2 Chronicles 9
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1When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon's reputation, she traveled to Jerusalem and tested him with difficult questions. She 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.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.
2Solomon answered all of her questions. Because nothing was hidden from Solomon, he hid nothing from her. 2And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for him to explain.
3When the queen of Sheba had seen Solomon's wisdom for herself, the palace that he had built, 3When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built,
4the food set at his table, his servants who waited on 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!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.
5"Everything I heard about your wisdom and what you have to say is true!" she gasped, 5She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words and wisdom is true.
6"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! 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.
7How blessed are your staff! And how blessed are your employees, who serve you continually and get to listen to 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 is delighted with you! He set you in place on his throne to be king for the LORD your God. He made you king over them so you could carry out justice and implement righteousness, because your God loves Israel and intends to establish them forever."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.”
9Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a vast quantity of spices, and precious stones. There were no spices comparable to those that 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.
10Hiram's servants and Solomon's servants, who brought gold from Ophir, also presented algum wood and other precious stones. 10(The servants of Hiram and of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir also brought algum wood and precious stones.
11The king used the algum wood to have steps 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 had been seen before in the territory 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.)
12In return, King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she wanted and requested in addition to what she had brought for the king. Afterward, she returned to her own land, accompanied by 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.
13Solomon received in any given year about 666 talents of gold, 13The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents,
14not including revenue from traders and merchants. In addition, all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the nation 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.
15King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, overlaying each shield with the gold from 600 gold pieces,15King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield.
16and 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. 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.
17The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold. 17Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.
18Six steps led up to the throne. A golden footstool was attached to the throne, which had armrests on each side of the seat and two lions standing on either side of each armrest. 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 were placed on both sides of the six steps leading to the throne, and nothing comparable was 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 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. Silver was never considered to be valuable during the lifetime 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.
21because the king had ships that sailed to Tarshish accompanied by Hiram's servants. Once every three years ships from Tarshish returned, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.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.
22As a result, King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in regards to wealth and wisdom. 22So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
23All the kings of the earth continued to seek audiences with Solomon so they could hear the wise things that 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.
24Everyone kept on bringing gifts on an annual basis, including items made of silver and gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules. 24Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
25Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, along with 12,000 cavalry soldiers. He stationed them in various chariot cities and with the king in 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.
26King Solomon ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River west to the land of the Philistines and as far south as the boundary with 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 as stones in Jerusalem, and made cedar trees as abundant as sycamore trees in the Shephelah.27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills.
28They also kept bringing horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all of the surrounding countries.28Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from all the lands.
29Now the rest of Solomon's accomplishments, from first to last, are written in the records of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer pertaining to Nebat's son Jeroboam, are they not? 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 for 40 years in Jerusalem over all of Israel. 30Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.
31Then Solomon died, as had his ancestors, and his son Rehoboam 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.
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2 Chronicles 8
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