Christian Standard Bible

King James Bible

1The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, so she came to test Solomon with difficult questions at Jerusalem with a very large entourage, with camels bearing spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. She came to Solomon and spoke with him about everything that was on her mind.

1And 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.

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

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

3When the queen of Sheba observed Solomon's wisdom, the palace he had built,

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

4the food at his table, his servants' residence, his attendants' service and their attire, his cupbearers and their attire, and the burnt offerings he offered at the LORD's temple, it took her breath away.

4And 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.

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

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

6But I didn't believe their reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, I was not even told half of your great wisdom! You far exceed the report I heard.

6Howbeit 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.

7How happy are your men. How happy are these servants of yours, who always stand in your presence hearing your wisdom.

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

8Blessed be the LORD your God! He delighted in you and put you on his throne as king for the LORD your God. Because your God loved Israel enough to establish them forever, he has set you over them as king to carry out justice and righteousness."

8Blessed 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.

9Then she gave the king four and a half tons of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There never were such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

9And 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.

10In addition, Hiram's servants and Solomon's servants who brought gold from Ophir also brought algum wood and precious stones.

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

11The king made the algum wood into walkways for the LORD's temple 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.

11And 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.

12King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba her every desire, whatever she asked--far more than she had brought the king. Then she, along with her servants, returned to her own country.

12And 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.

13The weight of gold that came to Solomon annually was twenty-five tons,

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

14besides what was brought by the merchants and traders. All the Arabian kings and governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon.

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

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

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

16He made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; 7 1/2 pounds of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

16And 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.

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

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

18The throne had six steps; there was a footstool covered in gold for the throne, armrests on either side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.

18And 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:

19Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps, one at each end. Nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom.

19And 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.

20All 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,

20And 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.

21for the king's ships kept going to Tarshish with Hiram's servants, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

21For 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.

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

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

23All the kings of the world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.

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

24Each of them would bring his own gift--items of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, and horses and mules--as an annual tribute.

24And 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.

25Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. He stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

25And 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.

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

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

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

27And 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.

28They were bringing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all the countries.

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

29The remaining events of Solomon's reign, from beginning to end, are written in the Events of the Prophet Nathan, the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the Visions of the Seer Iddo concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat.

29Now 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?

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

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

31Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam became king in his place.

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

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.