| NET Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon, she came to challenge 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 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. | 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 her questions; there was no question too complex for the king. | 3So Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for the king to explain to her. |
| 4When the queen of Sheba saw for herself Solomon's extensive wisdom, the palace he had built, | 4When the queen of Sheba observed all of Solomon's wisdom, the palace he had built, |
| 5the food in his banquet hall, his servants and attendants, their robes, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings which he presented in the LORD's temple, she was amazed. | 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. |
| 6She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your wise sayings and insight was true! | 6She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your words and about your wisdom is true. |
| 7I 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 and wealth surpass what was reported to me. | 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. |
| 8Your attendants, who stand before you at all times and hear your wise sayings, are truly happy! | 8How happy are your men. How happy are these servants of yours, who always stand in your presence hearing your wisdom. |
| 9May the LORD your God be praised because he favored you by placing you on the throne of Israel! Because of the LORD's eternal love for Israel, he made you king so you could make just and right decisions." | 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." |
| 10She gave the king 120 talents of gold, a very large quantity of spices, and precious gems. The quantity of spices the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon has never been matched. | 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. |
| 11(Hiram's fleet, which carried gold from Ophir, also brought from Ophir a very large quantity of fine timber and precious gems. | 11In addition, Hiram's fleet that carried gold from Ophir brought from Ophir a large quantity of almug wood and precious stones. |
| 12With the timber the king made supports for the LORD's temple and for the royal palace and stringed instruments for the musicians. No one has seen so much of this fine timber to this very 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. |
| 13King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she requested, besides what he had freely offered her. Then she left and returned to her homeland with her attendants. | 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 received 666 talents of gold per year, | 14The weight of gold that came to Solomon annually was 25 tons, |
| 15besides what he collected from the merchants, traders, Arabian kings, and governors of the land. | 15besides what came from merchants, traders' merchandise, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land. |
| 16King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; 600 measures of gold were used for each shield. | 16King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold; 15 pounds of gold went into each shield. |
| 17He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three minas of gold were used for each of these shields. The king placed them in the Palace of 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 made a large throne decorated with ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. | 18The king also made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with fine gold. |
| 19There were six steps leading up to the throne, and the back of it was rounded on top. The throne had two armrests with a statue of a lion standing on each side. | 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. |
| 20There 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. | 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 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. | 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, |
| 22Along with Hiram's fleet, the king had a fleet of large merchant ships that sailed the sea. Once every three years the fleet came into port with cargoes of 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. |
| 23King Solomon was wealthier and wiser than any of the kings of the earth. | 23King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the world in riches and in wisdom. |
| 24Everyone in the world wanted to visit Solomon to see him display his God-given wisdom. | 24The whole world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart. |
| 25Year after year visitors brought their gifts, which included items of silver, items of gold, clothes, perfume, 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 horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He kept them in assigned cities and 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 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 he made cedar as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills. |
| 28Solomon acquired his horses from Egypt and from Que; the king's traders purchased them from Que. | 28Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and Kue. The king's traders bought them from Kue at the going price. |
| 29They paid 600 silver pieces for each chariot from Egypt and 150 silver pieces for each horse. They also sold chariots and horses to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Syria. | 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. |
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