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示巴女王來訪所羅門(A)

示巴女王聽見所羅門的名聲,就來到耶路撒冷,要用難題試試所羅門。跟隨她的人很多,又有駱駝馱著香料、大批黃金和寶石。她來到所羅門那裡,就把她心裡所有的難題,都對所羅門說出來。 所羅門把她的一切難題,都給她解答了;沒有一樣難倒所羅門,不能給她解答的。 示巴女王看見所羅門的智慧和他建造的宮殿, 他席上的食物,群臣的座位,僕人的侍候和他們的服飾,酒政和酒政的服飾,以及所羅門在耶和華殿裡所獻的燔祭,就十分驚訝。 於是她對王說:“我在本國聽見關於你的事和你的智慧,實在是真的。 我先前不信他們的話,等到我來了,親眼看見了,才知道你智慧的偉大,人告訴我的還不到一半。你實在是見面勝似聞名。 屬你的人是有福的,你的臣僕是有福的,因為他們可以常常侍立在你面前,聆聽你的智慧。 耶和華你的 神是應當稱頌的,因他喜悅你,使你坐在他的王位上,為耶和華你的 神作王;因為你的 神愛以色列人,要永遠堅立他們,所以立你作他們的王,好秉公行義。”

示巴女王贈送的禮物(B)

於是示巴女王把約四千公斤金子、大批香料和寶石送給所羅門王;示巴女王送給所羅門王的香料,是猶大地從來沒有過的。 10 希蘭的僕人和所羅門的僕人從俄斐把黃金運來,也把檀香木和寶石運了來。 11 王用檀香木為耶和華的殿和王宮作了臺階,又為唱歌的人作了琴瑟;像這樣的東西,是在猶大地從來沒有見過的。

所羅門的回禮(C)

12 所羅門王按著示巴女王帶來給他的,回送她禮物;此外,還把女王所願所求的,都送給她,於是女王和她的臣僕都返回本國去了。

所羅門的財富與智慧(D)

13 所羅門每年所得的金子,共重兩萬三千公斤, 14 另外,還有從商人和行商運來的,阿拉伯諸王和本國的各總督,都把金銀運來給所羅門。 15 所羅門王用錘煉好的金子做了二百面大盾牌,每一面大盾牌用錘煉好的金子七公斤。 16 又用錘煉好的金子做了三百面小盾牌,每一面小盾牌用錘煉好的金子約三公斤;王把這些盾牌都放在黎巴嫩林宮。

17 王用象牙做了一個大寶座,包上純金。 18 寶座有六級臺階,又用金腳凳和寶座相連,座位兩邊都有扶手,扶手旁邊各有一隻獅子站立。 19 六級臺階上共有十二隻獅子站立;每級兩隻,一左一右;在列國中都沒有這樣做的。 20 所羅門王的一切杯爵都是金的;黎巴嫩林宮裡的一切器皿都是精金做的;在所羅門的時代,銀子算不得甚麼。 21 因為王的船隻和希蘭的僕人一同到他施去;往他施的船隻每三年回來一次,載著金銀、象牙、猿猴和孔雀回來。

22 所羅門王的財富和智慧,勝過世上的列王。 23 世上的列王都求見所羅門的面,要聽 神賜給他的智慧。 24 他們各人帶來的禮物有:銀器、金器、衣服、兵器、香料、騾馬;每年都有一定的數量。

25 所羅門有四千馬廊的車馬,還有馬兵一萬二千,他把這些人馬安置在囤車城和耶路撒冷,就是與王在一起。 26 所羅門統治列王,從幼發拉底河到非利士地,直到埃及的邊界。 27 王在耶路撒冷使銀子好像石頭,使香柏木好像平原的桑樹那麼多。 28 人們從埃及和各地把馬匹運到所羅門那裡。

所羅門逝世(E)

29 所羅門其餘的事蹟,一生的始末,不是都記在拿單先知的記錄上,示羅人亞希雅的預言上,以及先見易多論到尼八的兒子耶羅波安的啟示錄上嗎? 30 所羅門在耶路撒冷作王統治全以色列共四十年。 31 所羅門和他的列祖同睡,埋葬在他父親大衛的城裡;他的兒子羅波安接續他作王。

The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon(A)

When the queen of Sheba(B) 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. Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for him to explain to her. When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon,(C) as well as the palace he had built, 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[a] the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.

She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe what they said until I came(D) 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. How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne(E) 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(F) over them, to maintain justice and righteousness.”

Then she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold,(G) large quantities of spices, and precious stones. There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir;(H) they also brought algumwood[c] and precious stones. 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.)

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.

Solomon’s Splendor(I)

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents,[d] 14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders. Also all the kings of Arabia(J) and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon.

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels[e] of hammered gold went into each shield. 16 He also made three hundred small shields(K) of hammered gold, with three hundred shekels[f] of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.(L)

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory(M) and overlaid with pure gold. 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. 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. 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. 21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiram’s[h] servants. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.(N) 23 All the kings(O) of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. 24 Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift(P)—articles of silver and gold, and robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots,(Q) and twelve thousand horses,[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 26 He ruled(R) over all the kings from the Euphrates River(S) to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.(T) 27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. 28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries.

Solomon’s Death(U)

29 As for the other events of Solomon’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the records of Nathan(V) the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah(W) the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam(X) son of Nebat? 30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David(Y) his father. And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 9:4 Or and the ascent by which he went up to
  2. 2 Chronicles 9:9 That is, about 4 1/2 tons or about 4 metric tons
  3. 2 Chronicles 9:10 Probably a variant of almugwood
  4. 2 Chronicles 9:13 That is, about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons
  5. 2 Chronicles 9:15 That is, about 15 pounds or about 6.9 kilograms
  6. 2 Chronicles 9:16 That is, about 7 1/2 pounds or about 3.5 kilograms
  7. 2 Chronicles 9:21 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish
  8. 2 Chronicles 9:21 Hebrew Huram, a variant of Hiram
  9. 2 Chronicles 9:25 Or charioteers

And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

And Solomon told her all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not.

And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,

And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her.

And she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom:

Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.

Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.

Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the Lord thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.

And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon.

10 And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones.

11 And the king made of the algum trees terraces to the house of the Lord, and to the king's palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.

12 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants.

13 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold;

14 Beside that which chapmen and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.

15 And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of beaten gold went to one target.

16 And three hundred shields made he of beaten gold: three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

17 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.

18 And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the sitting place, and two lions standing by the stays:

19 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps. There was not the like made in any kingdom.

20 And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was not any thing accounted of in the days of Solomon.

21 For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

22 And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart.

24 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, harness, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

25 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

26 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even unto the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.

27 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that are in the low plains in abundance.

28 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands.

29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

30 And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

31 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.