1 W hen the queen of Sheba heard about the wisdom Solomon had from the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions.

When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon with the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions (problems and riddles).

2 S he came to Jerusalem and many people came with her. She brought camels carrying spices and much gold and stones of much worth. When she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind.

She came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels bearing spices, very much gold, and precious stones. When she had come to Solomon, she communed with him about all that was in her mind.

3 A nd Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing hidden from the king which he could not make plain to her.

Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king which he failed to explain to her.

4 T he queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the house he had built,

When the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom and skill, the house he had built,

5 t he food on his table, and his many servants seated to eat. She saw those who brought the food and how they were dressed, and those who carried his cups. She saw the steps by which he went up to the house of the Lord. And there was no more spirit in her.

The food of his table, the seating of his officials, the standing at attention of his servants, their apparel, his cupbearers, his ascent by which he went up to the house of the Lord, she was breathless and overcome.

6 S he said to the king, “The news was true that I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom.

She said to the king, It was a true report I heard in my own land of your acts and sayings and wisdom.

7 B ut I did not believe the news until I came. Now my eyes have seen it. And half of it was not told to me. You have more wisdom and riches than I heard you had.

I did not believe it until I came and my eyes had seen. Behold, the half was not told me. You have added wisdom and goodness exceeding the fame I heard.

8 H ow happy are your men! How happy are these your servants who stand in front of you always and hear your wisdom!

Happy are your men! Happy are these your servants who stand continually before you, hearing your wisdom!

9 T hanks be to the Lord your God Who was pleased with you and set you on the throne of Israel. Because the Lord loved Israel forever, He has made you king, to do what is fair and right and good.”

Blessed be the Lord your God, Who delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel forever, He made you king to execute justice and righteousness.

10 T hen she gave the king gold weighing as much as 120 small men. She gave him a very large amount of spices and stones of much worth. Never again did so much spices come in as that which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

And she gave the king 120 talents of gold and of spices a very great store and precious stones. Never again came such abundance of spices as these the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.

11 T he ships of Hiram brought from Ophir gold and very many almug trees and stones of much worth.

The navy also of Hiram brought from Ophir gold and a great plenty of almug (algum) wood and precious stones.

12 T he king used the almug trees to make pillars for the house of the Lord and for the king’s house. And he used them to make different kinds of harps for the singers. No such almug trees have come in again or have been seen to this day.

Of the almug wood the king made pillars for the house of the Lord and for the king’s house, and lyres also and harps for the singers. No such almug wood came again or has been seen to this day.

13 K ing Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she wanted, whatever she asked, as well as his gifts to her from the king’s riches. Then she and her servants returned to her own land. Solomon’s Riches

King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she wanted, whatever she asked, besides his gifts to her from his royal bounty. So she returned to her own country, she and her servants.

14 T he gold which came in to Solomon in one year weighed as much as 666 small men,

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

15 b esides all the gold that came from the traders and all the kings of the Arabs and the leaders of the country.

Besides what the traders brought and the traffic of the merchants and from all the kings and governors of the land of Arabia.

16 K ing Solomon made 200 large body coverings for battle of beaten gold. For each covering he used 600 pieces of gold.

King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold; 600 shekels of gold went into each shield.

17 A nd he made 300 coverings of beaten gold, using 150 pieces of gold on each covering. The king put them in the house among the trees of Lebanon.

And he made 300 shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

18 T hen the king made a large throne of ivory and covered it with fine gold.

Also the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with the finest gold.

19 T he throne had six steps, and a round top at its back. There were arms on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the arms.

The throne had six steps, and attached at the rear of the top of the throne was a round covering or canopy. On either side of the seat were armrests, and two lions stood beside the armrests.

20 T welve lions stood on the six steps, one on each end. Nothing like it was made for any other king.

Twelve lions stood there, one on either end of each of the six steps; there was nothing like it ever made in any kingdom.

21 A ll of King Solomon’s cups were made of gold. And all the cups of the house among the trees of Lebanon were made of pure gold. None of them were made of silver. Silver was not thought of as being of much worth in the days of Solomon.

All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver; it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.

22 F or the king had a group of ships of Tarshish at sea with the ships of Hiram. Every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks.

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 came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

23 S o King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom (skill).

24 T hey came from all over the earth to see Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart.

And all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his mind.

25 E very one of them brought his gift. They brought objects of silver and gold, clothing, objects for fighting in battle, spices, horses and donkeys, so much year by year.

Every man brought tribute: vessels of silver and gold, garments, equipment, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year.

26 S olomon gathered war-wagons and horsemen. He had 1, 400 war-wagons and 12, 000 horsemen. He kept them in the war-wagon cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

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

27 T he king made silver as easy to find as stones in Jerusalem. He made cedar trees as easy to find as the sycamore trees of the valley.

The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars as plentiful as the sycamore trees in the lowlands.

28 S olomon had horses brought from Egypt and Kue. The king’s traders bought them from Kue, each for a price.

Solomon’s horses were brought out of Egypt, and the king’s merchants received them in droves, each at a price.

29 A war-wagon could be brought from Egypt for 600 pieces of silver, and a horse for 150 pieces of silver. They got them in the same way for all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.

A chariot could be brought out of Egypt for 600 shekels of silver, and a horse for 150. And so to all the kings of the Hittites and of Syria they were exported by the king’s merchants.