2 Chronicles 9

1 Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon, she came to test him with difficult questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. And she came to Solomon and spoke with him about all that was on her mind.

2 And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for him to explain.

3 When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built,

4 the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the service and attire of his attendants, the attire of his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he presented at the house of the LORD, it took her breath away.

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

6 But I did not believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not half of the greatness of your wisdom was told to me. You have far exceeded the report I heard.

7 How blessed are your men! How blessed are these servants of yours who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!

8 Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you to set you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God. Because your God loved Israel enough to establish them forever, He has made you king over them to carry out justice and righteousness.”

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10 (The servants of Hiram and of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir also brought algum wood and precious stones.

11 The king made the algum wood into steps for the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had anything like them been seen in the land of Judah.)

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired—whatever she asked—far more than she had brought the king. Then she left and returned to her own country, along with her servants.

13 The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents,

14 not including the revenue from the merchants and traders. And all the Arabian kings and governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon.

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield.

16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

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

18 The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest.

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.

20 All 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, because it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.

21 For the king had the ships of Tarshish that went with Hiram’s servants, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

22 So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

23 All the kings of the earth sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.

24 Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

25 Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horses, which he stationed in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem.

26 He reigned over all the kings from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.

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

28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from all the lands.

29 As for the rest of the acts of Solomon, 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?

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

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

1 ¶ And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

2 And Solomon told her all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not.

3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,

4 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.

5 And she said to the king, [It was] a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom:

6 Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen [it]: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard.

7 Happy [are] thy men, and happy [are] these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.

8 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, [to be] king for the LORD thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.

9 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon.

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

11 And the king made [of] the algum trees terraces to the house of the LORD, and to the king's palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.

12 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside [that] which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants.

13 ¶ Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold;

14 Beside [that which] chapmen and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.

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

16 And three hundred shields [made he of] beaten gold: three hundred [shekels] of gold went to one shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

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

18 And [there were] six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, [which were] fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the sitting place, and two lions standing by the stays:

19 And 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.

20 And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon [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 [not] any thing accounted of in the days of Solomon.

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

22 And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

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

24 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, harness, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

25 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

26 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even unto the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.

27 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance.

28 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands.

29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, [are] they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

30 And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

31 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

1 And when the queen of Arabia heard the report of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem with a very great witness, with camels laden with spices, and with gold, and with precious stones, to tempt Solomon with riddles. And when she came to Solomon, she spake unto him all things that she had purposed.

2 And the king told her all that she asked, and there was nothing hid from Solomon that he told her not.

3 And when the queen of Arabia saw the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,

4 The meat for his table, the tabernacle for his servants, the offices of his servants, and their garments, his vessels with their apparel, and his hall, when they went up to the house of the LORD, they could not abstain,

5 And she said unto the king: It is true what I have heard in my land of thy nature and of thy wisdom.

6 But I would not believe their words, till I came, and saw with mine own eyes. And, behold, I have not been told the half of thy great wisdom. There is more in thee than the rumour that I have heard.

7 Blessed are thy men, and blessed are these thy servants, which stand before thee continually, and hear thy wisdom.

8 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which loveth thee, that he hath set thee on his throne to be king over the LORD thy God. Because thy God loveth Israel, to establish him for ever, he hath made thee king over them, to do justice and righteousness.

9 And she gave unto the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and very much spices, and precious stones. There were no spices but these which the queen of Arabia gave to king Solomon.

10 And the servants of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold out of Ophir, they brought also ebony and precious stones.

11 And Solomon made of ebony stairs in the house of the LORD, and in the king's house, and harps, and psalteries for the singers. Such woods were never seen before in the land of Judah.

12 And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all that she desired and asked, without that she had brought unto the king. And she turned, and went into her land with her servants.

13 And the gold that was brought unto Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents,

14 Without what the merchants and the traders brought. And all the kings of the Arabians, and the lords of the countries, brought gold and silver unto Solomon.

15 Therefore king Solomon made two hundred shields of the best gold, so that there were six hundred pieces of gold upon one shield,

16 And three hundred tartars of the best gold, that three hundred pieces of gold came to one tartar.

17 And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. And the king made a great ivory chair, and overlaid it with pure gold.

18 And the throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold by the throne, and two rests on either side about the buttocks; and two lions stood by the rests,

19 And twelve lions stood there upon the six steps on either side. Such a thing is not made in all kingdoms.

20 And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon were of gold: and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were pure gold. For the silver was not counted in the days of Solomon.

21 For the king's ships sailed upon the sea with the servants of Huram, and came once in three years, bringing gold, and silver, and ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

22 So king Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

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

24 And they brought him every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, and armour, and spices, and horses, and mouths yearly.

25 And Solomon had four thousand chariot horses, and twelve thousand horsemen; and they put them in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

26 And he was lord over all kings from the sea even unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt.

27 And the king made Jerusalem as much silver as stones, and as much cedar, and as many mulberry trees in the valley.

28 And they brought him horses out of Egypt, and out of all countries.

29 And the rest of the acts of Solomon, both the first and the last, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecies of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Jeddi the Shower against Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

30 And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

31 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.