| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 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, she came to challenge 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 arrived in Jerusalem with a great display of pomp, bringing with her camels carrying spices, a very large quantity of gold, and precious gems. She visited Solomon and discussed with him 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 her questions; there was no question too complex for the king. |
| 4And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, | 4When the queen of Sheba saw for herself Solomon's extensive wisdom, the palace 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 in his banquet hall, his servants and attendants, their robes, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings which he presented in the LORD's temple, she was amazed. |
| 6And she said to the king, “The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom, | 6She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your wise sayings and insight was true! |
| 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. | 7I did not believe these things until I came and saw them with my own eyes. Indeed, I didn't hear even half the story! Your wisdom and wealth surpass what was reported to me. |
| 8Happy are your men! Happy are your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! | 8Your attendants, who stand before you at all times and hear your wise sayings, are truly happy! |
| 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.” | 9May the LORD your God be praised because he favored you by placing you on the throne of Israel! Because of the LORD's eternal love for Israel, he made you king so you could make just and right decisions." |
| 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. | 10She gave the king 120 talents of gold, a very large quantity of spices, and precious gems. The quantity of spices the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon has never been matched. |
| 11Moreover, the fleet of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir a very great amount of almug wood and precious stones. | 11(Hiram's fleet, which carried gold from Ophir, also brought from Ophir a very large quantity of fine timber and precious gems. |
| 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. | 12With the timber the king made supports for the LORD's temple and for the royal palace and stringed instruments for the musicians. No one has seen so much of this fine timber to this very 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. | 13King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she requested, besides what he had freely offered her. Then she left and returned to her homeland with her attendants. |
| 14Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, | 14Solomon received 666 talents of gold per year, |
| 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. | 15besides what he collected from the merchants, traders, Arabian kings, and governors of the land. |
| 16King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold; 600 shekels of gold went into each shield. | 16King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; 600 measures of gold were used for each shield. |
| 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. | 17He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three minas of gold were used for each of these shields. The king placed them in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest. |
| 18The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with the finest gold. | 18The king made a large throne decorated with ivory 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, | 19There were six steps leading up to the throne, and the back of it was rounded on top. The throne had two armrests with a statue of a lion standing on each side. |
| 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. | 20There were twelve statues of lions on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. There was nothing like it in any other kingdom. |
| 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 cups were made of gold, and all the household items in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest were made of pure gold. There were no silver items, for silver was not considered very valuable in Solomon's time. |
| 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. | 22Along with Hiram's fleet, the king had a fleet of large merchant ships that sailed the sea. Once every three years the fleet came into port with cargoes of gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. |
| 23Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. | 23King Solomon was wealthier and wiser than any of the kings of the earth. |
| 24And the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind. | 24Everyone in the world wanted to visit Solomon to see him display his God-given wisdom. |
| 25Every one of them brought his present, articles of silver and gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year. | 25Year after year visitors brought their gifts, which included items of silver, items of gold, clothes, perfume, 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 horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He kept them in assigned cities and 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 plentiful in Jerusalem as stones; cedar was as plentiful as sycamore fig trees are in the lowlands. |
| 28And Solomon’s import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king’s traders received them from Kue at a price. | 28Solomon acquired his horses from Egypt and from Que; the king's traders purchased them from Que. |
| 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. | 29They paid 600 silver pieces for each chariot from Egypt and 150 silver pieces for each horse. They also sold chariots and horses to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Syria. |
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