1 Kings 10

1And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of Jehovah, she came to prove him with hard questions.

1When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon’s fame and his relationship with the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions.

2And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones; and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

2She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large group of followers and camels carrying spices, a great deal of gold, and precious stones; when she met with Solomon, she talked with him about everything she had on her mind.

3And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not anything hid from the king which he told her not.

3Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing too difficult for the king to explain to her.

4And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,

4When the queen of Sheba saw all of Solomon’s wisdom, the palace he had built,

5and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of Jehovah; there was no more spirit in her.

5the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the service and robes of his attendants, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the LORD, she was completely breathless.

6And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom.

6She said to the king, 'The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true.

7Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me; thy wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard.

7But I did not believe these things until I came and saw them with my own eyes; and look, not even half was told to me. Your wisdom and wealth far exceed the stories I heard.

8Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, that stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.

8How happy your people must be! How happy these servants are who stand before you constantly and hear your wisdom!

9Blessed be Jehovah thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because Jehovah loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do justice and righteousness.

9Praise be to the LORD your God, who delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because the LORD has loved Israel forever, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness.'

10And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

10Then she gave the king four and a half tons of gold, a very large amount of spices, and precious stones; never again was such an abundance of spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

11And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug-trees and precious stones.

11The ships of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, also brought back a great supply of almug wood and precious stones from Ophir.

12And the king made of the almug-trees pillars for the house of Jehovah, and for the king’s house, harps also and psalteries for the singers: there came no such almug-trees, nor were seen, unto this day.

12The king used the almug wood to make supports for the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, as well as harps and lyres for the singers; no such almug wood has been brought or seen since that day.

13And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, besides that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned, and went to her own land, she and her servants.

13King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she desired and asked for, in addition to what he gave her out of his own royal local generosity. Then she and her servants returned to her own country.

14Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,

14The weight of the gold that Solomon received in a single year was about twenty-five tons,

15besides that which the traders brought, and the traffic of the merchants, and of all the kings of the mingled people, and of the governors of the country.

15not counting the taxes from traders and merchants, and the tribute from all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land.

16And king Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of gold went to one buckler.

16King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; about fifteen pounds of gold went into each shield.

17And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pounds of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

17He also made three hundred smaller shields of hammered gold, with nearly four pounds of gold in each shield; the king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.

18Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the finest gold.

18Then the king made a great throne of ivory and covered it with the finest gold.

19There were six steps to the throne, and the top of the throne was round behind; and there were stays on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the stays.

19The throne had six steps, and its back was rounded at the top; there were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest.

20And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.

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.

21And all king Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.

21All King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold, and all the household items in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold; none were made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s day.

22For the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish with the navy of Hiram: once every three years came the navy of Tarshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

22The king had a fleet of trading ships at sea along with the ships of Hiram; once every three years the fleet returned, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and baboons.

23So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

23So King Solomon became greater than any other king on earth in both wealth and wisdom.

24And all the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

24People from all over the world sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.

25And they brought every man his tribute, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, and armor, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

25Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift: items of silver and gold, robes, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

26And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

26Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and with him in Jerusalem.

27And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore-trees that are in the lowland, for abundance.

27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as the sycamore-fig trees in the foothills.

28And the horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt; and the king’s merchants received them in droves, each drove at a price.

28Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue; the king’s merchants purchased them from Kue at the market price.

29And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty; and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means.

29They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty; then they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.