2 Chronicles 9

1And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great train, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

1When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon’s fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. She arrived with a very large group of people and camels carrying spices, a huge amount of gold, and precious stones. When she met with Solomon, she talked with him about everything she had on her mind.

2And Solomon told her all her questions; and there was not anything hid from Solomon which he told her not.

2Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for him to explain to her.

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

3When the queen of Sheba saw Solomon’s wisdom, the palace he had built,

4and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, his cupbearers also, and their apparel, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of Jehovah; there was no more spirit in her.

4the food on his table, the way his officials were seated, the efficient service of his staff and their uniforms, his cupbearers and their uniforms, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the LORD, she was completely overwhelmed.

5And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom.

5She said to the king, 'The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom was true.'

6Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it; and, behold, the half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: thou exceedest the fame that I heard.

6'But I did not believe what they said until I came and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, not even half of your great wisdom was described to me; you are far greater than the reports I heard.'

7Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, that stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.

7'How happy your people must be! How happy these officials are, who stand before you daily and hear your wisdom!'

8Blessed be Jehovah thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on his throne, to be king for Jehovah thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do justice and righteousness.

8'Praise the LORD your God, who chose you and put you on his throne to be king for the LORD your God. Because your God loved Israel and wanted to preserve them forever, he made you king over them to maintain justice and righteousness.'

9And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

9Then she gave the king four and a half tons of gold, a huge amount of spices, and precious stones. There were never again any spices like those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, that brought gold from Ophir, brought algum-trees and precious stones.

10The servants of Huram and Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum wood and precious stones.

11And the king made of the algum-trees terraces for the house of Jehovah, and for the king’s house, and harps and psalteries for the singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.

11The king used the algum wood to make steps for the temple of the LORD and for the royal palace, as well as harps and lyres for the musicians. Nothing like them had ever been seen in the land of Judah.

12And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, besides that which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went to her own land, she and her servants.

12King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she wanted and asked for, even more than she had brought to him. Then she and her servants returned to her own country.

13Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold,

13The weight of the gold that Solomon received in a single year was about twenty-five tons,

14besides that which the traders and merchants brought: and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.

14not counting the gold brought by traders and merchants. All the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon.

15And king Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of beaten gold went to one buckler.

15King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold, using about fifteen pounds of gold for each shield.

16And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

16He also made three hundred smaller shields of hammered gold, using about seven and a half pounds of gold for each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.

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

17The king also made a huge throne of ivory and covered it with pure gold.

18And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the stays.

18The throne had six steps and a gold footstool attached to it. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, and a lion stood beside each armrest.

19And 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.

19Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at each end of every step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom.

20And 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: silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.

20All King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold, and all the household items in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Silver was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon.

21For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; once every three years came the ships of Tarshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

21The king had a fleet of trading ships that sailed to Tarshish with the servants of Huram. Once every three years, the ships returned bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

22So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

22King Solomon was richer and wiser than any other king on earth.

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 wanted to meet with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.

24And they brought every man his tribute, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, armor, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

24Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift: items of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

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

25Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. He stationed some in the chariot cities and kept others with him in Jerusalem.

26And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.

26He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.

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 logs as plentiful as the sycamore-figs in the foothills.

28And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt, and out of all lands.

28Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries.

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

29The rest of Solomon’s life, from beginning to end, is recorded in the writings of Nathan the prophet, the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat.

30And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

30Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.

31And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

31Then Solomon died and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam became king in his place.