NET Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

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.

1Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with difficult questions. She had a very large retinue, with camels carrying spices and a large amount of gold and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was on her heart.

2Solomon answered all her questions; there was no question too complex for the king.

2Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from Solomon which he did not explain to her.

3When the queen of Sheba saw for herself Solomon's extensive wisdom, the palace he had built,

3When the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house which he had built,

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.

4the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his ministers and their attire, his cupbearers and their attire, and his stairway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, she was breathless.

5She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your wise sayings and insight was true!

5Then she said to the king, "It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom.

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.

6"Nevertheless I did not believe their reports until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You surpass the report that I heard.

7Your attendants, who stand before you at all times and hear your wise sayings, are truly happy!

7"How blessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom.

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."

8"Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you, setting you on His throne as king for the LORD your God; because your God loved Israel establishing them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness."

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.

9Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold and a very great amount of spices and precious stones; there had never been spice like that which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10(Huram's servants, aided by Solomon's servants, brought gold from Ophir, as well as fine timber and precious gems.

10The servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum trees and precious stones.

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.)

11From the algum trees the king made steps for the house of the LORD and for the king's palace, and lyres and harps for the singers; and none like that was seen before in the land of Judah.

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.

12King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire which she requested besides a return for what she had brought to the king. Then she turned and went to her own land with her servants.

13Solomon received 666 talents of gold per year,

13Now the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold,

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.

14besides that which the traders and merchants brought; and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.

15King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; 600 measures of hammered gold were used for each shield.

15King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, using 600 shekels of beaten gold on each large shield.

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.

16He made 300 shields of beaten gold, using three hundred shekels of gold on each shield, and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

17The king made a large throne decorated with ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.

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

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.

18There were six steps to the throne and a footstool in gold attached to the throne, and arms on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the arms.

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.

19Twelve 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.

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.

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 valuable in the days of Solomon.

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.

21For the king had ships which went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks.

22King Solomon was wealthier and wiser than any of the kings of the earth.

22So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

23All the kings of the earth wanted to visit Solomon to see him display his God-given wisdom.

23And all the kings of the earth were seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart.

24Year after year visitors brought their gifts, which included items of silver, items of gold, clothes, perfume, spices, horses, and mules.

24They brought every man his gift, articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses and mules, so much year by year.

25Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses. He kept them in assigned cities and in Jerusalem.

25Now Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

26He ruled all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt.

26He was the ruler over all the kings from the Euphrates River even to the land of the Philistines, and as far as the border of Egypt.

27The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones; cedar was as plentiful as sycamore fig trees are in the lowlands.

27The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the lowland.

28Solomon acquired horses from Egypt and from all the lands.

28And they were bringing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all countries.

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.

29Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are they not written in the records 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?

30Solomon ruled over all Israel from Jerusalem for forty years.

30Solomon reigned forty years in Jerusalem over all Israel.

31Then Solomon passed away and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam replaced him as king.

31And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David; and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.

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