| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon's reputation with 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. |
| 2She brought along a large retinue, camels laden with spices, and lots of gold and precious stones. Upon her arrival, she spoke with Solomon about everything that was on her mind. | 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 of her questions. Nothing was hidden from Solomon that 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 had seen all of Solomon's wisdom for herself, the palace that he had built, | 4When the queen of Sheba observed all of Solomon's wisdom, the palace he had built, |
| 5the food set at his table, his servants who sat with him, his ministers in attendance and how they were dressed, his personal staff and how they were dressed, and even his personal stairway by which he went up to the LORD's Temple, she was breathless! | 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. |
| 6"Everything I heard about your wisdom and what you have to say is true!" she gasped, | 6She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your words and about your wisdom is true. |
| 7"but I didn't believe it at first! But then I came here and I've seen it for myself! It's amazing! I wasn't told half of what's really great about your wisdom. You're far better in person than what the reports have said about you! | 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. |
| 8How blessed are your staff! And how blessed are your employees, who serve you continuously and get to listen to your wisdom! | 8How happy are your men. How happy are these servants of yours, who always stand in your presence hearing your wisdom. |
| 9And blessed be the LORD your God, who is delighted with you! He set you in place on the throne of Israel because the LORD loved Israel forever. That's why he made you to be king, so you could carry out justice and implement 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." |
| 10Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a vast quantity of spices, and precious stones. No spices ever came again that were comparable to those that the queen of Sheba gave to 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. |
| 11Hiram's ships that brought gold from Ophir, also brought from Ophir lots of algum wood 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 used the algum wood to have supports made for the LORD's Temple and for the royal palace, as well as lyres and harps for the choir, and nothing like that wood has ever come again or even been seen since right 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. |
| 13In return, King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she wanted and had requested in addition to what he had given her consistent with his generosity. Afterward, she returned to her own land 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. |
| 14Solomon's annual revenue was 666 talents of gold, | 14The weight of gold that came to Solomon annually was 25 tons, |
| 15not including revenue from traders, merchants, and from all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land. | 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, overlaying each large shield with the gold from 600 gold pieces, | 16King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold; 15 pounds of gold went into each shield. |
| 17and 300 shields from beaten gold, overlaying each shield with the gold from 300 gold pieces. The king put them in his palace in the Lebanon forest. | 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. |
| 18The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold. | 18The king also made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with fine gold. |
| 19Six steps led up to the throne, which had a round canopy fastened to the rear of the throne and armrests on each side of the seat and two lions standing on either side of each armrest. | 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 placed on both sides of the six steps leading to the throne, and nothing comparable was made for any other kingdoms. | 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 of King Solomon's drinking vessels were made of gold, and all the vessels in his palace in the Lebanon forest were made of pure gold. None were of silver, because silver was never considered to be valuable during Solomon's lifetime, | 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, |
| 22because the king had ships that sailed to Tarshish accompanied by Hiram's ships. Once every three years ships from Tarshish returned, bringing gold, silver, ivory, 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. |
| 23As a result, King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in regards to wealth and wisdom. | 23King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the world in riches and in wisdom. |
| 24All the earth continued to seek audiences with Solomon so they could hear the wise things that 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. |
| 25Everyone kept on bringing gifts on an annual basis, including items made of silver and gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules. | 25Every man would bring his annual tribute: items of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, and horses and mules. |
| 26Solomon accumulated chariots and cavalry. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 cavalry soldiers. He stationed them in various 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 made cedar trees as abundant as sycamore trees in the Shephelah. | 27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills. |
| 28Solomon imported horses from Egypt and Kue, and the king's buyers procured them at market price from Kue. | 28Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and Kue. The king's traders bought them from Kue at the going price. |
| 29A chariot from Egypt cost 600 pieces of silver, and a horse 150 pieces of silver, but then they were exported to all the Hittite kings and to the Aramean kings. | 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. |
|
