Christian Standard Bible

King James Bible

1The queen of Sheba heard about Solomon's fame connected with the name of the LORD and came to test him with riddles.

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

2She came to Jerusalem with a very large entourage, with camels bearing spices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones. She came to Solomon and spoke to him about everything that was on her mind.

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.

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

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

4When the queen of Sheba observed all of Solomon's wisdom, the palace he had built,

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

5the food at his table, his servants' residence, his attendants' service and their attire, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he offered at the LORD's temple, it took her breath away.

5And the meat 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 the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.

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

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

7But I didn't believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, I was not even told half. Your wisdom and prosperity far exceed the report I heard.

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 exceedeth the fame which I heard.

8How happy are your men. How happy are these servants of yours, who always stand in your presence hearing your wisdom.

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

9Blessed be the LORD your God! He delighted in you and put you on the throne of Israel, because of the LORD's eternal love for Israel. He has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness."

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

10Then she gave the king four and a half tons of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again did such a quantity of spices arrive as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10And she gave the king an 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.

11In addition, Hiram's fleet that carried gold from Ophir brought from Ophir a large quantity of almug wood and precious stones.

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

12The king made the almug wood into steps for the LORD's temple and the king's palace and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before did such almug wood arrive, and the like has not been seen again.

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

13King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba her every desire--whatever she asked--besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she, along with her servants, returned to her own country.

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

14The weight of gold that came to Solomon annually was twenty-five tons,

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

15besides what came from merchants, traders' merchandise, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land.

15Beside that he had of the merchantmen, and of the traffick of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.

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

16And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of gold went to one target.

17He made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; nearly four pounds of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

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

18The king also made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with fine gold.

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

19The throne had six steps; there was a rounded top at the back of the throne, armrests on either side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.

19The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind: and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays.

20Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps, one at each end. Nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom.

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.

21All of 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, since it was considered as nothing in Solomon's time,

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.

22for the king had ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram's fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

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

23King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the world in riches and in wisdom.

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

24The whole world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.

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

25Every man would bring his annual tribute: items of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, and horses and mules.

25And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

26Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen and stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

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

27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills.

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 vale, for abundance.

28Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and Kue. The king's traders bought them from Kue at the going price.

28And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price.

29A chariot was imported from Egypt for fifteen pounds of silver, and a horse for nearly four pounds. In the same way, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram through their agents.

29And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an 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.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.