1 N ow 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.

Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with difficult questions.

2 S he came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart.

So she came to Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels carrying spices and very much gold and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart.

3 S o Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her.

Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from the king which he did not explain to her.

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

When the queen of Sheba perceived all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built,

5 t he food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her.

the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his waiters and their attire, his cupbearers, and his stairway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her.

6 T hen she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom.

Then she said to the king, “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom.

7 H owever I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard.

Nevertheless I did not believe the reports, until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. You exceed in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard.

8 H appy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!

How blessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom.

9 B lessed be the Lord your God, who delighted in you, setting you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord has loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.”

Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel; because the Lord loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.”

10 T hen she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great quantity, and precious stones. There never again came such abundance of spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and a very great amount of spices and precious stones. Never again did such abundance of spices come in as that which the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.

11 A lso, the ships of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought great quantities of almug wood and precious stones from Ophir.

Also the ships of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir a very great number of almug trees and precious stones.

12 A nd the king made steps of the almug wood for the house of the Lord and for the king’s house, also harps and stringed instruments for singers. There never again came such almug wood, nor has the like been seen to this day.

The king made of the almug trees supports for the house of the Lord and for the king’s house, also lyres and harps for the singers; such almug trees have not come in again nor have they been seen to this day.

13 N ow King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, besides what Solomon had given her according to the royal generosity. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants. Solomon’s Great Wealth

King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire which she requested, besides what he gave her according to his royal bounty. Then she turned and went to her own land together with her servants. Wealth, Splendor and Wisdom

14 T he weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,

Now the weight of gold which came in to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold,

15 b esides that from the traveling merchants, from the income of traders, from all the kings of Arabia, and from the governors of the country.

besides that from the traders and the wares of the merchants and all the kings of the Arabs and the governors of the country.

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

King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, using 600 shekels of gold on each large shield.

17 H e also made three hundred shields of hammered gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

He made 300 shields of beaten gold, using three minas of gold on each shield, and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

18 M oreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.

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

19 T he throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round at the back; there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests.

There were six steps to the throne and a round top to the throne at its rear, and arms on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the arms.

20 T welve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom.

Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for any other kingdom.

21 A ll King Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.

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 was of silver; it was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon.

22 F or the king had merchant ships at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys.

For the king had at sea the ships of Tarshish with the ships of Hiram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks.

23 S o King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

24 N ow all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

All the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart.

25 E ach man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year.

They brought every man his gift, articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year.

26 A nd Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.

Now Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; and he had 1, 400 chariots and 12, 000 horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

27 T he king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland.

The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the lowland.

28 A lso Solomon had horses imported from Egypt and Keveh; the king’s merchants bought them in Keveh at the current price.

Also Solomon’s import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king’s merchants procured them from Kue for a price.

29 N ow a chariot that was imported from Egypt cost six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse one hundred and fifty; and thus, through their agents, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.

A chariot was imported from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver, and a horse for 150; and by the same means they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of the Arameans.