| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon's reputation, she traveled to Jerusalem and tested him with difficult questions. She 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. | 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. |
| 2Solomon answered all of her questions. Because nothing was hidden from Solomon, he hid nothing from her. | 2So Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for Solomon to explain to her. |
| 3When the queen of Sheba had seen Solomon's wisdom for herself, the palace that he had built, | 3When the queen of Sheba observed Solomon's wisdom, the palace he had built, |
| 4the food set at his table, his servants who waited on 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! | 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. |
| 5"Everything I heard about your wisdom and what you have to say is true!" she gasped, | 5She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your words and about your wisdom is true. |
| 6"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! | 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. |
| 7How blessed are your staff! And how blessed are your employees, who serve you continually and get to listen to your wisdom! | 7How happy are your men. How happy are these servants of yours, who always stand in your presence hearing your wisdom. |
| 8Blessed be the LORD your God, who is delighted with you! He set you in place on his throne to be king for the LORD your God. He made you king over them so you could carry out justice and implement righteousness, because your God loves Israel and intends to establish them forever." | 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." |
| 9Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a vast quantity of spices, and precious stones. There were no spices comparable to those that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. | 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. |
| 10Hiram's servants and Solomon's servants, who brought gold from Ophir, also presented algum wood and other precious stones. | 10In addition, Hiram's servants and Solomon's servants who brought gold from Ophir also brought algum wood and precious stones. |
| 11The king used the algum wood to have steps 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 had been seen before in the territory of Judah. | 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. |
| 12In return, King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she wanted and requested in addition to what she had brought for the king. Afterward, she returned to her own land, accompanied by her servants. | 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. |
| 13Solomon received in any given year about 666 talents of gold, | 13The weight of gold that came to Solomon annually was 25 tons, |
| 14not including revenue from traders and merchants. In addition, all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the nation brought gold and silver to Solomon. | 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. |
| 15King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, overlaying each shield with the gold from 600 gold pieces, | 15King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold; 15 pounds of hammered gold went into each shield. |
| 16and 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. | 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. |
| 17The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold. | 17The king also made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold. |
| 18Six steps led up to the throne. A golden footstool was attached to the throne, which had armrests on each side of the seat and two lions standing on either side of each armrest. | 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. |
| 19Twelve lions were placed on both sides of the six steps leading to the throne, and nothing comparable was made for any other kingdom. | 19Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps, one at each end. Nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom. |
| 20All 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. Silver was never considered to be valuable during the lifetime of Solomon, | 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, |
| 21because the king had ships that sailed to Tarshish accompanied by Hiram's servants. Once every three years ships from Tarshish returned, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. | 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. |
| 22As a result, King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in regards to wealth and wisdom. | 22King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the world in riches and wisdom. |
| 23All the kings of the earth continued to seek audiences with Solomon so they could hear the wise things that God had put in his heart. | 23All the kings of the world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. |
| 24Everyone kept on bringing gifts on an annual basis, including items made of silver and gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules. | 24Each of them would bring his own gift--items of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, and horses and mules--as an annual tribute. |
| 25Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, along with 12,000 cavalry soldiers. He stationed them in various chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. | 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. |
| 26King Solomon ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River west to the land of the Philistines and as far south as the boundary with Egypt. | 26He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and as far as the border of Egypt. |
| 27The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and made cedar trees as abundant as sycamore trees in the Shephelah. | 27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills. |
| 28They also kept bringing horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all of the surrounding countries. | 28They were bringing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all the countries. |
| 29Now the rest of Solomon's accomplishments, from first to last, are written in the records of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer pertaining to Nebat's son Jeroboam, are they not? | 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. |
| 30Solomon reigned for 40 years in Jerusalem over all of Israel. | 30Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for 40 years. |
| 31Then Solomon died, as had his ancestors, and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place. | 31Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam became king in his place. |
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