| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, so she came to test Solomon with difficult questions at Jerusalem with a very large entourage, with camels bearing spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. She came to Solomon and spoke with him about everything that was on her mind. | 1When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon, she came to challenge him with difficult questions. She 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. |
| 2So Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for Solomon to explain to her. | 2Solomon answered all her questions; there was no question too complex for the king. |
| 3When the queen of Sheba observed Solomon's wisdom, the palace he had built, | 3When the queen of Sheba saw for herself Solomon's extensive wisdom, the palace he had built, |
| 4the food at his table, his servants' residence, his attendants' service and their attire, his cupbearers and their attire, and the burnt offerings he offered at the LORD's temple, it took her breath away. | 4the food in his banquet hall, his servants and attendants in their robes, his cupbearers in their robes, and his burnt sacrifices which he presented in the LORD's temple, she was amazed. |
| 5She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your words and about your wisdom is true. | 5She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your wise sayings and insight was true! |
| 6But I didn't believe their reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, I was not even told half of your great wisdom! You far exceed the report I heard. | 6I 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 surpasses what was reported to me. |
| 7How happy are your men. How happy are these servants of yours, who always stand in your presence hearing your wisdom. | 7Your attendants, who stand before you at all times and hear your wise sayings, are truly happy! |
| 8May the LORD your God be praised! He delighted in you and put you on His throne as king for the LORD your God. Because Your God loved Israel enough to establish them forever, He has set you over them as king to carry out justice and righteousness." | 8May the LORD your God be praised because he favored you by placing you on his throne as the one ruling on his behalf! Because of your God's love for Israel and his lasting commitment to them, he made you king over them so you could make just and right decisions." |
| 9Then she gave the king four and a half tons of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There never were such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. | 9She gave the king 120 talents of gold and a very large quantity of spices and precious gems. The quantity of spices the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon has never been matched. |
| 10In addition, Hiram's servants and Solomon's servants who brought gold from Ophir also brought algum wood and precious stones. | 10(Huram's servants, aided by Solomon's servants, brought gold from Ophir, as well as fine timber and precious gems. |
| 11The king made the algum wood into walkways for the LORD's temple and for the king's palace and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had anything like them been seen in the land of Judah. | 11With the timber the king made steps for the LORD's temple and royal palace as well as stringed instruments for the musicians. No one had seen anything like them in the land of Judah prior to that.) |
| 12King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba her every desire, whatever she asked--far more than she had brought the king. Then she, along with her servants, returned to her own country. | 12King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she requested, more than what she had brought him. Then she left and returned to her homeland with her attendants. |
| 13The weight of gold that came to Solomon annually was 25 tons, | 13Solomon received 666 talents of gold per year, |
| 14besides what was brought by the merchants and traders. All the Arabian kings and governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon. | 14besides what he collected from the merchants and traders. All the Arabian kings and the governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon. |
| 15King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold; 15 pounds of hammered gold went into each shield. | 15King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; 600 measures of hammered gold were used for each shield. |
| 16He made 300 small shields of hammered gold; about eight pounds of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. | 16He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; 300 measures of gold were used for each of those shields. The king placed them in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest. |
| 17The king also made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold. | 17The king made a large throne decorated with ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. |
| 18The throne had six steps; there was a footstool covered in gold for the throne, armrests on either side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests. | 18There were six steps leading up to the throne, and a gold footstool was attached to the throne. The throne had two armrests with a statue of a lion standing on each side. |
| 19Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps, one at each end. Nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom. | 19There 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. |
| 20All of King Solomon's drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, since it was considered as nothing in Solomon's time, | 20All 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. |
| 21for the king's ships kept going to Tarshish with Hiram's servants, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. | 21The king had a fleet of large merchant ships manned by Huram's men that sailed the sea. Once every three years the fleet came into port with cargoes of gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. |
| 22King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the world in riches and wisdom. | 22King Solomon was wealthier and wiser than any of the kings of the earth. |
| 23All the kings of the world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. | 23All the kings of the earth wanted to visit Solomon to see him display his God-given wisdom. |
| 24Each of them would bring his own gift--items of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, and horses and mules--as an annual tribute. | 24Year after year visitors brought their gifts, which included items of silver, items of gold, clothes, perfume, spices, horses, and mules. |
| 25Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horsemen. He stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. | 25Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses. He kept them in assigned cities and in Jerusalem. |
| 26He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and as far as the border of Egypt. | 26He ruled all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt. |
| 27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills. | 27The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones; cedar was as plentiful as sycamore fig trees are in the lowlands. |
| 28They were bringing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all the countries. | 28Solomon acquired horses from Egypt and from all the lands. |
| 29The remaining events of Solomon's reign, from beginning to end, are written in the Events of Nathan the Prophet, the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the Visions of Iddo the Seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat. | 29The rest of the events of Solomon's reign, from start to finish, are recorded in the Annals of Nathan the Prophet, the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the Vision of Iddo the Seer pertaining to Jeroboam son of Nebat. |
| 30Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for 40 years. | 30Solomon ruled over all Israel from Jerusalem for forty years. |
| 31Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam became king in his place. | 31Then Solomon passed away and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam replaced him as king. |
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