2 Chronicles 9 NLT ISV Parallel

◄ 2 Chronicles 9 ►

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1When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. She arrived with a large group of attendants and a great caravan of camels loaded with spices, large quantities of gold, and precious jewels. When she met with Solomon, she talked with him about everything she had on her mind.

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.

2Solomon had answers for all her questions; nothing was too hard for him to explain to her.

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

3When the queen of Sheba realized how wise Solomon was, and when she saw the palace he had built,

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

4she was overwhelmed. She was also amazed at the food on his tables, the organization of his officials and their splendid clothing, the cup-bearers and their robes, and the burnt offerings Solomon made at the Temple of the LORD.

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!

5She exclaimed to the king, “Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true!

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

6I didn’t believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of your great wisdom! It is far beyond what I was told.

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!

7How happy your people must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom!

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

8Praise the LORD your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne as king to rule for him. Because God loves Israel and desires this kingdom to last forever, he has made you king over them so you can rule with 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."

9Then she gave the king a gift of 9,000 pounds of gold, great quantities of spices, and precious jewels. Never before had there been spices as fine 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.

10(In addition, the crews of Hiram and Solomon brought gold from Ophir, and they also brought red sandalwood and precious jewels.

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

11The king used the sandalwood to make steps for the Temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and to construct lyres and harps for the musicians. Never before had such beautiful things been seen in 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.

12King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba whatever she asked for—gifts of greater value than the gifts she had given him. Then she and all her attendants returned to their own land. Solomon’s Wealth and Splendor

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.

13Each year Solomon received about 25 tons of gold.

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

14This did not include the additional revenue he received from merchants and traders. All the kings of Arabia and the governors of the provinces also 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.

15King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold, each weighing more than 15 pounds.

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

16He also made 300 smaller shields of hammered gold, each weighing more than 7 1/2 pounds. The king placed these shields in the Palace 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.

17Then the king made a huge throne, decorated with ivory and overlaid 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. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, and the figure of a lion stood on each side of the throne.

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.

19There were also twelve other lions, one standing on each end of the six steps. No other throne in all the world could be compared with it!

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 of King Solomon’s drinking cups were solid gold, as were all the utensils in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. They were not made of silver, for silver was considered worthless in Solomon’s day!

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,

21The king had a fleet of trading ships of Tarshish manned by the sailors sent by Hiram. Once every three years the ships returned, loaded with gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

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 became richer and wiser than any other king on earth.

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

23Kings from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had given him.

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.

24Year after year everyone who visited brought him gifts of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

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

25Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his horses and chariots, and he had 12,000 horses. He stationed some of them in the chariot cities, and some near him in 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.

26He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River in the north to the land of the Philistines and the border of Egypt in the south.

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 plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. And valuable cedar timber was as common as the sycamore-fig trees that grow in the foothills of Judah.

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

28Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and many other countries. Summary of Solomon’s Reign

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

29The rest of the events of Solomon’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in The Record of Nathan the Prophet, and The Prophecy of Ahijah from Shiloh, and also in The Visions of Iddo the Seer, concerning Jeroboam 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 ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.

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

31When he died, he was buried in the City of David, named for his father. Then his son Rehoboam became the next king.

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

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