New King James Version | International Standard Version |
1Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions. | 1When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon's reputation with the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions. |
2She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. | 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. |
3So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her. | 3Solomon answered all of her questions. Nothing was hidden from Solomon that he did not explain to her. |
4And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, | 4When the queen of Sheba had seen all of Solomon's wisdom for herself, the palace that he had built, |
5the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her. | 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! |
6Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. | 6"Everything I heard about your wisdom and what you have to say is true!" she gasped, |
7However I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard. | 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! |
8Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! | 8How blessed are your staff! And how blessed are your employees, who serve you continuously and get to listen to your wisdom! |
9Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you, setting you on the throne of Israel! Because the LORD has loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.” | 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." |
10Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great quantity, and precious stones. There never again came such abundance of spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. | 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. |
11Also, the ships of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought great quantities of almug wood and precious stones from Ophir. | 11Hiram's ships that brought gold from Ophir, also brought from Ophir lots of algum wood and precious stones. |
12And the king made steps of the almug wood for the house of the LORD and for the king’s house, also harps and stringed instruments for singers. There never again came such almug wood, nor has the like been seen to this day. | 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. |
13Now King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, besides what Solomon had given her according to the royal generosity. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants. | 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. |
14The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, | 14Solomon's annual revenue was 666 talents of gold, |
15besides that from the traveling merchants, from the income of traders, from all the kings of Arabia, and from the governors of the country. | 15not including revenue from traders, merchants, and from all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land. |
16And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. | 16King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, overlaying each large shield with the gold from 600 gold pieces, |
17He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. | 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. |
18Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. | 18The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold. |
19The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round at the back; there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests. | 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. |
20Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom. | 20Twelve lions were placed on both sides of the six steps leading to the throne, and nothing comparable was made for any other kingdoms. |
21All 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. | 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, |
22For the king had merchant ships at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys. | 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. |
23So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. | 23As a result, King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in regards to wealth and wisdom. |
24Now all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. | 24All the earth continued to seek audiences with Solomon so they could hear the wise things that God had put in his heart. |
25Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year. | 25Everyone kept on bringing gifts on an annual basis, including items made of silver and gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules. |
26And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. | 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. |
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 as stones in Jerusalem, and made cedar trees as abundant as sycamore trees in the Shephelah. |
28Also Solomon had horses imported from Egypt and Keveh; the king’s merchants bought them in Keveh at the current price. | 28Solomon imported horses from Egypt and Kue, and the king's buyers procured them at market price from Kue. |
29Now a chariot that was imported from Egypt cost six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse one hundred and fifty; and thus, through their agents, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria. | 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. |
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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