| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon, she came to test him with difficult questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. So she came to Solomon and spoke with him about all that was on her mind. | 1When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon, she came to challenge him with difficult questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a great display of pomp, bringing with her camels carrying spices, a very large quantity of gold, and precious gems. She visited Solomon and discussed with him everything that was on her mind. |
| 2And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for him to explain. | 2Solomon answered all her questions; there was no question too complex for the king. |
| 3When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built, | 3When the queen of Sheba saw for herself Solomon's extensive wisdom, the palace he had built, |
| 4the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the service and attire of his attendants and cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he presented at the house of the LORD, it took her breath away. | 4the food in his banquet hall, his servants and attendants in their robes, his cupbearers in their robes, and his burnt sacrifices which he presented in the LORD's temple, she was amazed. |
| 5She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words and wisdom is true. | 5She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your wise sayings and insight was true! |
| 6But I did not believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not half of the greatness of your wisdom was told to me. You have far exceeded the report I heard. | 6I did not believe these things until I came and saw them with my own eyes. Indeed, I didn't hear even half the story! Your wisdom surpasses what was reported to me. |
| 7How blessed are your men! How blessed are these servants of yours who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! | 7Your attendants, who stand before you at all times and hear your wise sayings, are truly happy! |
| 8Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you to set you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God. Because your God loved Israel enough to establish them forever, He has made you king over them to carry out justice and righteousness.” | 8May the LORD your God be praised because he favored you by placing you on his throne as the one ruling on his behalf! Because of your God's love for Israel and his lasting commitment to them, he made you king over them so you could make just and right decisions." |
| 9Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. | 9She gave the king 120 talents of gold and a very large quantity of spices and precious gems. The quantity of spices the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon has never been matched. |
| 10(The servants of Hiram and of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir also brought algum wood and precious stones. | 10(Huram's servants, aided by Solomon's servants, brought gold from Ophir, as well as fine timber and precious gems. |
| 11The king made the algum wood into steps for the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had anything like them been seen in the land of Judah.) | 11With the timber the king made steps for the LORD's temple and royal palace as well as stringed instruments for the musicians. No one had seen anything like them in the land of Judah prior to that.) |
| 12King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired—whatever she asked—far more than she had brought the king. Then she left and returned to her own country, along with her servants. | 12King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she requested, more than what she had brought him. Then she left and returned to her homeland with her attendants. |
| 13The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents, | 13Solomon received 666 talents of gold per year, |
| 14not including the revenue from the merchants and traders. And all the Arabian kings and governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon. | 14besides what he collected from the merchants and traders. All the Arabian kings and the governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon. |
| 15King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield. | 15King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; 600 measures of hammered gold were used for each shield. |
| 16He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. | 16He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; 300 measures of gold were used for each of those shields. The king placed them in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest. |
| 17Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. | 17The king made a large throne decorated with ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. |
| 18The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest. | 18There were six steps leading up to the throne, and a gold footstool was attached to the throne. The throne had two armrests with a statue of a lion standing on each side. |
| 19Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom. | 19There were twelve statues of lions on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. There was nothing like it in any other kingdom. |
| 20All King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, because it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon. | 20All of King Solomon's cups were made of gold, and all the household items in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest were made of pure gold. There were no silver items, for silver was not considered very valuable in Solomon's time. |
| 21For the king had the ships of Tarshish that went with Hiram’s servants, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. | 21The king had a fleet of large merchant ships manned by Huram's men that sailed the sea. Once every three years the fleet came into port with cargoes of gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. |
| 22So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. | 22King Solomon was wealthier and wiser than any of the kings of the earth. |
| 23All the kings of the earth sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart. | 23All the kings of the earth wanted to visit Solomon to see him display his God-given wisdom. |
| 24Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules. | 24Year after year visitors brought their gifts, which included items of silver, items of gold, clothes, perfume, spices, horses, and mules. |
| 25Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horses, which he stationed in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. | 25Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses. He kept them in assigned cities and in Jerusalem. |
| 26He reigned over all the kings from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. | 26He ruled all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt. |
| 27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills. | 27The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones; cedar was as plentiful as sycamore fig trees are in the lowlands. |
| 28Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from all the lands. | 28Solomon acquired horses from Egypt and from all the lands. |
| 29As for the rest of the acts of Solomon, from beginning to end, are they not written in the Records of Nathan the Prophet, in the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the Visions of Iddo the Seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat? | 29The rest of the events of Solomon's reign, from start to finish, are recorded in the Annals of Nathan the Prophet, the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the Vision of Iddo the Seer pertaining to Jeroboam son of Nebat. |
| 30Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. | 30Solomon ruled over all Israel from Jerusalem for forty years. |
| 31And Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. And his son Rehoboam reigned in his place. | 31Then Solomon passed away and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam replaced him as king. |
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