New Living Translation

New American Standard Bible 1995

1When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, which brought honor to the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard 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 large group of attendants and a great caravan of camels loaded with spices, large quantities of gold, and precious jewels. When she met with Solomon, she talked with him about everything she had 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 had answers for all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her.

3Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from the king which he did not explain to her.

4When the queen of Sheba realized how very wise Solomon was, and when she saw the palace he had built,

4When the queen of Sheba perceived all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built,

5she was overwhelmed. She was also amazed at the food on his tables, the organization of his officials and their splendid clothing, the cup-bearers, and the burnt offerings Solomon made at the Temple of the LORD.

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 exclaimed to the king, “Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is 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 didn’t believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of it! Your wisdom and prosperity are far beyond what I was told.

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.

8How happy your people must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom!

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

9Praise the LORD your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness.”

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."

10Then she gave the king a gift of 9,000 pounds of gold, great quantities of spices, and precious jewels. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

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(In addition, Hiram’s ships brought gold from Ophir, and they also brought rich cargoes of red sandalwood and precious jewels.

11Also the ships of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir a very great number of almug trees and precious stones.

12The king used the sandalwood to make railings for the Temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and to construct lyres and harps for the musicians. Never before or since has there been such a supply of sandalwood.)

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 whatever she asked for, besides all the customary gifts he had so generously given. Then she and all her attendants returned to their own land. Solomon’s Wealth and Splendor

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.

14Each year Solomon received about 25 tons of gold.

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

15This did not include the additional revenue he received from merchants and traders, all the kings of Arabia, and the 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 200 large shields of hammered gold, each weighing more than fifteen pounds.

16King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, using 600 shekels of gold on each large shield.

17He also made 300 smaller shields of hammered gold, each weighing nearly four pounds. The king placed these shields in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.

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.

18Then the king made a huge throne, decorated with ivory and overlaid with fine gold.

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

19The throne had six steps and a rounded back. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, and the figure of a lion stood on each side of the throne.

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 also twelve other lions, one standing on each end of the six steps. No other throne in all the world could be compared with it!

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 drinking cups were solid gold, as were all the utensils in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. They were not made of silver, for silver was considered worthless in Solomon’s day!

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.

22The king had a fleet of trading ships of Tarshish that sailed with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years the ships returned, loaded with 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.

23So King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on earth.

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

24People from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had given him.

24All the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart.

25Year after year everyone who visited brought him gifts of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, 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 built up a huge force of chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He stationed some of them in the chariot cities and some near him 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 stone. And valuable cedar timber was as common as the sycamore-fig trees that grow in the foothills of Judah.

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’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Cilicia ; the king’s traders acquired them from Cilicia at the standard price.

28Also Solomon's import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king's merchants procured them from Kue for a price.

29At that time chariots from Egypt could be purchased for 600 pieces of silver, and horses for 150 pieces of silver. They were then exported to the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.

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.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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