示巴女王拜訪所羅門

示巴女王聽聞所羅門的名聲,便來用難題考問他。她率領許多隨從,用駱駝馱著香料、寶石和大量的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。 示巴女王看見所羅門的智慧,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、他們的服裝、酒政、以及他在耶和華殿裡獻的燔祭,感到萬分驚奇。 她對所羅門王說:「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!你的智慧遠超過我聽到的傳聞。 你的臣僕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,立你做王統治祂的子民。因為你的上帝愛以色列人,要使他們永遠堅立,所以立你為他們的王,使你秉公行義。」

示巴女王將四噸黃金、大量香料和寶石獻給所羅門王。再無人像示巴女王那樣獻給所羅門王那麼多香料。 10 希蘭的僕人和所羅門的僕人從俄斐運來黃金、檀香木和寶石。 11 所羅門王用這些檀香木建造耶和華的殿和王宮的階梯,又製作歌樂手的琴瑟。在猶大從來沒有見過這樣的物品。 12 所羅門王滿足了示巴女王的一切要求,回贈她的禮物超過了她帶來的。之後,女王和隨從就回示巴去了。

所羅門王的財富

13 所羅門每年收到的黃金約二十三噸, 14 此外還有商人、阿拉伯諸王和國內各總督送給他的金銀。 15 所羅門王用錘好的金子打造了二百面大盾牌,每面用七公斤金子; 16 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,全部放在黎巴嫩林宮。 17 王又造了一個象牙大寶座,外面用純金包裹。 18 這寶座有六級臺階,又有金腳凳與寶座相連,寶座兩旁有扶手,扶手兩邊各站著一頭獅子, 19 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。 20 所羅門王所有的杯子都是金的,黎巴嫩林宮裡所有的器皿都是純金的,沒有一件是用銀子造的,因為所羅門年間銀子不算什麼。 21 王有船隊與希蘭的僕人一起出海去他施,每三年就運回金銀、象牙、猿猴和孔雀。 22 所羅門王的財富和智慧超過天下諸王。 23 天下的君王都紛紛來朝見所羅門,聆聽上帝賜給他的智言慧語。 24 他們年年都帶來禮物,有金銀器皿、衣服、兵器、香料和騾馬。 25 所羅門有四千個安置戰車和馬匹的棚,有一萬二千名騎兵,駐紮在屯車城和他所在的耶路撒冷。 26 所羅門統管從幼發拉底河到非利士地區,遠至埃及邊境的諸王。 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 所羅門的馬匹都是從埃及和其他國家運來的。

所羅門逝世

29 所羅門一生的事蹟,自始至終都記在拿單先知的史記、示羅人亞希雅的《預言書》和易多先見論尼八的兒子耶羅波安的《啟示書》中。 30 所羅門在耶路撒冷統治以色列四十年, 31 他與祖先同眠後,葬在他父親大衛的城裡。他兒子羅波安繼位。

The Queen of Sheba

(A)Now the queen of Sheba heard the report about Solomon. So she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with riddles. She had a very glorious retinue, with camels carrying spices and a large amount of gold and precious stones. And she came to Solomon and spoke with him about all that was in her heart. And Solomon declared to her the answer to all her matters; and not a matter was hidden from Solomon which he did not declare to her. Then the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, the house which he had built, the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the disposition of his attendants and their attire, his cupbearers and their attire, and [a]his stairway by which he went up to the house of Yahweh, so that there was no more spirit in her. Then she said to the king, “The word is true which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. Nevertheless I did not believe their words until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not declared to me. You exceed the report which I heard. How [b]blessed are your men, how [c]blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom. Blessed be Yahweh your God who delighted in you, (B)to set you on His throne as king for Yahweh your God; (C)because your God loved Israel to cause them to stand forever, therefore He gave you as king over them, to do justice and righteousness.” Then she gave the king [d]120 talents of gold and a very great amount of spices and precious stones. There had never been spice like that which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10 Also, the servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon, (D)who brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones. 11 And the king made of the algum trees steps for the house of Yahweh and for the king’s house, and lyres and harps for the singers; and none like that was seen before in the land of Judah.

12 Thus King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire which she asked, besides a return for what she had brought to the king. Then she turned around and went to her own land together with her servants.

Solomon’s Riches and Wisdom

13 (E)Now the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, 14 besides that which the traders and merchants brought; and all (F)the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15 And King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, [e]using [f]600 shekels of beaten gold on each large shield. 16 And he made 300 shields of beaten gold, [g]using [h]300 shekels of gold on each 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 and a footstool in gold attached to the throne, and [i]arms [j]on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the [k]arms. 19 Twelve lions were also standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for any other kingdom. 20 Now all King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; silver was not considered [l]valuable in the days of Solomon. 21 (G)For the king had ships which went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came carrying gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks.

22 (H)So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. 23 And all the kings of the earth were seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. 24 (I)And they brought every man his present, articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses and mules, a set amount year by year.

25 And Solomon had (J)4,000 stalls for horses and chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 26 (K)And he was the ruler over all the kings from the [m]River even to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt. 27 (L)The king also made silver as plentiful as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the [n]Shephelah. 28 (M)And they were importing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all countries.

The Death of Solomon

29 (N)Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, (O)are they not written in the [o]chronicles of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of [p]Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? 30 (P)Thus Solomon reigned forty years in Jerusalem over all Israel. 31 And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in (Q)the city of his father David; and his son Rehoboam became king in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 9:4 Or his burnt offering which he offered
  2. 2 Chronicles 9:7 Or happy
  3. 2 Chronicles 9:7 Or happy
  4. 2 Chronicles 9:9 Approx. 4.5 tons or 4.08 metric tons, a talent was approx. 75 lb. or 34 kg
  5. 2 Chronicles 9:15 Lit he brought up
  6. 2 Chronicles 9:15 Approx. 15 lb. or 8.4 kg
  7. 2 Chronicles 9:16 Lit he brought up
  8. 2 Chronicles 9:16 Approx. 7.5 lb. or 4.2 kg
  9. 2 Chronicles 9:18 Lit hands
  10. 2 Chronicles 9:18 Lit on this side and on this at the place of the seat
  11. 2 Chronicles 9:18 Lit hands
  12. 2 Chronicles 9:20 Lit anything
  13. 2 Chronicles 9:26 The Euphrates River
  14. 2 Chronicles 9:27 Or lowland
  15. 2 Chronicles 9:29 Lit words
  16. 2 Chronicles 9:29 Heb Jedo

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.