1 Kings, 10

1. And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.

1. The queen of Sheba heard about Solomon's fame, and came to test him with difficult questions.

2. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

2. She arrived in Jerusalem with a vast retinue and with camels loaded with spices, an abundance of gold and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she told him all that she had on her mind

3. And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not [any] thing hid from the king, which he told her not.

3. and Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing that the king could not explain to her.

4. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built,

4. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built,

5. And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.

5. the food on his table, the residence of his officials, the attendance of his servants and their clothing, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings which he offered at Yahweh's House, it left her breathless.

6. And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.

6. Then she said to the king, "All that I heard in my own land concerning you and your wisdom was true.

7. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen [it]: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.

7. But I did not believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. And what did I see! I was told only half the story; for your wisdom and wealth surpass the report I heard.

8. Happy [are] thy men, happy [are] these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, [and] that hear thy wisdom.

8. Fortunate are your wives! Fortunate are your servants who are ever in your presence and hear your wisdom!

9. Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.

9. Blessed be Yahweh your God, who has looked kindly on you and has put you on the throne of Israel! Because of Yahweh's eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so that you may dispense justice and righteousness."

10. And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

10. Then she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in abundance, and precious stones. Such an abundance of spices as those which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon was never again seen.

11. And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.

11. Moreover, the fleet of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, also brought from Ophir a huge amount of almug wood and precious stones.

12. And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the LORD, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.

12. The king used the almug wood to make supports for Yahweh's House and the royal palace, and also to make lyres and harps for the singers. Such almug wood has never again been brought or seen to the present day.

13. And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside [that] which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.

13. King Solomon, in turn, gave the queen of Sheba all that she desired and all that he in his generosity wanted to give her. Then she went back to her own land together with her servants.

14. Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,

14. Now the weight of gold that Solomon received in one year was six hundred and sixty-six gold talents,

15. Beside [that he had] of the merchantmen, and of the traffick of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.

15. not counting that brought by traders, merchants, the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land.

16. And king Solomon made two hundred targets [of] beaten gold: six hundred [shekels] of gold went to one target.

16. King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold, six hundred shekels of gold going into each shield.

17. And [he made] three hundred shields [of] beaten gold; three pound of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

17. And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold with three minas of gold in each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

18. Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold.

18. The king also made a huge ivory throne and overlaid it with the finest gold.

19. The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne [was] round behind: and [there were] stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays.

19. The throne had six steps, a rounded back, and on each side of the seat were arm rests with two lions standing beside the arm rests.

20. 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.

20. The six steps had twelve lions, one on each end of a step. Nothing like this was ever made in any kingdom.

21. And 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; none [were of] silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.

21. All of King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold and none of silver, for silver was not considered of much value in the days of Solomon.

22. For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

22. The king had a fleet of Tarshish ships at sea with Hiram's fleet, and once every three years the fleet of Tarshish ships would bring gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks.

23. So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.

23. King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in wealth and wisdom.

24. And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

24. And the whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom which God had put into his mind.

25. And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

25. Everyone who came brought a present: articles of silver and gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses and mules, so much every year.

26. And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.

26. Solomon gathered together chariots and horses - fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses which he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

27. And the king made silver [to be] in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he [to be] as the sycomore trees that [are] in the vale, for abundance.

27. The king made silver as common as stone in Jerusalem, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore in the lowland.

28. And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price.

28. Solomon imported his horses from Musri and Kue and the king's traders got them from Kue for a fixed price.

29. And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred [shekels] of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring [them] out by their means.

29. A chariot could be imported from Musri for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. They were exported in the same way to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.