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.
And when the queen of Saba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to try him with hard questions at Jerusalem, with great riches, and camels, which carried spices, and abundance of gold, and precious stones. And when she was come to Solomon, she proposed to him all that was in her heart.
2 Solomon answered her all her questions; nothing was too difficult for Solomon; there was no question that he did not answer.
And Solomon explained to her all that she proposed: and there was not any thing that he did not make clear unto her.
3 When the queen of Sheba saw Solomon's wisdom and the palace that he had built,
And when she had seen these things, to wit, the wisdom of Solomon, and the house which he had built,
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 meats of his table, and the dwelling places of his servants, and the attendance of his officers, and their apparel, his cupbearers also, and their garments, and the victims which he offered in the house of the Lord: there was no more spirit in her, she was so astonished.
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 word is true which I heard in my country of thy virtues and wisdom.
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.
I did not believe them that told it, until I came, and my eyes had seen, and I had proved that scarce one half of thy wisdom had been told me: thou hast exceeded the same with thy virtues.
7 How blessed are your people, and how blessed are your servants who constantly stand before you, because they hear your wisdom.
Happy are thy men, and happy are thy servants, who stand always before thee, and hear thy 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!”
Blessed be the Lord thy God, who hath been pleased to set thee on his throne, king of the Lord thy God. Because God loveth Israel, and will preserve them for ever: therefore hath he made thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.
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 to the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in great abundance, and most precious stones: there were no such spices as these which the queen of Saba gave to king 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 also of Hiram, with the servants of Solomon, brought gold from Ophir, and thyine trees, and most precious stones:
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 the king made of the thyine trees stairs in the house of the Lord, and in the king’s house, and harps and psalteries for the singing men: never were there seen such trees in the land of Juda.
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 to the queen of Saba all that she desired, and that she asked, and many more things than she brought to him: so she returned, and went to her own country with her servants.
13 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold,
And the weight of the gold, that was brought to Solomon every year, was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold:
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.
Beside the sum which the deputies of divers nations, and the merchants were accustomed to bring, and all the kings of Arabia, and the lords of the lands, who I brought 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 golden spears, of the sum of six hundred pieces of gold, which went to every spear:
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 three hundred golden shields of three hundred pieces of gold, which went to the covering of every shield: and the king put them in the armoury, which was compassed with a wood.
17 Then the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with the finest gold.
The king also made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure 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.
And six steps to go up to the throne, and a footstool of gold, and two arms one on either side, and two lions standing by 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.
Moreover twelve other little lions standing upon the steps on both sides: there was not such a throne 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.
And all the vessels of the king’s table were of gold, and the vessels of the house of the forest of Libanus were of the purest gold. For no account was made of silver in those days.
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’s ships went to Tharsis with the servants of Hiram, once in three years: and they brought thence gold and silver, and ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
22 So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the world in riches and in wisdom.
And Solomon was magnified above all the kings of the earth for riches and glory.
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 desired to see the face of Solomon, that they might hear the wisdom which God had given in 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 every year they brought him presents, vessels of silver and of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, and horses, and mules.
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.
And Solomon had forty thousand horses in the stables, and twelve thousand chariots, and horsemen, and he placed them in the cities of the chariots, and where the king was 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 exercised authority over all the kings from the river Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, and to the borders 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.
And he made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones: and cedars as common as the sycamores, which grow in the plains.
28 They brought horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all the lands.
And horses were brought to him out of Egypt, and out of all countries.
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 written in the words of Nathan the prophet, and in the boobs of Ahias the Silonite, and in the vision of Addo the seer, against Jeroboam the son of Nabat.
30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.
And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel 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 he slept with his fathers: and they buried him in the city of David: and Roboam his son reigned in his stead.
