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1 Kings 10
Tree of Life Version

Queen of Sheba Marvels

10 Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon because of the Name of Adonai, she came to test him with hard questions. [a] 2 So she came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels carrying spices and gold in great abundance, and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she spoke with him of all that was on her heart. 3 Solomon answered all her questions nothing was hidden from the king that he did not explain to her. 4 So when the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the palace that he had built, 5 the food at his table, the seating of his courtiers, the attendance of his servants and their attire, his cupbearers, and his burnt offering which he offered in the House of Adonai, she was left breathless.

6 Then she said to the king: “It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your deeds and of your wisdom. 7 But I didn’t believe the reports until I came and my eyes saw it. Indeed, not even the half was told to me. You’re way past the report of wisdom and prosperity that I’d heard! 8 Blessed are your people, blessed are your courtiers who are standing continually before you, listening to your wisdom. 9 Blessed be Adonai your God, who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel. It is because of Adonai’s everlasting love for Israel that He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.”

10 Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again did such abundance of spices come as what the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

11 Also Hiram’s ships that brought gold from Ophir brought from Ophir a great quantity of sandalwood and precious stones. 12 The king made from the sandalwood a railing for the House of Adonai and for the royal palace, and also lyres and harps for the singers. Never again did such quantity of sandalwood come in, nor have they been seen to this day.

13 So King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire—whatever she asked for—besides what King Solomon gave her out of his royal bounty. Then she and her servants left and returned to her own land.

Solomon’s Splendor

14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, 15 besides what was from the merchants from the traffic of the traders, and from all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the region. 16 King Solomon made 200 full body shields of beaten gold—600 shekels[b] of gold on each shield— 17 and 300 small shields of beaten gold—three minas[c] of gold on each shield. The king put them in the Forest House of Lebanon. 18 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with refined gold. 19 There were six steps to the throne, and the throne had a back with a rounded top, and there were armrests on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the arms. 20 Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps—six on each side—nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom.

21 All of King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the Forest House of Lebanon were of pure gold. (None was of silver—that did not count for anything in the days of Solomon.) 22 For the king had a Tarshish fleet at sea with Hiram’s fleet; once every three years the Tarshish fleet came, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks.[d]

23 So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in wealth as well as in wisdom. 24 All the earth sought an audience with Solomon, to listen to his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 25 They brought, each man his gift—vessels of silver and gold, robes, weapons, spices, horses and mules—so much year by year. 26 Solomon accumulated chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 27 Also the king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees in the foothills. 28 Solomon’s horses were brought from Egypt and from Keveh. The king’s merchants would buy them from Keveh at a price 29 They imported a chariot from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver, and a horse for 150; and in turn they were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 10:2 cf. Matt. 12:42; Luke 11:31.
  2. 1 Kings 10:16 About 15 pounds.
  3. 1 Kings 10:17 About 4 pounds.
  4. 1 Kings 10:22 Or baboons.
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1 Kings 10
New English Translation

Solomon Entertains a Queen

10 When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon,[a] she came to challenge[b] him with difficult questions.[c] 2 She arrived in Jerusalem with a great display of pomp,[d] bringing with her camels carrying spices,[e] a very large quantity of gold, and precious gems. She visited Solomon and discussed with him everything that was on her mind. 3 Solomon answered all her questions; there was no question too complex for the king.[f] 4 When the queen of Sheba saw for herself Solomon’s extensive wisdom,[g] the palace[h] he had built, 5 the food in his banquet hall,[i] his servants and attendants,[j] their robes, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings which he presented in the Lord’s temple, she was amazed.[k] 6 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your wise sayings and insight[l] was true! 7 I did not believe these things until I came and saw them with my own eyes. Indeed, I didn’t hear even half the story![m] Your wisdom and wealth[n] surpass what was reported to me. 8 Your attendants, who stand before you at all times and hear your wise sayings, are truly happy![o] 9 May the Lord your God be praised because he favored[p] you by placing you on the throne of Israel! Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he made you king so you could make just and right decisions.”[q] 10 She gave the king 120 talents[r] of gold, a very large quantity of spices, and precious gems. The quantity of spices the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon has never been matched.[s] 11 (Hiram’s fleet, which carried gold from Ophir, also brought from Ophir a very large quantity of fine timber and precious gems. 12 With the timber the king made supports[t] for the Lord’s temple and for the royal palace and stringed instruments[u] for the musicians. No one has seen so much of this fine timber to this very day.[v]) 13 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she requested, besides what he had freely offered her.[w] Then she left and returned[x] to her homeland with her attendants.

