9:1 When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. Arriving 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 she had on her mind.
9:2 Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for him to explain to her.
9:3 When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, as well as the palace he had built,
9:4 the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, the cupbearers in their robes and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the LORD, she was overwhelmed.
9:5 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true.
9:6 But I did not believe what they said until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard.
9:7 How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!
9:8 Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the LORD your God. Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever, he has made you king over them, to maintain justice and righteousness.”
9:9 Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones. There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
9:10 (The men of Hiram and the men of Solomon brought gold from Ophir; they also brought algumwood and precious stones.
9:11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the LORD and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. Nothing like them had ever been seen in Judah.)
9:12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for; he gave her more than she had brought to him. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country.
9:13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents,
9:14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders. Also all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land brought gold and silver to Solomon.
9:15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred bekas of hammered gold went into each shield.
9:16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three hundred bekas of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.
9:17 Then the king made a great throne inlaid with ivory and overlaid with pure gold.
9:18 The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them.
9:19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom.
9:20 All 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 day.
9:21 The king had a fleet of trading ships manned by Hiram’s men. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.
9:22 King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.
9:23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.
9:24 Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift–articles of silver and gold, and robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.
9:25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem.
9:26 He ruled over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.
9:27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills.
9:28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries.
9:29 As for the other events of Solomon’s reign, 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?
9:30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.
9:31 Then he rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king.
9:1 And the queen of Sheba had heard of Solomon’s fame, and she came to Jerusalem with a very large retinue and with camels bearing spices and much gold and precious stones to test Solomon with hard questions. And when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him all that was on her heart.
9:2 And Solomon answered every matter of hers, and there was nothing hidden from Solomon that he did not answer her.
9:3 And when the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon and the house that he had built
9:4 And the food of his table and the seating of his servants and the service and apparel of his ministers and his cupbearers and their apparel and his ascent by which he went up to the house of Jehovah, there was no more spirit in her.
9:5 And she said to the king, The word that I heard in my land concerning your deeds and your wisdom is true,
9:6 But I did not believe their words until I came and my own eyes saw. And indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me, and you exceed the report that I heard.
9:7 Happy are your men! And happy are these your servants, who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom!
9:8 Blessed be Jehovah your God, who has delighted in you and set you upon His throne as king for Jehovah your God. Because your God loves Israel to establish them forever, He has placed you as king over them to execute justice and righteousness.
9:9 And she gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold and a very great store of spices and precious stones, and there had never been spices like those which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
9:10 Moreover Huram’s servants and Solomon’s servants who brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones.
9:11 And the king made of the algum trees steps for the house of Jehovah and for the king’s house and lyres and harps for the singers; such as these had not been seen before in the land of Judah.
9:12 And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked for, besides that which she brought to the king. And she turned and went to her own land, she and her servants.
9:13 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold,
9:14 Besides that which was brought by the traders and the merchants and by all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land, who brought gold and silver to Solomon.
9:15 And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold; he put six hundred shekels of beaten gold upon each large shield.
9:16 And he made three hundred smaller shields of beaten gold; he put three hundred shekels of gold upon each smaller shield. And the king put them in the Lebanon Forest House.
9:17 And the king made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold.
9:18 And the throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to the throne, and there were armrests on either side next to the place of the seat, and two lions stood next to the armrests.
9:19 And twelve lions stood there upon the six steps on either side. Nothing like it had ever been made in any kingdom.
9:20 And all King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the Lebanon Forest House were of pure gold; silver was considered as nothing in the days of Solomon.
9:21 For the king had a fleet which went to Tarshish with Huram’s servants. Once every three years the fleet from Tarshish came bearing gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks.
9:22 And King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in wealth and in wisdom.
9:23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
9:24 And they each brought their tribute, vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and robes, weapons and spices, horses and mules, so much year by year.
9:25 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots; and twelve thousand horsemen, which he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.
9:26 And he was the ruler over all the kings from the River unto the land of the Philistines and unto the border of Egypt.
9:27 And the king caused silver to be as plentiful as stones in Jerusalem, and cedars, like the sycamores that are in the lowlands.
9:28 And they brought horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all the lands.
9:29 And the rest of the acts of Solomon, the first and the last, are they not written in the chronicles of Nathan the prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat?
9:30 And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.
9:31 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.