2 Chronicles, 9

1. The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame and came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with difficult questions, with a very large retinue with camels laden with spices and an immense quantity of gold and precious stones. Having reached Solomon, she discussed everything that she had in mind with him,

1. Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions, having a very great retinue and camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind.

2. and Solomon had an answer for all her questions; not one of them was too obscure for Solomon to answer for her.

2. And Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from Solomon which he could not explain to her.

3. When the queen of Sheba saw how wise Solomon was, the palace which he had built,

3. And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built,

4. the food at his table, the accommodation for his officials, the organisation of his staff and the way they were dressed, his cupbearers and the way they were dressed, and the burnt offerings, which he made in the Temple of Yahweh, it left her breathless,

4. the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, and their clothing, his cupbearers, and their clothing, and his burnt offerings which he offered at the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her.

5. and she said to the king, 'The report I heard in my own country about you and about your wisdom in handling your affairs was true, then!

5. And she said to the king, "The report was true which I heard in my own land of your affairs and of your wisdom,

6. Until I came and saw for myself, I did not believe the reports, but clearly I was told less than half about the true extent of your wisdom. You surpass what was reported to me.

6. but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it; and behold, half the greatness of your wisdom was not told me; you surpass the report which I heard.

7. How fortunate your people are! How fortunate your courtiers, continually in attendance on you and listening to your wisdom!

7. Happy are your wives! Happy are these your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!

8. Blessed be Yahweh your God. Because your God loved Israel and meant to keep it secure for ever, he has made you its king to administer law and justice.'

8. Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and set you on his throne as king for the LORD your God! Because your God loved Israel and would establish them for ever, he has made you king over them, that you may execute justice and righteousness."

9. And she presented the king with a hundred and twenty talents of gold and great quantities of spices and precious stones. There never were such spices as those which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

9. Then she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones: there were no spices such as those which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10. Similarly, the men employed by Huram and the men employed by Solomon, who brought the gold from Ophir, also brought back algum wood and precious stones.

10. Moreover the servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, brought algum wood and precious stones.

11. Of the algum wood the king made steps for the Temple of Yahweh and for the royal palace, and harps and lyres for the musicians, the like of which had never before been seen in Judah.

11. And the king made of the algum wood steps for the house of the LORD and for the king's house, lyres also and harps for the singers; there never was seen the like of them before in the land of Judah.

12. And King Solomon, in his turn, presented the queen of Sheba with everything that she expressed a wish for, besides what he gave her in exchange for what she had brought to the king. After which, she went home to her own country, she and her servants.

12. And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked besides what she had brought to the king. So she turned and went back to her own land, with her servants.

13. The weight of the gold received annually by Solomon amounted to six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,

13. Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,

14. besides what tolls and foreign trade brought in; all the Arab kings and the provincial governors also brought gold and silver to Solomon.

14. besides that which the traders and merchants brought; and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land brought gold and silver to Solomon.

15. King Solomon made two hundred great shields of beaten gold, six hundred shekels of beaten gold going into one shield;

15. King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of beaten gold went into each shield.

16. also three hundred small shields of beaten gold, three hundred shekels of gold going into one shield; and the king put these into the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

16. And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield; and the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

17. The king also made a great ivory throne which he overlaid with refined gold.

17. The king also made a great ivory throne, and overlaid it with pure gold.

18. The throne had six steps with a golden foot-rest attached to the throne, and arms on each side of the seat and two lions standing beside the arms,

18. The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold, which were attached to the throne, and on each side of the seat were arm rests and two lions standing beside the arm rests,

19. and twelve lions stood on either side of the six steps. Nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom.

19. while twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. The like of it was never made in any kingdom.

20. All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the plate in the House of the Forest of Lebanon was of pure gold; silver was little thought of in Solomon's days,

20. All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon.

21. since the king's ships went to Tarshish with Huram's employees, and once every three years the merchantmen would come back laden with gold and silver, ivory, apes and baboons.

21. For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

22. For riches and for wisdom, King Solomon surpassed all kings on earth,

22. Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

23. and all the kings in the world consulted Solomon to hear the wisdom which God had implanted in his heart,

23. And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind.

24. and everyone would bring a present with him: objects of silver and of gold, robes, armour, spices, horses and mules; and this went on year after year.

24. Every one of them brought his present, articles of silver and of gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year.

25. Solomon also had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand cavalrymen; these he stationed in the chariot towns and near the king in Jerusalem.

25. And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

26. He was overlord of all the kings from the River to the territory of the Philistines and the Egyptian border.

26. And he ruled over all the kings from the Euphra'tes to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.

27. In Jerusalem the king made silver as common as stones, and cedar wood as plentiful as sycamore in the Lowlands.

27. And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephe'lah.

28. Horses were imported for Solomon from Muzur and all the other countries too.

28. And horses were imported for Solomon from Egypt and from all lands.

29. The rest of the history of Solomon, from first to last, is this not all written down in the records of Nathan the prophet, in the Prophecy of Ahijah of Shiloh, and in the Vision of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat?

29. Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahi'jah the Shi'lonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jerobo'am the son of Nebat?

30. Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.

30. Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

31. When Solomon fell asleep with his ancestors, he was buried in the City of his father David; Rehoboam his son succeeded him.

31. And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father; and Rehobo'am his son reigned in his stead.