示巴女王拜訪所羅門

10 示巴女王聽說所羅門因耶和華而名聲大震,便來用難題考問他。 她率領許多隨從,用駱駝馱著香料、寶石和大量黃金到耶路撒冷晉見所羅門王,與所羅門談論她心中的疑問。 所羅門王解答了她所有的問題,沒有一樣難得住他。 示巴女王見所羅門智慧非凡,又看見他建的宮殿、 席上的美味、入座的群臣、侍立一旁的僕人及其服裝、酒政以及他在耶和華殿裡獻的燔祭,感到萬分驚奇。

她對所羅門說:「我在本國聽到的有關你的功業和智慧原來都是真的。 若不是親眼目睹,我不會相信。事實上,我聽到的還不到一半!你的智慧和財富遠超過我聽到的傳聞。 你的臣僕能經常侍立在你面前聆聽智慧之言,真有福氣! 你的上帝耶和華當受稱頌!祂喜愛你,立你為以色列的王。因為祂永遠愛以色列,所以立你為王,使你秉公行義。」

10 示巴女王將四噸黃金、大量香料和寶石獻給所羅門王。此後,再無人像示巴女王那樣獻給所羅門王那麼多香料。

11 希蘭王的船隻從俄斐運來黃金、大量的檀香木和寶石。 12 所羅門王用這些檀香木為耶和華的殿和王宮造欄杆,又為歌樂手製作琴瑟。此後,再沒有人運來或見過這樣的檀香木。

13 所羅門王除了厚贈示巴女王禮物以外,還滿足了她的一切要求。之後,女王和隨從就回示巴去了。

所羅門的財富

14 所羅門每年收到的黃金約二十三噸。 15 此外,還有商人、阿拉伯諸王和國中各總督送來的貢稅。 16 所羅門用錘好的金子打造了二百面大盾牌,每面用七公斤金子; 17 又用錘好的金子打造了三百面小盾牌,每面用三點五公斤金子,全部存放在黎巴嫩林宮。

18 王又造了一個象牙寶座,外面用純金包裹。 19 這寶座有六級臺階,靠背是圓形的,兩旁有扶手,扶手兩邊各站著一頭獅子。 20 六級臺階上共站著十二頭獅子,每級臺階兩端各站一頭。這寶座舉世無雙。 21 所羅門王所有的杯子都是金的,黎巴嫩林宮裡的所有器皿都是純金的,沒有一件是用銀子造的,因為所羅門年間銀子不算什麼。 22 王有他施船隊和希蘭的船隊一起出海,每三年就運回金銀、象牙、猿猴和孔雀。

23 所羅門王的財富和智慧超過天下諸王。 24 天下的人都紛紛來朝見他,聆聽上帝賜給他的智言慧語。 25 他們年年都帶來禮物,有金銀器皿、衣服、兵器、香料和騾馬。

26 所羅門組建了戰車和騎兵,有一千四百輛戰車、一萬二千名騎兵,駐紮在屯車城和他所在的耶路撒冷。 27 王使耶路撒冷的金銀多如石頭,使香柏木多如丘陵的無花果樹。 28 所羅門的馬匹都是由王室商隊從埃及和古厄按定價買來的。 29 他們從埃及買來車馬,每輛車六百塊銀子,每匹馬一百五十塊銀子,他們也把車馬賣給赫人諸王和亞蘭諸王。

10 And when the Malkah (Queen) of Sheva heard of the fame of Sh’lomo, that it was for the Shem Hashem, then she came to test him with chidot (hard questions, riddles).

And she came to Yerushalayim with a very great caravan, with gemalim that bore spices, and very much zahav, and precious gems; and when she was come to Sh’lomo, she spoke intimately with him of all that was on her lev.

And Sh’lomo answered her regarding all her questions; there was not anything hid from HaMelech, which he told her not.

