2 Chronicles 9

1Now the queen of Sheba, hearing great things of Solomon, came to Jerusalem to put his wisdom to the test with hard questions; and with her came a very great train, and camels weighted down with spices, and great stores of gold and jewels: and when she came to Solomon she had talk with him of everything in her mind.

1And when the queen of Saba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to try him with hard questions at Jerusalem, with great riches, and camels, which carried spices, and abundance of gold, and precious stones. And when she was come to Solomon, she proposed to him all that was in her heart.

2And Solomon gave her answers to all her questions; there was no secret which he did not make clear to her.

2And Solomon explained to her all that she proposed: and there was not any thing that he did not make clear unto her.

3And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house which he had made,

3And when she had seen these things, to wit, the wisdom of Solomon, and the house which he had built,

4And the food at his table, and all his servants seated there, and those who were waiting on him in their places, and their robes, and his wine-servants and their robes, and the burned offerings which he made in the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her.

4And the meats of his table, and the dwelling places of his servants, and the attendance of his officers, and their apparel, his cupbearers also, and their garments, and the victims which he offered in the house of the Lord: there was no more spirit in her, she was so astonished.

5And she said to the king, The account which was given to me in my country of your acts and your wisdom was true.

5And she said to the king: The word is true which I heard in my country of thy virtues and wisdom.

6But I had no faith in what was said about you, till I came and saw for myself; and truly, word was not given me of half your great wisdom; you are much greater than they said.

6I did not believe them that told it, until I came, and my eyes had seen, and I had proved that scarce one half of thy wisdom had been told me: thou hast exceeded the same with thy virtues.

7Happy are your wives and happy these your servants whose place is ever before you, hearing your words of wisdom.

7Happy are thy men, and happy are thy servants, who stand always before thee, and hear thy wisdom.

8Praise be to the Lord your God whose pleasure it was to put you on the seat of his kingdom to be king for the Lord your God: because, in his love for Israel, it was the purpose of your God to make them strong for ever, he made you king over them, to be their judge in righteousness.

8Blessed be the Lord thy God, who hath been pleased to set thee on his throne, king of the Lord thy God. Because God loveth Israel, and will preserve them forever: therefore hath he made thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.

9And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and a great store of spices and jewels: never had such spices been seen as the queen of Sheba gave to Solomon.

9And she gave to the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in great abundance, and most precious stones: there were no such spices as these which the queen of Saba gave to king Solomon.

10And the servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon, in addition to gold from Ophir, came back with sandal-wood and jewels.

10And the servants also of Hiram, with the servants of Solomon, brought gold from Ophir, and thyine trees, and most precious stones:

11And with the sandal-wood the king made steps for the house of the Lord and for the king's house, and instruments of music for the makers of melody; never before had such been seen in the land of Judah.

11And the king made of the thyine trees stairs in the house of the Lord, and in the king's house, and harps and psalteries for the singing men: never were there seen such trees in the land of Juda.

12And King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she made request for, in addition to what she had taken to the king. So she went back to her country with her servants.

12And king Solomon gave to the queen of Saba all that she desired, and that she asked, and many more things than she brought to him: so she returned, and went to her own country with her servants.

13Now the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents;

13And the weight of the gold, that was brought to Solomon every year, was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold:

14And in addition to what he got from traders of different sorts, all the kings of Arabia and the rulers of the country gave gold and silver to Solomon.

14Beside the sum which the deputies of divers nations, and the merchants were accustomed to bring, and all the kings of Arabia, and the lords of the lands, who brought gold and silver to Solomon.

15And King Solomon made two hundred body-covers of hammered gold, every one having six hundred shekels of gold in it.

15And king Solomon made two hundred golden spears, of the sum of six hundred pieces of gold, which went to every spear:

16And he made three hundred smaller body-covers of hammered gold, using three hundred shekels of gold for every cover, and the king put them in the house of the Woods of Lebanon.

16And three hundred golden shields of three hundred pieces of gold, which went to the covering of every shield: and the king put them in the armoury, which was compassed with a wood.

17Then the king made a great ivory seat, plated with the best gold.

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

18There were six steps up to it, and a foot-rest of gold fixed to it, and arms on the two sides of the seat, with two lions at the side of the arms.

18And six steps to go up to the throne, and a footstool of gold, and two arms one on either side, and two lions standing by the arms:

19And twelve lions were placed on one side and on the other side on the six steps: there was nothing like it in any kingdom.

19Moreover twelve other little lions standing upon the steps on both sides: there was not such a throne in any kingdom.

20All King Solomon's drinking-vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the Woods of Lebanon were of the best gold: no one gave a thought to silver in the days of Solomon.

20And all the vessels of the king's table were of gold, and the vessels of the house of the forest of Libanus were of the purest gold. For no account was made of silver in those days.

21For the king had Tarshish-ships sailing with the servants of Huram: once every three years the Tarshish-ships came back with gold and silver, ivory and monkeys and peacocks.

21For the king's ships went to Tharsis with the servants of Hiram, once in three years: and they brought thence gold and silver, and ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

22And King Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth in wealth and in wisdom.

22And Solomon was magnified above all the kings of the earth for riches and glory.

23And all the kings of the earth came to see Solomon and to give ear to his wisdom, which God had put into his heart.

23And all the kings of the earth desired to see the face of Solomon, that they might hear the wisdom which God had given in his heart.

24And everyone took with him an offering, vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and robes, and coats of metal, and spices, and horses and beasts for transport, regularly year by year.

24And every year they brought him presents, vessels of silver and of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, and horses, and mules.

25Solomon had four thousand buildings for his horses and his war-carriages, and twelve thousand horsemen whom he kept, some in the carriage-towns and some with the king in Jerusalem.

25And Solomon had forty thousand horses in the stables, and twelve thousand chariots, and horsemen, and he placed them in the cities of the chariots and where the king was in Jerusalem.

26And he was ruler over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the limit of Egypt.

26And he exercised authority over all the kings from the river Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, and to the borders of Egypt.

27The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem and cedars like the sycamore-trees of the lowlands in number.

27And he made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones: and cedars as common as the sycamores, which grow in the plains.

28They got horses for Solomon from Egypt and from every land.

28And horses were brought to him out of Egypt, and out of all countries.

29Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not recorded in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the words of Ahijah the prophet of Shiloh, and in the visions of Iddo the seer about Jeroboam, the son of Nebat?

29Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are written in the words of Nathan the prophet, and in the books of Ahias the Silonite, and in the vision of Addo the seer, against Jeroboam the son of Nabat.

30Solomon was king over Israel in Jerusalem for forty years.

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

31And Solomon went to rest with his fathers, and was put into the earth in the town of David his father; and Rehoboam his son became king in his place.

31And he slept with his fathers: and they buried him in the city of David: and Roboam his son reigned in his stead.