2 Chronicles 9 NKJV ISV Parallel

◄ 2 Chronicles 9 ►

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1Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions, having a very great retinue, camels that bore spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart.

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.

2So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for Solomon that he could not explain it to her.

2Solomon answered all of her questions. Because nothing was hidden from Solomon, he hid nothing from her.

3And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built,

3When the queen of Sheba had seen Solomon's wisdom for herself, the palace that he had built,

4the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers and their apparel, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her.

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!

5Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom.

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

6However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You exceed the fame of which I heard.

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!

7Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!

7How blessed are your staff! And how blessed are your employees, who serve you continually and get to listen to your wisdom!

8Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you, setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God! Because your God has loved Israel, to establish them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness.”

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."

9And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great abundance, and precious stones; there never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

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.

10Also, the servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, brought algum wood and precious stones.

10Hiram's servants and Solomon's servants, who brought gold from Ophir, also presented algum wood and other precious stones.

11And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for the king’s house, also harps and stringed instruments for singers; and there were none such as these seen before in the land of Judah.

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.

12Now King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, much more than she had brought to the king. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.

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.

13The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,

13Solomon received in any given year about 666 talents of gold,

14besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.

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.

15And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield.

15King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, overlaying each shield with the gold from 600 gold pieces,

16He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold; three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

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.

17Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.

17The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold.

18The throne had six steps, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne; there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests.

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.

19Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom.

19Twelve lions were placed on both sides of the six steps leading to the throne, and nothing comparable was made for any other kingdom.

20All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.

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,

21For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram. Once every three years the merchant ships came, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys.

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.

22So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

22As a result, King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in regards to wealth and wisdom.

23And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

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.

24Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year.

24Everyone kept on bringing gifts on an annual basis, including items made of silver and gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules.

25Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.

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.

26So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.

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.

27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland.

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

28And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands.

28They also kept bringing horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all of the surrounding countries.

29Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

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?

30Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

30Solomon reigned for 40 years in Jerusalem over all of Israel.

31Then Solomon rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.

31Then Solomon died, as had his ancestors, and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.

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