2 Chronicles 9
1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to try Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bore spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she had come to Solomon, she talked with him of all that was in her heart.
The queen of Sheba heard how famous Solomon was, so she came to Jerusalem to test him with tough questions. 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.
2 And Solomon answered her all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not.
Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing he couldn't explain to her.
3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,
When the queen of Sheba saw Solomon's wisdom, and the palace he had built,
4 And the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.
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.
5 And she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in my own land of thy acts, and of thy wisdom:
She told the king, “It's true what I heard in my own country about your proverbs and your wisdom!
6 Yet I believed not their words, until I came, and my eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told to me: for thou exceedest the fame 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!
7 Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, who stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.
How happy your people must be! How happy those who work for you, who stand here every day listening to your wisdom!
8 Blessed be the LORD thy God, who delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the LORD thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore he made thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.
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.”
9 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as 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.
10 And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones.
(Hiram and of Solomon's men, who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum wood and precious stones.
11 And the king made of the algum trees terraces to the house of the LORD, and to the king’s palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.
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.)
12 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, besides that which she had brought to the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants.
King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all wanted, whatever she asked for. This was far more than she had brought the king. Then she and her attendants returned home to her own country.
13 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty and six talents of gold;
The weight of gold that Solomon received each year was 666 talents,
14 Besides that which traders and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.
not including that received from traders and merchants. All the kings of Arabia and governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon.
15 And king Solomon made two hundred shields of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of beaten gold went to one shield.
King Solomon made two hundred shields of hammered gold. Each shield required six hundred shekels of hammered gold.
16 And three hundred shields made he of beaten gold: three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield. And the king put 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 hundred gold coins. The king placed them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.
17 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
The king also made a great throne of ivory, and covered it with pure gold.
18 And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the sitting place, and two lions standing by the stays:
The throne had six steps, with a golden footstool attached. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with lions standing beside the armrests.
19 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps. There was not the like made in 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.
20 And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was not considered as any thing in the days of Solomon.
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.
21 For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing 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.
22 And king Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
King Solomon was greater than any other king on earth in wealth and wisdom.
23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart.
All the kings of the earth wanted to meet Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had placed in his mind.
24 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, armour, and spices, horses, and mules, at a certain rate year by year.
Year after year, every visitor would bring gifts—articles of silver and gold, clothes, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
25 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.
Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. He kept them in the chariot towns, and also with him in Jerusalem.
26 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.
He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border with Egypt.
27 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar trees he made as the sycamore trees that are in the low plains in abundance.
The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar wood as plentiful as sycamore-figs in the foothills.
28 And they brought to Solomon horses from Egypt, and from all lands.
Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and from many other lands.
29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat?
The rest of the acts of Solomon, from start to finish, are written in the Records of Nathan the Prophet, in the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the Visions of Iddo the Seer about Jeroboam, son of Nebat.
30 And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.
Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all of Israel for forty years.
31 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.
Then Solomon died and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam took over as king.
