks.
22 So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the world in riches and in wisdom.
And King Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth in wealth and in wisdom.
23 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon in order to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
And all the kings of the earth came to see Solomon and to give ear to his wisdom, which God had put into his heart.
24 Those who visited brought tribute, vessels of silver and of gold, clothes, armor, and spices, as well as horses and mules, year after year.
And everyone took with him an offering, vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and robes, and coats of metal, and spices, and horses and beasts for transport, regularly year by year.
25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, which he stationed in the chariot cities and with himself in Jerusalem.
Solomon had four thousand buildings for his horses and his war-carriages, and twelve thousand horsemen whom he kept, some in the carriage-towns and some 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 of Egypt.
And he was ruler over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the limit of Egypt.
27 The king had silver in Jerusalem, as much as the stones on the ground. He made cedar wood to be as abundant as the sycamore fig trees that are in the lowlands.
The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem and cedars like the sycamore-trees of the lowlands in number.
28 They brought horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all the lands.
They got horses for Solomon from Egypt and from every land.
29 As for the other matters concerning Solomon, first and last, are they not written in The History of Nathan the Prophet, in The Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in The Visions of Iddo the Seer (which also had information about Jeroboam son of Nebat)?
Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not recorded in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the words of Ahijah the prophet of Shiloh, and in the visions of Iddo the seer about Jeroboam, the son of Nebat?
30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.
Solomon was king over Israel in Jerusalem for forty years.
31 He slept with his ancestors and the people buried him in the city of David his father. Rehoboam, his son, became king in his place.
And Solomon went to rest with his fathers, and was put into the earth in the town of David his father; and Rehoboam his son became king in his place.
