The Queen of Sheba Visits^(A)

9 When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon’s fame, she came to Jerusalem to ·test [challenge] him with ·hard questions [difficult riddles]. She ·had a large group of servants with her [^Lcame with very great strength; ^Cpossibly referring to her large retinue or great wealth] and camels carrying spices, ·jewels [precious stones], and much gold. When she came to Solomon, she talked with him about all she had ·in mind [^Lon her heart/mind], ² and Solomon answered all her questions. Nothing was ·too hard for him to [hidden from him that he could not] explain to her. ³ The queen of Sheba ·saw [realized; observed] that Solomon was very wise. She saw the ·palace [^Lhouse] he had built, ⁴ the food on his table, ·his many officers [the organization/attendance of his officials], the palace servants and their ·good [fine; splendid] clothes, the ·servants who served Solomon his wine [cupbearers] and their ·good [fine; splendid] clothes. She saw the whole burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] he made in the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. All these things ·amazed her [overwhelmed her; took her breath away].

⁵ So she said to King Solomon, “What I heard in my own country about your ·achievements [wise sayings; ^Lwords] and wisdom is true. ⁶ I did not believe it then, but now I have come and seen it with my own eyes. I was not told even half of your great wisdom! You ·are much greater than [surpass/exceed what] I had heard. ⁷ Your people and officials are very ·lucky [happy; fortunate; blessed], because in ·always serving [continually standing before] you, they are able to hear your wisdom. ⁸ ·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord your God who ·was pleased to make you king [delights in you]. He has put you on his throne to ·rule [reign] for the Lord your God, because your God loves the people of Israel and ·supports [upholds; secures; establishes] them forever. He has made you king over them to ·keep justice and to rule fairly [rule/act with justice and righteousness].”

⁹ Then she gave the king ·about nine thousand pounds [^L120 talents] of gold and many spices and ·jewels [precious stones]. No one had ever given such spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

¹⁰ ·Hiram’s [or Huram’s; 2:3] men and Solomon’s men brought gold from Ophir [^Cperhaps a region in southern Arabia], ·juniper wood [sandalwood; algum], and ·jewels [precious stones]. ¹¹ King Solomon used the ·juniper wood [sandalwood; algum] to build steps for the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord and the ·palace [^Lhouse] and to make lyres and harps for the ·musicians [singers]. No one in Judah had ever seen ·such beautiful things as these [anything like them].

¹² King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she ·wanted [desired] and asked for, even more than she had brought to him. Then she and her servants returned to her own country.

Solomon’s Wealth^(B)

¹³ Every year King Solomon received ·about fifty thousand pounds [^L666 talents] of gold. ¹⁴ Besides that, he also received gold from traders and merchants. All the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon.

¹⁵ King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold, each of which contained ·about seven and one-half pounds [^Lsix hundred shekels] of hammered gold. ¹⁶ He also made three hundred smaller shields of hammered gold, each of which contained ·about four pounds [^Lthree hundred shekels] of gold. The king put them in the ·Palace [^Lhouse] of the Forest of Lebanon [1 Kin. 7:2; 10:17, 21].

¹⁷ The king built a large throne of ivory and ·covered [overlaid] it with pure gold. ¹⁸ The throne had six steps on it and an attached gold footstool. There were armrests on both sides of the ·chair [seat], and each armrest had a lion beside it. ¹⁹ Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any other kingdom. ²⁰ All of Solomon’s drinking cups, as well as the ·dishes [vessels; utensils] in the ·Palace [^Lhouse] of the Forest of Lebanon, were made of pure gold. In Solomon’s time ·people did not think silver was valuable [silver was considered worthless].

²¹ King Solomon had many ships that ·he sent out to trade [^Lwent to Tarshish; ^Cin present-day Spain, hence a large, seagoing trading ship], with ·Hiram’s [or Huram’s; 2:3] men as the crews. Every three years the ships returned, bringing back gold, silver, ivory, apes, and ·baboons [or peacocks].

²² King Solomon had more riches and wisdom than all the other kings on earth. ²³ All the kings of the earth ·wanted to see [sought audience with; came to consult] Solomon and listen to the wisdom God had given him. ²⁴ Year after year everyone who came brought gifts of silver and gold, ·clothes [robes], weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

²⁵ Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and he had twelve thousand ·horses [or horsemen; cavalry]. He kept some in ·special cities for the chariots [chariot cities], and others he kept with him in Jerusalem. ²⁶ Solomon ·ruled [reigned] over all the ·kingdoms [^Lkings] from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt [1 Kin. 4:20–21]. ²⁷ In Jerusalem the king made silver as common as stones and cedar trees as plentiful as the ·fig [sycamore-fig] trees ·on the western hills [^Lin the Shephelah]. ²⁸ Solomon imported horses from Egypt and all other countries.

Solomon’s Death^(C)

²⁹ ·Everything else Solomon did [The rest of the events/acts/history of Solomon’s reign], from ·the beginning to the end [first to last], ·is [are they not…?] written in the ·records [history; annals] of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the ·seer [prophet], who wrote about Jeroboam, Nebat’s son [^Csome consider these titles of writings]. ³⁰ Solomon ·ruled [reigned] in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years. ³¹ Then Solomon ·died [^Llay down/^Tslept with his fathers/ancestors] and was buried in the city of David [^CJerusalem], his father. And Solomon’s son Rehoboam became king in his place.