And when the Malkah of Sheva had seen kol chochmat Sh’lomo, and the Bais (Palace) that he had built,

And the ma’akhal (food) of his shulchan, and the moshav (seating) of his avadim (officials), and the ma’amad (station) of his attendants, and their robes, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the Beis Hashem; there was no more ruach (breath) in her.

And she said to HaMelech, It was emes the report that I heard in mine own eretz of thy devarim and of thy chochmah.

Howbeit I believed not the devarim, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it; and, hinei, the half was not told me; thy chochmah and tov (prosperity) exceedeth the fame which I heard.

Ashrei are thy anashim; ashrei are these thy avadim, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy chochmah.

Yehi Hashem Eloheicha baruch Who delighted in thee, to set thee on the Kisse Yisroel; because Hashem loved Yisroel l’olam, therefore made He thee Melech, to do mishpat and tzedakah.

10 And she gave HaMelech a hundred and twenty talents of zahav, and a very large store of spices and precious gems; there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the Malkah of Sheva gave to Melech Sh’lomo.

11 And the fleet of oniyyot also of Chiram, that brought zahav from Ophir, brought in from Ophir a vast supply of almug wood, and precious gems.

12 And HaMelech made of the almug wood misad (steps, support) for the Beis Hashem, and for the Bais HaMelech, kinnorot (harps) also and nevalim (lyres) for the singers; there came no such almug wood, nor were seen unto this day.

13 And HaMelech Sh’lomo gave unto the Malkah of Sheva all her desire, whatsoever she asked, besides that which Sh’lomo gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her avadim.

14 Now the weight of zahav that came to Sh’lomo in one year was 666 talents of zahav,

15 This was in addition to what he had of the anashei hatarim (merchants), and of the income of traders, and of all the Melachim of Arabia, and of the Governors of the land.

16 And HaMelech Sh’lomo made two hundred large shields of hammered zahav; six hundred shekels of zahav went to one shield.

17 And he made three hundred moginim of hammered zahav; three mina of zahav went to one mogen (shield); and HaMelech put them in the Bais Ya’ar HaLevanon.

18 Moreover HaMelech made a kisse shen gadol (great throne of ivory), and overlaid it with the finest, brightest zahav.

19 The kisse had shesh ma’alot (six steps), and the top of the kisse was rounded; and there were armrests on either side on the makom (place) of the seat, and two arayot (lions) stood beside the armrests.

20 And twelve arayim (lions) stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps; there was not the like made in any mamlakhot (kingdoms).

21 And all HaMelech Sh’lomo’s kelei mashkeh (drinking vessels) were of zahav, and all the vessels of the Bais Ya’ar HaLevanon were of pure zahav; none were of kesef; it was nothing accounted of in the days of Sh’lomo.

22 For HaMelech had at sea a fleet of oniyyot Tarshish with the fleet of oniyyot of Chiram; once in shalosh shanim came the fleet of oniyyot Tarshish, bringing zahav, and kesef, ivory, and monkeys, and peacocks.

23 So HaMelech Sh’lomo exceeded all the Melachim of Ha’Aretz in osher and in chochmah.

24 And kol Ha’Aretz sought the face of Sh’lomo, to hear his chochmah, which Elohim had put in his lev.

25 They brought every ish his minchah, vessels of kesef, vessels of zahav, and robes, and weapons, and spices, susim, and peradim (mules), yearly at each year’s due.

26 And Sh’lomo gathered together merkavot and parashim; and he had a thousand and four hundred merkavot, and twelve thousand parashim, whom he kept in his chariot cities and with HaMelech in Yerushalayim.

27 And HaMelech made kesef to be in Yerushalayim like avanim (rocks), and cedars made he to be like sycamores in the Shefelah, for abundance.

28 And Sh’lomo had susim brought out of Mitzrayim, and from Keveh; HaMelech’s agents acquired from Kevah at a price.

29 And a merkavah (chariot) went out of Mitzrayim for six hundred pieces of kesef, and a sus for a hundred and fifty; and so for all the melachim of the Chittim (Hittites), and for the melachim of Aram, did they [HaMelech’s agents] export them by the same means.