| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 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. | 1When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. Arriving with a very great caravan--with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones--she came to Solomon and talked with him about all she had on her mind. |
| 2Solomon answered all her questions; there was no question too complex for the king. | 2Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for him to 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 saw the wisdom of Solomon, as well as the palace 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 on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, the cupbearers in their robes and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the LORD, she was overwhelmed. |
| 5She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your wise sayings and insight was true! | 5She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. |
| 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. | 6But I did not believe what they said until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard. |
| 7Your attendants, who stand before you at all times and hear your wise sayings, are truly happy! | 7How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you 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." | 8Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the LORD your God. Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever, he has made you king over them, to maintain 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 120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones. There had never been such spices as those 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. | 10(The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir; they also brought algumwood 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.) | 11The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the LORD and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. Nothing like them had ever been seen in 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 the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for; he gave her more than she had brought to him. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country. |
| 13Solomon received 666 talents of gold per year, | 13The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents, |
| 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. | 14not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders. Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the territories 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 two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each 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 also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three hundred shekels of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. |
| 17The king made a large throne decorated with ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. | 17Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid 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. | 18The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. |
| 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 stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been 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 goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon's day. |
| 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. | 21The king had a fleet of trading ships manned by Hiram's servants. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons. |
| 22King Solomon was wealthier and wiser than any of the kings of the earth. | 22King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. |
| 23All the kings of the earth wanted to visit Solomon to see him display his God-given wisdom. | 23All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom 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. | 24Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift--articles of silver and gold, and robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules. |
| 25Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses. He kept them in assigned cities and in Jerusalem. | 25Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him 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 ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, 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 in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. |
| 28Solomon acquired horses from Egypt and from all the lands. | 28Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and from all other 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. | 29As for the other events of Solomon's reign, 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? |
| 30Solomon ruled over all Israel from Jerusalem for forty years. | 30Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. |
| 31Then Solomon passed away and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam replaced him as king. | 31Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king. |
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