| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions, having a very great retinue and camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she told him 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. There was nothing hidden from Solomon that he could not explain to her. | 2Solomon answered all her questions; there was no question too complex for the king. |
| 3And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, | 3When the queen of Sheba saw for herself Solomon's extensive wisdom, the palace he had built, |
| 4the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, and their clothing, his cupbearers, and their clothing, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the LORD, there was no more breath in her. | 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. |
| 5And she said to the king, “The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom, | 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 my own eyes had seen it. And behold, half the greatness of your wisdom was not told me; you surpass the report that 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. |
| 7Happy are your wives! Happy are these your servants, who continually stand 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 and set you on his throne as king for the LORD your God! Because your God loved Israel and would establish them forever, he has made you king over them, that you may execute 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, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There were no spices such as those that 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. |
| 10Moreover, the servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, 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. |
| 11And the king made from the algum wood supports for the house of the LORD and for the king’s house, lyres also and harps for the singers. There never was seen the like of them before 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.) |
| 12And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked besides what she had brought to the king. So she turned and went back to her own land 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. |
| 13Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, | 13Solomon received 666 talents of gold per year, |
| 14besides that which the explorers and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land 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 200 large shields of beaten gold; 600 shekels of beaten 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. |
| 16And he made 300 shields of beaten gold; 300 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. |
| 17The king also made a great ivory throne 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, which were attached to the throne, and on each side of the seat were armrests and two lions standing beside the armrests, | 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. |
| 19while twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. Nothing like it was ever 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 vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. Silver was not considered as anything 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’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram. Once every three years the ships of Tarshish used to come bringing 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. |
| 22Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. | 22King Solomon was wealthier and wiser than any of the kings of the earth. |
| 23And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind. | 23All the kings of the earth wanted to visit Solomon to see him display his God-given wisdom. |
| 24Every one of them brought his present, articles of silver and of gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year. | 24Year after year visitors brought their gifts, which included items of silver, items of gold, clothes, perfume, spices, horses, and mules. |
| 25And Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. | 25Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses. He kept them in assigned cities and in Jerusalem. |
| 26And he ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to 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. |
| 27And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah. | 27The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones; cedar was as plentiful as sycamore fig trees are in the lowlands. |
| 28And horses were imported for Solomon from Egypt and from all lands. | 28Solomon acquired horses from Egypt and from all the lands. |
| 29Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to 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 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 slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father, and Rehoboam his son 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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