1 Kings 10

1 And the queen of Sheba is hearing of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of Jehovah, and cometh to try him with enigmas,

The queen of Sheba heard how famous Solomon was, so she came to Jerusalem to test him with tough questions.

2 and she cometh to Jerusalem, with a very great company, camels bearing spices, and very much gold, and precious stone, and she cometh unto Solomon, and speaketh unto him all that hath been with her heart.

She brought with her a very large entourage, with camels loaded with spices, large amounts of gold, and precious gemstones. She came to Solomon and asked him about everything she had on her mind.

3 And Solomon declareth to her all her matters — there hath not been a thing hid from the king that he hath not declared to her.

Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing he couldn't explain to her.

4 And the queen of Sheba seeth all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he built,

When the queen of Sheba saw Solomon's wisdom, and the palace he had built,

5 and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the standing of his ministers, and their clothing, and his butlers, and his burnt-offering that he causeth to ascend in the house of Jehovah, and there hath not been in her any more spirit.

the food on the table, how his officials lived, how his servants operated and how they were dressed, the clothes of the waiters, and the burnt offerings he presented at the Lord's Temple, she was so astonished she could hardly breathe.

6 And she saith unto the king, 'True hath been the word that I heard in my land, concerning thy matters and thy wisdom;

She told the king, “It's true what I heard in my own country about your proverbs and your wisdom!

7 and I gave no credence to the words till that I have come, and my eyes see, and lo, it was not declared to me — the half; thou hast added wisdom and goodness unto the report that I heard.

But I didn't believe what they told me until I came and saw with my own eyes. In fact, I wasn't told the half of it—the extent of your wisdom far exceeds what I heard!

8 O the happiness of thy men, O the happiness of thy servants — these — who are standing before thee continually, who are hearing thy wisdom!

How happy your people must be! How happy those who work for you, who stand here every day listening to your wisdom!

9 Jehovah thy God is blessed who delighted in thee, to put thee on the throne of Israel; in Jehovah's loving Israel to the age He doth set thee for king, to do judgment and righteousness.

Praise the Lord your God who is so pleased with you, who placed you on his throne as king to rule on his behalf. Because of the love of your God for Israel he has made them secure forever, and he has made you king over them to do what is fair and right.”

10 And she giveth to the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices very many, and precious stone; there came not like that spice any more for abundance that the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

She presented the king with one hundred and twenty talents of gold, huge amounts of spices and precious stones. Never before had there been spices like those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

11 And also, the navy of Hiram that bore gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir almug-trees very many, and precious stone;

(Hiram's fleet of ships brought gold from Ophir, and also carried algum wood and precious stones.

12 and the king maketh the almug-trees a support for the house of Jehovah, and for the house of the king, and harps and psalteries for singers; there have not come such almug-trees, nor have there been seen [such] unto this day.

The king used the algum wood to make steps for the Temple and for the royal palace, and into lyres and harps for the musicians. Nothing like them had ever been seen before in the land of Judah.)

13 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire that she asked, apart from that which he gave to her as a memorial of king Solomon, and she turneth and goeth to her land, she and her servants.

King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she wanted, whatever she asked for. This was in addition to the usual gifts he had generously given her. Then she and her attendants returned home to her own country.

14 And the weight of the gold that hath come to Solomon in one year is six hundred sixty and six talents of gold,

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

15 apart from [that of] the tourists, and of the traffic of the merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the land.

not including that received from traders and merchants, and all the kings of Arabia and governors of the land.

16 And king Solomon maketh two hundred targets of alloyed gold — six hundred of gold go up on the one target;

King Solomon made two hundred shields of hammered gold. Each shield required six hundred shekels of hammered gold.

17 and three hundred shields of alloyed gold — three pounds of gold go up on the one shield; and the king putteth them [in] the house of the forest of Lebanon.

He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold. Each of these shields required three gold minas. The king placed them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.

18 And the king maketh a great throne of ivory, and overlayeth it with refined gold;

The king also made a great throne of ivory, and covered it with pure gold.

19 six steps hath the throne, and a round top [is] to the throne behind it, and hands [are] on this [side] and on that, unto the place of the sitting, and two lions are standing near the hands,

The throne had six steps, with a rounded top at the back. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with lions standing beside the armrests.

20 and twelve lions are standing there on the six steps, on this [side] and on that; it hath not been made so for any kingdom.

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

21 And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon [are] of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon [are] of refined gold — there are none of silver; it was not reckoned in the days of Solomon for anything,

All of King Solomon's drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. No silver was used, because it was not valued in the days of Solomon.

22 for a navy of Tarshish hath the king at sea with a navy of Hiram; once in three years cometh the navy of Tarshish, bearing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

The king had a fleet of ships from Tarshish crewed by Hiram's sailors. Once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive with a cargo of gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

23 And king Solomon is greater than any of the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom,

King Solomon was greater than any other king on earth in wealth and wisdom.

24 and all the earth is seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom that God hath put into his heart,

The whole world wanted to meet Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had placed in his mind.

25 and they are bringing each his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, the matter of a year in a year.

Year after year, every visitor would bring gifts—articles of silver and gold, clothes, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

26 And Solomon gathereth chariots, and horsemen, and he hath a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, and he placeth them in the cities of the chariot, and with the king in Jerusalem.

Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen. He kept them in the chariot towns, and also with him in Jerusalem.

27 And the king maketh the silver in Jerusalem as stones, and the cedars he hath made as the sycamores that [are] in the low country, for abundance.

The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar wood as plentiful as sycamore-figs in the foothills.

28 And the outgoing of the horses that king Solomon hath [is] from Egypt, and from Keveh; merchants of the king take from Keveh at a price;

Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and Kue—the royal merchants purchased them in Kue.

29 and a chariot cometh up and cometh out of Egypt for six hundred silverlings, and a horse for fifty and a hundred, and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Aram; by their hand they bring out.

A chariot imported from Egypt cost six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse a hundred and fifty. They also exported them to all the Hittite kings, and to the Aramean kings.