NET Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon, she came to challenge him with difficult questions.

1Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she 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.

2So she came to Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels carrying spices and very much gold and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart.

3Solomon answered all her questions; there was no question too complex for the king.

3Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from the king which he did not 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 perceived all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that 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 of his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his waiters and their attire, his cupbearers, and his stairway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her.

6She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your wise sayings and insight was true!

6Then she said to the king, "It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom.

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.

7"Nevertheless I did not believe the reports, until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. You exceed in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard.

8Your attendants, who stand before you at all times and hear your wise sayings, are truly happy!

8"How blessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear 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."

9"Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel; because the LORD loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do 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.

10She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and a very great amount of spices and precious stones. Never again did such abundance of spices come in as that which the queen of Sheba gave 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.

11Also the ships of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir a very great number of almug trees 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 of the almug trees supports for the house of the LORD and for the king's house, also lyres and harps for the singers; such almug trees have not come in again nor have they been seen to this 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 to the queen of Sheba all her desire which she requested, besides what he gave her according to his royal bounty. Then she turned and went to her own land together with her servants.

14Solomon received 666 talents of gold per year,

14Now the weight of gold which came in to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold,

15besides what he collected from the merchants, traders, Arabian kings, and governors of the land.

15besides that from the traders and the wares of the merchants and all the kings of the Arabs and the governors of the country.

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 beaten gold, using 600 shekels of gold on each large 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 shields of beaten gold, using three minas of gold on each shield, and 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.

18Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with refined 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.

19There were six steps to the throne and a round top to the throne at its rear, and arms on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the arms.

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 on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for 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 King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None was of silver; it was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon.

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 at sea the ships of Tarshish with the ships of Hiram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks.

23King Solomon was wealthier and wiser than any of the kings of the earth.

23So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

24Everyone in the world wanted to visit Solomon to see him display his God-given wisdom.

24All the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which 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.

25They brought every man his gift, articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year.

26Solomon accumulated chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He kept them in assigned cities and in Jerusalem.

26Now Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; and he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he 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 as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the lowland.

28Solomon acquired his horses from Egypt and from Que; the king's traders purchased them from Que.

28Also Solomon's import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king's merchants procured them from Kue for a 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 600 shekels of silver, and a horse for 150; and by the same means they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of the Arameans.

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