I Regum 10
1 Sed et Regina Saba, audita fama Salomonis in nomine Domini, venit tentare eum in ænigmatibus.
The queen [who ruled the] Sheba [area] heard that Yahweh had caused Solomon to become famous, so she traveled to Jerusalem to ask him questions that were difficult [to answer].
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 came with a large group of wealthy/influential people, and she brought camels that were loaded with spices, and valuable gems, and a lot of gold. When she met Solomon, she asked him questions about all the topics/things in which she was interested.
3 Et docuit eam Salomon omnia verba, quæ proposuerat: non fuit sermo, qui regem posset latere, et non responderet ei.
Solomon answered all her questions. He explained everything that she asked about, even things that were very difficult.
4 Videns autem regina Saba omnem sapientiam Salomonis, et domum, quam ædificaverat,
The queen realized that Solomon was very wise. She saw his palace;
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.
she saw the food that was served on his table [every day]; she saw where his officials lived (OR, how his officials were seated at the table), their uniforms, the servants who served the food and wine, and the sacrifices that he took to the temple to be offered. She was extremely amazed.
6 dixitque ad regem: Verus est sermo, quem audivi in terra mea
She said to King Solomon, “Everything that I heard in my own country about you and about how wise you are 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 it was true until I came here and saw it myself. But really, what they told me is only half [of what they could have told me about you]. You are extremely wise and rich, more than what people told me.
8 Beati viri tui, et beati servi tui, qui stant coram te semper, et audiunt sapientiam tuam.
Your wives are very fortunate! Your officials who are constantly standing in front of you and listening to the wise things that you say are also fortunate!
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.
Praise Yahweh, your God, who has shown that he is pleased with you by causing you to become the king of Israel! God has always loved the Israeli people, and therefore he has appointed you to be their king, in order that you will rule them fairly and righteously.”
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 the queen gave to the king [the things that she had brought. She gave him] almost five tons of gold and a large amount of spices and valuable gems. Never again did King Solomon receive more spices than the queen gave him at that time.
11 (Sed et classis Hiram, quæ portabat aurum de Ophir, attulit ex Ophir ligna thyina multa nimis, et gemmas pretiosas.
In the ships that belonged to King Hiram, in which they had previously brought gold from Ophir, they also brought a large amount of juniper wood and gems/valuable 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.)
King Solomon told his workers to use that wood to make railings/supports in the temple of Yahweh and in the king’s palace and also to make harps and lyres for the (musicians/men who played musical instruments). That wood was the largest amount of (OR, the finest) wood that had ever been seen [in Israel]. And no one since then has ever seen so much wood of that kind.
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 to the queen from Sheba everything that she wanted. He gave her those gifts in addition to the gifts that he always gave [to other rulers who visited him]. Then she and the people who came with her returned to her own land.
14 Erat autem pondus auri, quod afferebatur Salomoni per annos singulos, sexcentorum sexaginta sex talentorum auri:
Each year there was brought to Solomon a total of 25 tons of gold.
15 excepto eo, quod afferebant viri, qui super vectigalia erant, et negotiatores, universique scruta vendentes, et omnes reges Arabiæ, ducesque terræ.
That was in addition to [the taxes] paid to him by the merchants and traders, and the annual taxes paid by the kings of Arabia and by the governors of [the regions in] Israel.
16 Fecit quoque rex Salomon ducenta scuta de auro purissimo, sexcentos auri siclos dedit in laminas scuti unius.
King Solomon’s workers [took this] gold and hammered it into thin sheets and covered 200 large shields with those thin sheets of gold; they put (almost 15 pounds/more than 6 kg.) of gold on each shield.
17 Et trecentas peltas ex auro probato: trecentæ minæ auri unam peltam vestiebant: posuitque eas rex in domo saltus Libani.
His workers made 300 smaller shields. They covered each of them with (almost 4 pounds/1.5 kg.) of gold. Then the king put those shields in the Hall of the Forest of Lebanon.
18 Fecit etiam rex Salomon thronum de ebore grandem: et vestivit eum auro fulvo nimis,
His workers also made for him a large throne. [Part of it was] covered with (ivory [decorations made from)] tusks of elephants and [part of it was covered] with very fine 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.
There were six steps in front of the throne. There was a statue of a lion on both sides of each step. So altogether there were twelve statues of lions. The back of the throne was rounded at the top. At each side of the throne there was an armrest, and alongside each armrest there was a small statue of a lion. No throne like that had ever existed in any other kingdom.
20 Et duodecim leunculi stantes super sex gradus hinc atque inde: non est factum tale opus in universis regnis.
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 of Solomon’s cups were made of gold, and all the various dishes in the Hall of the Forest of Lebanon were made of gold. They did not make things from silver, because during the years that Solomon [ruled], silver was not considered to be valuable.
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.
The king had a (fleet/large number) of ships that sailed with the ships that King Hiram owned. Every three years the ships returned [from the places to which they had sailed], bringing gold, silver, ivory, monkeys, and baboons (OR, peacocks).
23 Magnificatus est ergo rex Salomon super omnes reges terræ divitiis, et sapientia.
King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king.
24 Et universa terra desiderabat vultum Salomonis, ut audiret sapientiam eius, quam dederat Deus in corde eius.
People from all over the world wanted to come and listen to the wise things that Solomon said, things that God had put into his mind.
25 Et singuli deferebant ei munera, vasa argentea et aurea, vestes et arma bellica, aromata quoque, et equos et mulos per annos singulos.
All the people who came to him brought presents: They brought things made from silver or gold, or robes, or weapons (OR, myrrh), or spices, or horses, or mules. The people continued to do this every year.
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 acquired 1,400 chariots and 12,000 men who rode [on the horses] (OR, [in the chariots]). Solomon put some of them in Jerusalem and some of them in other cities where he kept his chariots.
27 Fecitque ut tanta esset abundantia argenti in Ierusalem, quanta et lapidum: et cedrorum præbuit multitudinem quasi sycomoros, quæ nascuntur in campestribus.
During the years that Solomon was king, silver became as common in Jerusalem as stones; and [lumber from] cedar trees in the foothills of Judah was as plentiful as [lumber from] fig trees.
28 Et educebantur equi Salomoni de Ægypto, et de Coa. Negotiatores enim regis emebant de Coa, et statuto pretio perducebant.
Solomon’s agents bought horses and supervised the men who brought them into Israel from the areas of Musri and Cilicia [that were famous for breeding horses].
29 Egrediebatur autem quadriga ex Ægypto sexcentis siclis argenti, et equus centum quinquaginta. Atque in hunc modum cuncti reges Hethæorum et Syriæ equos venundabant.
In Musri they bought chariots and horses; they paid 600 pieces of silver for each chariot and 150 pieces of silver for each horse. They brought them to Israel. Then they sold many of them to the kings of the Heth people-group and the kings of Syria.
