| New American Standard Bible 1995 | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions. | 1The queen of Sheba heard about Solomon's fame connected with the name of Yahweh and came to test him with difficult questions. |
| 2So she came to Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels carrying spices and very much gold and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. | 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. |
| 3Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from the king which he did not explain to her. | 3So Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for the king to explain to her. |
| 4When the queen of Sheba perceived all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, | 4When the queen of Sheba observed all of Solomon's wisdom, the palace he had built, |
| 5the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his waiters and their attire, his cupbearers, and his stairway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her. | 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. |
| 6Then she said to the king, "It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. | 6She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your words and about your wisdom is true. |
| 7"Nevertheless I did not believe the reports, until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. You exceed in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard. | 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. |
| 8"How blessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom. | 8How happy are your men. How happy are these servants of yours, who always stand in your presence hearing your wisdom. |
| 9"Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel; because the LORD loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness." | 9May Yahweh your God be praised! 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." |
| 10She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and a very great amount of spices and precious stones. Never again did such abundance of spices come in as that which the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon. | 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. |
| 11Also the ships of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir a very great number of almug trees and precious stones. | 11In addition, Hiram's fleet that carried gold from Ophir brought from Ophir a large quantity of almug wood and precious stones. |
| 12The king made of the almug trees supports for the house of the LORD and for the king's house, also lyres and harps for the singers; such almug trees have not come in again nor have they been seen to this day. | 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 had such almug wood come, and the like has not been seen again even to this very day. |
| 13King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire which she requested, besides what he gave her according to his royal bounty. Then she turned and went to her own land together with her servants. | 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. |
| 14Now the weight of gold which came in to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, | 14The weight of gold that came to Solomon annually was 25 tons, |
| 15besides that from the traders and the wares of the merchants and all the kings of the Arabs and the governors of the country. | 15besides what came from merchants, traders' merchandise, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land. |
| 16King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, using 600 shekels of gold on each large shield. | 16King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold; 15 pounds of gold went into each shield. |
| 17He made 300 shields of beaten gold, using three minas of gold on each shield, and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. | 17He made 300 small shields of hammered gold; about four pounds of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. |
| 18Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with refined gold. | 18The king also made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with fine gold. |
| 19There were six steps to the throne and a round top to the throne at its rear, and arms on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the arms. | 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. |
| 20Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for any other kingdom. | 20Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps, one at each end. Nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom. |
| 21All 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 was of silver; it was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon. | 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, |
| 22For the king had at sea the ships of Tarshish with the ships of Hiram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks. | 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. |
| 23So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. | 23King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the world in riches and in wisdom. |
| 24All the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. | 24The whole world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart. |
| 25They brought every man his gift, articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year. | 25Every man would bring his annual tribute: items of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, and horses and mules. |
| 26Now Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; and he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. | 26Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen and stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. |
| 27The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the lowland. | 27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills. |
| 28Also Solomon's import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king's merchants procured them from Kue for a price. | 28Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and Kue. The king's traders bought them from Kue at the going price. |
| 29A chariot was imported from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver, and a horse for 150; and by the same means they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of the Arameans. | 29A chariot was imported from Egypt for 15 pounds of silver, and a horse for about 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. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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