Solomon’s Wealth

14 Solomon received 666 talents[y] of gold per year,[z] 15 besides what he collected from the merchants,[aa] traders, Arabian kings, and governors of the land. 16 King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold; 600 measures[ab] of gold were used for each shield. 17 He also made 300 small shields of hammered gold; three minas[ac] of gold were used for each of these shields. The king placed them in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest.[ad]

18 The king made a large throne decorated with ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. 19 There were six steps leading up to the throne, and the back of it was rounded on top. The throne had two armrests with a statue of a lion standing on each side.[ae] 20 There were twelve statues of lions on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. There was nothing like it in any other kingdom.[af]

21 All of King Solomon’s cups were made of gold, and all the household items in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest were made of pure gold. There were no silver items, for silver was not considered very valuable in Solomon’s time.[ag] 22 Along with Hiram’s fleet, the king had a fleet of large merchant ships[ah] that sailed the sea. Once every three years the fleet[ai] came into port with cargoes of[aj] gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.[ak]

23 King Solomon was wealthier and wiser than any of the kings of the earth.[al] 24 Everyone[am] in the world wanted to visit Solomon to see him display his God-given wisdom.[an] 25 Year after year visitors brought their gifts, which included items of silver, items of gold, clothes, perfume, spices, horses, and mules.[ao]

26 Solomon accumulated[ap] chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He kept them in assigned cities and in Jerusalem.[aq] 27 The king made silver as plentiful[ar] in Jerusalem as stones; cedar was[as] as plentiful as sycamore fig trees are in the foothills.[at] 28 Solomon acquired his horses from Egypt[au] and from Que; the king’s traders purchased them from Que. 29 They paid 600 silver pieces for each chariot from Egypt and 150 silver pieces for each horse. They also sold chariots and horses to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Syria.[av]

