English Standard Version

International Standard Version

1Now 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.

1When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon's reputation with the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions.

2She 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.

2She brought along a large retinue, camels laden with spices, and lots of gold and precious stones. Upon her arrival, she spoke with Solomon about everything that was on her mind.

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

3Solomon answered all of her questions. Nothing was hidden from Solomon that he did not explain to her.

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

4When the queen of Sheba had seen all of Solomon's wisdom for herself, the palace that he had built,

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

5the food set at his table, his servants who sat with him, his ministers in attendance and how they were dressed, his personal staff and how they were dressed, and even his personal stairway by which he went up to the LORD's Temple, she was breathless!

6And she said to the king, “The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom,

6"Everything I heard about your wisdom and what you have to say is true!" she gasped,

7but 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 that I heard.

7"but I didn't believe it at first! But then I came here and I've seen it for myself! It's amazing! I wasn't told half of what's really great about your wisdom. You're far better in person than what the reports have said about you!

8Happy are your men! Happy are your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!

8How blessed are your staff! And how blessed are your employees, who serve you continuously and get to listen to your wisdom!

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

9And blessed be the LORD your God, who is delighted with you! He set you in place on the throne of Israel because the LORD loved Israel forever. That's why he made you to be king, so you could carry out justice and implement righteousness."

10Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices and precious stones. Never again came such an abundance of spices as these that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a vast quantity of spices, and precious stones. No spices ever came again that were comparable to those that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

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

11Hiram's ships that brought gold from Ophir, also brought from Ophir lots of algum wood and precious stones.

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

12The king used the algum wood to have supports made for the LORD's Temple and for the royal palace, as well as lyres and harps for the choir, and nothing like that wood has ever come again or even been seen since right to this day.

13And 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.

13In return, King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she wanted and had requested in addition to what he had given her consistent with his generosity. Afterward, she returned to her own land with her servants.

14Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold,

14Solomon's annual revenue was 666 talents of gold,

15besides that which came from the explorers and from the business of the merchants, and from all the kings of the west and from the governors of the land.

15not including revenue from traders, merchants, and from all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land.

16King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold; 600 shekels of gold went into each shield.

16King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, overlaying each large shield with the gold from 600 gold pieces,

17And he made 300 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.

17and 300 shields from beaten gold, overlaying each shield with the gold from 300 gold pieces. The king put them in his palace in the Lebanon forest.

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

18The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold.

19The throne had six steps, and the throne had a round top, and on each side of the seat were armrests and two lions standing beside the armrests,

19Six steps led up to the throne, which had a round canopy fastened to the rear of the throne and armrests on each side of the seat and two lions standing on either side of each armrest.

20while 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.

20Twelve lions were placed on both sides of the six steps leading to the throne, and nothing comparable was made for any other kingdoms.

21All 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; silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon.

21All of King Solomon's drinking vessels were made of gold, and all the vessels in his palace in the Lebanon forest were made of pure gold. None were of silver, because silver was never considered to be valuable during Solomon's lifetime,

22For 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.

22because the king had ships that sailed to Tarshish accompanied by Hiram's ships. Once every three years ships from Tarshish returned, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

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

23As a result, King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in regards to wealth and wisdom.

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

24All the earth continued to seek audiences with Solomon so they could hear the wise things that God had put in his heart.

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

25Everyone kept on bringing gifts on an annual basis, including items made of silver and gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules.

26And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

26Solomon accumulated chariots and cavalry. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 cavalry soldiers. He stationed them in various chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

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

27The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and made cedar trees as abundant as sycamore trees in the Shephelah.

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

28Solomon imported horses from Egypt and Kue, and the king's buyers procured them at market price from Kue.

29A chariot could be imported from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver and a horse for 150, and so through the king’s traders they were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.

29A chariot from Egypt cost 600 pieces of silver, and a horse 150 pieces of silver, but then they were exported to all the Hittite kings and to the Aramean kings.

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