| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon, she came to challenge him with difficult questions. | 1When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relationship to the LORD, she came to test Solomon with hard 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. | 2Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan--with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones--she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind. |
| 3Solomon answered all her questions; there was no question too complex for the king. | 3Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard 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 saw all the wisdom of Solomon and 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 on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the LORD, she was overwhelmed. |
| 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 achievements and 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 did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. |
| 8Your attendants, who stand before you at all times and hear your wise sayings, are truly happy! | 8How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you 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." | 9Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD's eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain 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. | 10And she gave the king 120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones. Never again were so many spices brought in 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. | 11(Hiram's ships brought gold from Ophir; and from there they brought great cargoes of almugwood 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 used the almugwood to make supports for the temple of the LORD and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. So much almugwood has never been imported or seen since that 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 all she desired and asked for, besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country. |
| 14Solomon received 666 talents of gold per year, | 14The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents, |
| 15besides what he collected from the merchants, traders, Arabian kings, and governors of the land. | 15not including the revenues from merchants and traders and from all the Arabian kings and the governors of the territories. |
| 16King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; 600 measures of gold were used for each shield. | 16King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels 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 also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three minas of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. |
| 18The king made a large throne decorated with ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. | 18Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid 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, and its back had a rounded top. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. |
| 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 stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been 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 goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon's days. |
| 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. | 22The king had a fleet of trading ships at sea along with the ships of Hiram. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons. |
| 23King Solomon was wealthier and wiser than any of the kings of the earth. | 23King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. |
| 24Everyone in the world wanted to visit Solomon to see him display his God-given wisdom. | 24The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom 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. | 25Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift--articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and 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 chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him 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 cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the 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 from Kue --the royal merchants purchased them from Kue at the current 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. | 29They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans. |
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