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 10:1 tn Heb “the report about Solomon.”tc The Hebrew text also has, “to the name of the Lord,” which is very awkward due to its unusual syntax. The phrase is omitted in the parallel passage in 2 Chr 9:1. The word “report” is followed by the preposition ל (lamed) in Isa 23:5 and Hos 7:12 and indicates whom the message came to. And otherwise the collocation of לְשֵׁם (leshem, “to the name”) does not follow either a proper noun or the word report elsewhere in scripture. If retained, perhaps it should be translated, “for the reputation of the Lord.”
  2. 1 Kings 10:1 tn Or “test.”
  3. 1 Kings 10:1 tn Or “riddles.”
  4. 1 Kings 10:2 tn Heb “with very great strength.” The Hebrew term חַיִל (khayil, “strength”) may refer here to the size of her retinue (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV) or to the great wealth she brought with her.
  5. 1 Kings 10:2 tn Or “balsam oil.”
  6. 1 Kings 10:3 tn Heb “Solomon declared to her all her words; there was not a word hidden from the king which he did not declare to her.” If riddles are specifically in view (see v. 1), then one might translate, “Solomon explained to her all her riddles; there was no riddle too complex for the king.”
  7. 1 Kings 10:4 tn Heb “all the wisdom of Solomon.”
  8. 1 Kings 10:4 tn Heb “house.”
  9. 1 Kings 10:5 tn Heb “the food on his table.”
  10. 1 Kings 10:5 tn Heb “the seating of his servants and the standing of his attendants.”
  11. 1 Kings 10:5 tn Heb “there was no breath still in her.”
  12. 1 Kings 10:6 tn Heb “about your words [or perhaps, “deeds”] and your wisdom.”
  13. 1 Kings 10:7 tn Heb “the half was not told to me.”
  14. 1 Kings 10:7 tn Heb “good.”
  15. 1 Kings 10:8 tn Heb “How happy are your men! How happy are these servants of yours, who stand before you continually, who hear your wisdom!”
  16. 1 Kings 10:9 tn Or “delighted in.”
  17. 1 Kings 10:9 tn Heb “to do justice and righteousness.”
  18. 1 Kings 10:10 tn The Hebrew term כִּכָּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 9,000 pounds of gold (cf. NCV, NLT); CEV “five tons”; TEV “4,000 kilogrammes.”
  19. 1 Kings 10:10 tn Heb “there has not come like those spices yet for quantity which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.”
  20. 1 Kings 10:12 tn This Hebrew architectural term occurs only here. The meaning is uncertain; some have suggested “banisters” or “parapets”; cf. TEV, NLT “railings.” The parallel passage in 2 Chr 9:11 has a different word, meaning “tracks,” or perhaps “steps.”
  21. 1 Kings 10:12 tn Two types of stringed instruments are specifically mentioned, the כִּנּוֹר (kinnor, “zither” [?]), and נֶבֶל (nevel, “harp”).
  22. 1 Kings 10:12 tn Heb “there has not come thus, the fine timber, and there has not been seen to this day.”
  23. 1 Kings 10:13 tn Heb “besides what he had given her according to the hand of King Solomon.”
  24. 1 Kings 10:13 tn Heb “turned and went.”
  25. 1 Kings 10:14 tn The Hebrew term כִּכָּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 50,000 pounds of gold (cf. NCV); CEV, NLT “twenty-five tons”; TEV “almost 23,000 kilogrammes.”
  26. 1 Kings 10:14 tn Heb “the weight of the gold which came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold.”
  27. 1 Kings 10:15 tn Heb “from the traveling men.”
  28. 1 Kings 10:16 tn The Hebrew text has simply “six hundred,” with no unit of measure given.
  29. 1 Kings 10:17 sn Three minas. The mina was a unit of measure for weight.
  30. 1 Kings 10:17 sn The Palace of the Lebanon Forest. This name was appropriate because of the large amount of cedar, undoubtedly brought from Lebanon, used in its construction. The cedar pillars in the palace must have given it the appearance of a forest.
  31. 1 Kings 10:19 tn Heb “[There were] armrests on each side of the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.”
  32. 1 Kings 10:20 tn Heb “nothing like it had been made for all the kingdoms.”
  33. 1 Kings 10:21 tn Heb “there was no silver, it was not regarded as anything in the days of Solomon.”
  34. 1 Kings 10:22 tn Heb “a fleet of Tarshish [ships].” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.
  35. 1 Kings 10:22 tn Heb “the fleet of Tarshish [ships].”
  36. 1 Kings 10:22 tn Heb “came carrying.”
  37. 1 Kings 10:22 tn The meaning of this word is unclear. Some suggest “baboons.”
  38. 1 Kings 10:23 tn Heb “King Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth with respect to wealth and with respect to wisdom.”
  39. 1 Kings 10:24 tc The Old Greek translation and Syriac Peshitta have “all the kings of the earth.” See 2 Chr 9:23.
  40. 1 Kings 10:24 tn Heb “and all the earth was seeking the face of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had placed in his heart.”
  41. 1 Kings 10:25 tn Heb “and they were bringing each one his gift, items of silver…and mules, the matter of a year in a year.”
  42. 1 Kings 10:26 tn Or “gathered.”
  43. 1 Kings 10:26 tn Heb “he placed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.”
  44. 1 Kings 10:27 tn The words “as plentiful” are added for clarification.
  45. 1 Kings 10:27 tn Heb “he made.”
  46. 1 Kings 10:27 sn The foothills (שְׁפֵלָה, shephelah) are the region between the Judean hill country and the Mediterranean coastal plain.
  47. 1 Kings 10:28 sn From Egypt. Because Que is also mentioned, some prefer to see in vv. 28-29 a reference to Mutsur. Que and Mutsur were located in Cilicia/Cappadocia (in modern southern Turkey). See HALOT 625 s.v. מִצְרַיִם.
  48. 1 Kings 10:29 tn Heb “and a chariot went up and came out of Egypt for six hundred silver [pieces], and a horse for one hundred fifty, and in the same way to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram by their hand they brought out.”
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