| New International Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relationship to the LORD, she came to test Solomon with hard questions. | 1The queen of Sheba heard about Solomon's fame connected with the name of Yahweh and came to test him with difficult questions. |
| 2Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan--with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones--she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind. | 2She came to Jerusalem with a very large entourage, with camels bearing spices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones. She came to Solomon and spoke to him about everything that was on her mind. |
| 3Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. | 3So Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for the king to explain to her. |
| 4When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, | 4When the queen of Sheba observed all of Solomon's wisdom, the palace he had built, |
| 5the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the LORD, she was overwhelmed. | 5the food at his table, his servants' residence, his attendants' service and their attire, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he offered at the LORD's temple, it took her breath away. |
| 6She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. | 6She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your words and about your wisdom is true. |
| 7But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. | 7But I didn't believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, I was not even told half. Your wisdom and prosperity far exceed the report I heard. |
| 8How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! | 8How happy are your men. How happy are these servants of yours, who always stand in your presence hearing your wisdom. |
| 9Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD's eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness." | 9May Yahweh your God be praised! He delighted in you and put you on the throne of Israel, because of the LORD's eternal love for Israel. He has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness." |
| 10And she gave the king 120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. | 10Then she gave the king four and a half tons of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again did such a quantity of spices arrive as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. |
| 11(Hiram's ships brought gold from Ophir; and from there they brought great cargoes of almugwood and precious stones. | 11In addition, Hiram's fleet that carried gold from Ophir brought from Ophir a large quantity of almug wood and precious stones. |
| 12The king used the almugwood to make supports for the temple of the LORD and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. So much almugwood has never been imported or seen since that day.) | 12The king made the almug wood into steps for the LORD's temple and the king's palace and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had such almug wood come, and the like has not been seen again even to this very day. |
| 13King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for, besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country. | 13King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba her every desire--whatever she asked--besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she, along with her servants, returned to her own country. |
| 14The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents, | 14The weight of gold that came to Solomon annually was 25 tons, |
| 15not including the revenues from merchants and traders and from all the Arabian kings and the governors of the territories. | 15besides what came from merchants, traders' merchandise, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land. |
| 16King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. | 16King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold; 15 pounds of gold went into each shield. |
| 17He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three minas of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. | 17He made 300 small shields of hammered gold; about four pounds of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. |
| 18Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with fine gold. | 18The king also made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with fine gold. |
| 19The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. | 19The throne had six steps; there was a rounded top at the back of the throne, armrests on either side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests. |
| 20Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom. | 20Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps, one at each end. Nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom. |
| 21All King Solomon's goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon's days. | 21All 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, |
| 22The king had a fleet of trading ships at sea along with the ships of Hiram. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons. | 22for the king had ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram's fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. |
| 23King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. | 23King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the world in riches and in wisdom. |
| 24The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. | 24The whole world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart. |
| 25Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift--articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules. | 25Every man would bring his annual tribute: items of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, and horses and mules. |
| 26Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. | 26Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen and stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. |
| 27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. | 27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills. |
| 28Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue --the royal merchants purchased them from Kue at the current price. | 28Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and Kue. The king's traders bought them from Kue at the going price. |
| 29They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans. | 29A chariot was imported from Egypt for 15 pounds of silver, and a horse for about four pounds. In the same way, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram through their agents. |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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