| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions, having a very great retinue, camels that bore spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. | 1Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon, she came to test him with difficult questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. So she came to Solomon and spoke with him about all that was on her mind. |
| 2So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for Solomon that he could not explain it to her. | 2And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for him to explain. |
| 3And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, | 3When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built, |
| 4the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers and their apparel, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her. | 4the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the service and attire of his attendants and cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he presented at the house of the LORD, it took her breath away. |
| 5Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. | 5She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words and wisdom is true. |
| 6However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You exceed the fame of which I heard. | 6But I did not believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not half of the greatness of your wisdom was told to me. You have far exceeded the report I heard. |
| 7Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! | 7How blessed are your men! How blessed are these servants of yours who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! |
| 8Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you, setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God! Because your God has loved Israel, to establish them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness.” | 8Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you to set you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God. Because your God loved Israel enough to establish them forever, He has made you king over them to carry out justice and righteousness.” |
| 9And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great abundance, and precious stones; there never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. | 9Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. |
| 10Also, the servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, brought algum wood and precious stones. | 10(The servants of Hiram and of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir also brought algum wood and precious stones. |
| 11And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for the king’s house, also harps and stringed instruments for singers; and there were none such as these seen before in the land of Judah. | 11The king made the algum wood into steps for the house of the LORD 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.) |
| 12Now King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, much more than she had brought to the king. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants. | 12King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired—whatever she asked—far more than she had brought the king. Then she left and returned to her own country, along with her servants. |
| 13The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, | 13The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents, |
| 14besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. | 14not including the revenue from the merchants and traders. And all the Arabian kings and governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon. |
| 15And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield. | 15King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield. |
| 16He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold; three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. | 16He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. |
| 17Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. | 17Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. |
| 18The throne had six steps, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne; there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests. | 18The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest. |
| 19Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom. | 19Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom. |
| 20All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon. | 20All 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, because it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon. |
| 21For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram. Once every three years the merchant ships came, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys. | 21For the king had the ships of Tarshish that went with Hiram’s servants, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. |
| 22So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. | 22So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. |
| 23And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. | 23All the kings of the earth sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart. |
| 24Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year. | 24Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules. |
| 25Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. | 25Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horses, which he stationed in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. |
| 26So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. | 26He reigned over all the kings from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. |
| 27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland. | 27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills. |
| 28And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands. | 28Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from all the lands. |
| 29Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? | 29As for the rest of the acts of Solomon, from beginning to end, are they not written in the Records of Nathan the Prophet, in the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the Visions of Iddo the Seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat? |
| 30Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. | 30Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. |
| 31Then Solomon rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place. | 31And Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. And his son Rehoboam reigned in his place. |
|
