I Regum 10
1 Sed et Regina Saba, audita fama Salomonis in nomine Domini, venit tentare eum in ænigmatibus.
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 Et ingressa Ierusalem multo cum comitatu, et divitiis, camelis portantibus aromata, et aurum infinitum nimis, et gemmas pretiosas, venit ad regem Salomonem, et locuta est ei universa quæ habebat in corde suo.
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 Et docuit eam Salomon omnia verba, quæ proposuerat: non fuit sermo, qui regem posset latere, et non responderet ei.
And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for the king to explain.
4 Videns autem regina Saba omnem sapientiam Salomonis, et domum, quam ædificaverat,
When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built,
5 et cibos mensæ eius, et habitacula servorum, et ordines ministrantium, vestesque eorum, et pincernas, et holocausta, quæ offerebat in domo Domini: non habebat ultra spiritum.
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 dixitque ad regem: Verus est sermo, quem audivi in terra mea
She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words and wisdom is true.
7 super sermonibus tuis, et super sapientia tua: et non credebam narrantibus mihi, donec ipsa veni, et vidi oculis meis, et probavi quod media pars mihi nunciata non fuerit: maior est sapientia et opera tua, quam rumor, quem audivi.
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 Beati viri tui, et beati servi tui, qui stant coram te semper, et audiunt sapientiam tuam.
How blessed are your men! How blessed are these servants of yours who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!
9 Sit Dominus Deus tuus benedictus, cui complacuisti, et posuit te super thronum Israel, eo quod dilexerit Dominus Israel in sempiternum, et constituit te regem, ut faceres iudicium et iustitiam.
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 Dedit ergo regi centum viginti talenta auri, et aromata multa nimis, et gemmas pretiosas: non sunt allata ultra aromata tam multa, quam ea quæ dedit regina Saba regi Salomoni.
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 (Sed et classis Hiram, quæ portabat aurum de Ophir, attulit ex Ophir ligna thyina multa nimis, et gemmas pretiosas.
(The fleet of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir also brought from Ophir a great cargo of almug wood and precious stones.
12 Fecitque rex de lignis thyinis fulcra domus Domini, et domus regiæ, et citharas lyrasque cantoribus: non sunt allata huiuscemodi ligna thyina, neque visa usque in præsentem diem.)
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 Rex autem Salomon dedit reginæ Saba omnia quæ voluit, et petivit ab eo: exceptis his, quæ ultro obtulerat ei munere regio. Quæ reversa est, et abiit in terram suam cum servis suis.
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 Erat autem pondus auri, quod afferebatur Salomoni per annos singulos, sexcentorum sexaginta sex talentorum auri:
The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents,
15 excepto eo, quod afferebant viri, qui super vectigalia erant, et negotiatores, universique scruta vendentes, et omnes reges Arabiæ, ducesque terræ.
not including the revenue from the merchants, traders, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land.
16 Fecit quoque rex Salomon ducenta scuta de auro purissimo, sexcentos auri siclos dedit in laminas scuti unius.
King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield.
17 Et trecentas peltas ex auro probato: trecentæ minæ auri unam peltam vestiebant: posuitque eas rex in domo saltus Libani.
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 Fecit etiam rex Salomon thronum de ebore grandem: et vestivit eum auro fulvo nimis,
Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.
19 qui habebat sex gradus: et summitas throni rotunda erat in parte posteriori: et duæ manus hinc atque inde tenentes sedile: et duo leones stabant iuxta manus singulas.
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 Et duodecim leunculi stantes super sex gradus hinc atque inde: non est factum tale opus in universis regnis.
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 Sed et omnia vasa, quibus potabat rex Salomon, erant aurea: et universa supellex domus saltus Libani de auro purissimo: non erat argentum, nec alicuius pretii putabatur in diebus Salomonis,
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 quia classis regis per mare cum classe Hiram semel per tres annos ibat in Tharsis, deferens inde aurum, et argentum, et dentes elephantorum, et simias, et pavos.
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 Magnificatus est ergo rex Salomon super omnes reges terræ divitiis, et sapientia.
So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
24 Et universa terra desiderabat vultum Salomonis, ut audiret sapientiam eius, quam dederat Deus in corde eius.
The whole world sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.
25 Et singuli deferebant ei munera, vasa argentea et aurea, vestes et arma bellica, aromata quoque, et equos et mulos per annos singulos.
Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
26 Congregavitque Salomon currus et equites, et facti sunt ei milla quadringenti currus, et duodecim millia equitum: et disposuit eos per civitates munitas, et cum rege in Ierusalem.
Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses, which he stationed in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem.
27 Fecitque ut tanta esset abundantia argenti in Ierusalem, quanta et lapidum: et cedrorum præbuit multitudinem quasi sycomoros, quæ nascuntur in campestribus.
The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills.
28 Et educebantur equi Salomoni de Ægypto, et de Coa. Negotiatores enim regis emebant de Coa, et statuto pretio perducebant.
Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue; the royal merchants purchased them from Kue.
29 Egrediebatur autem quadriga ex Ægypto sexcentis siclis argenti, et equus centum quinquaginta. Atque in hunc modum cuncti reges Hethæorum et Syriæ equos venundabant.
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.
