Liber I Regum, 10

1. Sed et regina Saba, audita fama Salomonis — in hono rem nominis Domini — venit tentare eum in aenigmatibus.

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

2. Et ingressa Ierusalem multo cum comitatu et divitiis, camelis portantibus aromata et aurum infinitum nimis et gemmas pretiosas, venit ad Salomonem et locuta est ei universa, quae habebat in corde suo.

2. She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices, and very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind.

3. Et docuit eam Salomon omnia verba, quae proposuerat: non fuit sermo, qui regem posset latere, et non responderet ei.

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

4. Videns autem regina Saba omnem sapientiam Salomonis et domum, quam aedificaverat,

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

5. et cibos mensae eius et sessionem servorum et ordinem ministrantium vestesque eorum et pincernas et holocausta, quae offerebat in domo Domini, non habebat ultra spiritum

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

6. dixitque ad regem: “Verus est sermo, quem audivi in terra mea super rebus tuis et super sapientia tua!

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

7. Et non credebam narrantibus mihi, donec ipsa veni et vidi oculis meis et probavi quod media pars mihi nuntiata non fuerit; maior est sapientia et bona tua quam rumor, quem audivi.

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

8. Beati viri tui et beati servi tui hi, qui stant coram te semper et audiunt sapientiam tuam!

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

9. Sit Dominus Deus tuus benedictus, cui placuisti, et posuit te super thronum Israel, eo quod dilexerit Dominus Israel in sempiternum et constituit te regem, ut faceres iudicium et iustitiam”.

9. Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the LORD loved Israel for ever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice and righteousness."

10. Dedit ergo regi centum viginti talenta auri et aromata multa nimis et gemmas pretiosas; non sunt allata ultra aromata tam multa quam ea, quae dedit regina Saba regi Salomoni.

10. Then she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones; never again came such an abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

11. Sed et classis Hiram, quae portabat aurum de Ophir, attulit ex Ophir ligna thyina multa nimis et gemmas pretiosas.

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

12. Fecitque rex de lignis thyinis fulcra domus Domini et domus regiae et citharas lyrasque cantoribus. Non sunt allata huiuscemodi ligna thyina neque visa usque in praesentem diem.

12. And the king made of the almug wood supports for the house of the LORD, and for the king's house, lyres also and harps for the singers; no such almug wood has come or been seen, to this day.

13. Rex autem Salomon dedit reginae Saba omnia, quae voluit et petivit ab eo, praeter ea, quae ultro obtulerat ei munere regio. Quae reversa est et abiit in terram suam cum servis suis.

13. And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked besides what was given her by the bounty of King Solomon. So she turned and went back to her own land, with her servants.

14. Erat autem pondus auri, quod afferebatur Salomoni per annos singulos, sescentorum sexaginta sex talentorum auri,

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

15. praeter id, quod proveniebat ex tributis subiectorum et commercio negotiatorum et omnium regum Arabiae et ducum terrae.

15. besides that which came from the traders and from the traffic of the merchants, and from all the kings of Arabia and from the governors of the land.

16. Fecit quoque rex Salomon ducenta scuta de auro puro, sescentos auri siclos dedit in laminas scuti unius;

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

17. et trecentas peltas ex auro probato, tres minae auri unam peltam vestiebant; posuitque ea rex in domo Saltus Libani.

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

18. Fecit etiam rex Salomon thronum de ebore grandem et vestivit eum auro fulvo nimis.

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

19. Qui habebat sex gradus, et summitas throni rotunda erat in parte posteriori, et duae manus hinc atque inde tenentes sedile, et duo leones stabant iuxta manus;

19. The throne had six steps, and at the back of the throne was a calf's head, and on each side of the seat were arm rests and two lions standing beside the arm rests,

20. et duodecim leunculi stantes super sex gradus hinc atque inde. Non est factum tale opus in universis regnis.

20. 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.

21. Sed et omnia vasa, quibus potabat rex Salomon, erant aurea, et universa supellex domus Saltus Libani de auro purissimo; non erat argentum nec alicuius pretii putabatur in diebus Salomonis,

21. 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 not considered as anything in the days of Solomon.

22. quia classis Tharsis, quae regi erat, per mare cum classe Hiram semel per tres annos redibat deferens aurum et argentum et ebur et simias et pavos.

22. For the king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet of ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

23. Magnificatus est ergo rex Salomon super omnes reges terrae divitiis et sapientia.

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

24. Et universa terra desiderabat vultum Salomonis, ut audiret sapientiam eius, quam dederat Deus in corde eius.

24. And the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind.

25. Et singuli deferebant ei munera, vasa argentea et aurea, vestes et arma bellica, aromata quoque et equos et mulos per annos singulos.

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

26. Congregavitque Salomon currus et equites, et facti sunt ei mille quadringenti currus et duodecim milia equitum; et disposuit eos per civitates quadrigarum et cum rege in Ierusalem.

26. And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

27. Fecitque ut tanta esset abundantia argenti in Ierusalem quanta et lapidum; et cedrorum praebuit multitudinem quasi sycomoros, quae nascuntur in Sephela.

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

28. Et educebantur equi Salomoni de Aegypto et de Coa; negotiatores enim regis emebant de Coa statuto pretio.

28. And Solomon's import of horses was from Egypt and Ku'e, and the king's traders received them from Ku'e at a price.

29. Constabat autem et egrediebatur quadriga ex Aegypto sescentis siclis argenti, et equus centum quinquaginta; atque in hunc modum cunctis regibus Hetthaeorum et Syriae per manus suas venundabant.

29. A chariot could be imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty; and so through the king's traders they were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.