歷代志下 9
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
示巴女王拜訪所羅門
9 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。 2 所羅門王解答了她所有的問題,沒有一樣難得住他。 3 示巴女王看見所羅門的智慧,又看見他建的宮殿、 4 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。 5 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。 6 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。 7 你的臣僕經常侍立在你面前聆聽智慧之言,真有福氣! 8 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。」
9 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。
2 Chronicles 9
The Message
9 1-4 The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s reputation and came to Jerusalem to put his reputation to the test, asking all the tough questions. She made a showy entrance—an impressive retinue of attendants and camels loaded with perfume and much gold and precious stones. She emptied her heart to Solomon, talking over everything she cared about. And Solomon answered everything she put to him—nothing stumped him. When the queen of Sheba experienced for herself Solomon’s wisdom and saw with her own eyes the palace he had built, the meals that were served, the impressive array of court officials, the sharply dressed waiters, the cupbearers, and then the elaborate worship extravagant with Whole-Burnt-Offerings at The Temple of God, it all took her breath away.
5-8 She said to the king, “It’s all true! Your reputation for accomplishment and wisdom that reached all the way to my country is confirmed. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself; they didn’t exaggerate! Such wisdom and elegance—far more than I could ever have imagined. Lucky the men and women who work for you, getting to be around you every day and hear your wise words firsthand! And blessed be your God who has taken such a liking to you, making you king. Clearly, God’s love for Israel is behind this, making you king to keep a just order and nurture a God-pleasing people.”
9-11 She then gave the king four and a half tons of gold and sack after sack of spices and precious stones. There hasn’t been a cargo of spices like the shipload the queen of Sheba brought to King Solomon. The ships of Hiram also imported gold from Ophir along with fragrant sandalwood and expensive gems. The king used the sandalwood for fine cabinetry in The Temple of God and the royal palace, and for making harps and dulcimers for the musicians. Nothing like that shipment of sandalwood has been seen since.
12 King Solomon, for his part, gave the queen of Sheba all her heart’s desire—everything she asked for. She took away more than she brought. Satisfied, she returned home with her train of servants.
* * *
13-14 Solomon received twenty-five tons of gold annually. This was above and beyond the taxes and profit on trade with merchants and traders. All kings of Arabia and various and assorted governors also brought silver and gold to Solomon.
15-16 King Solomon crafted two hundred body-length shields of hammered gold—about fifteen pounds of gold to each shield—and about three hundred small shields about half that size. He stored the shields in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.
17-19 The king made a massive throne of ivory with a veneer of gold. The throne had six steps leading up to it with an attached footstool of gold. The armrests on each side were flanked by lions. Lions, twelve of them, were placed at either end of the six steps. There was no throne like it in any other kingdom.
20 King Solomon’s chalices and tankards were made of gold, and all the dinnerware and serving utensils in the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver; silver was considered common and cheap in the time of Solomon.
21 The king’s ships, manned by Hiram’s sailors, made a round trip to Tarshish every three years, returning with a cargo of gold, silver, and ivory, apes and peacocks.
22-24 King Solomon was richer and wiser than all the kings of the earth—he surpassed them all. Kings came from all over the world to be with Solomon and get in on the wisdom God had given him. Everyone who came brought gifts—artifacts of gold and silver, fashionable robes and gowns, the latest in weapons, exotic spices, horses, and mules—parades of visitors, year after year.
25-28 Solomon collected horses and chariots. He had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen in barracks in the chariot-cities and in Jerusalem. He ruled over all the kings from the River Euphrates in the east, throughout the Philistine country, and as far west as the border of Egypt. The king made silver as common as rocks and cedar as common as the fig trees in the lowland hills. He carried on a brisk horse-trading business with Egypt and other places.
* * *
29-31 The rest of Solomon’s life and rule, from start to finish, one can read in the records of Nathan the prophet, the prophecy of Ahijah of Shiloh, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat. Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years. Solomon died and was buried in the City of David his father. His son Rehoboam was the next king.
Divrey Hayamim Bais 9
Orthodox Jewish Bible
9 And when the Malkat Sheva (Queen of Sheba) heard of the fame of Sh’lomo, she came to test Sh’lomo with chidot (hard questions, riddles) at Yerushalayim, with a very great caravan, and camels that carried spices, and zahav in abundance, and precious stones; and when she was come to Sh’lomo, she communed with him of all that was in her levav.
2 And Sh’lomo gave answer to all her questions; and there was nothing hid from Sh’lomo which he explained not to her.
3 And when the Malkat Sheva had seen the Chochmat Sh’lomo, and HaBais (the Palace) that he had built,
4 And the ma’akhal (food) of his shulchan, and the moshav of his avadim, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his aliyah (ascent) by which he went up to the Beis Hashem; there was no more ruach in her.
5 And she said to HaMelech, Emes was the davar (report) which I heard in mine own country about thine acts, and of thy chochmah;
6 Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it; and, hinei, the one half of the greatness of thy chochmah was not told me, for thou exceedest the report that I heard.
7 Ashrei are thy anashim, and ashrei are these thy avadim, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy chochmah.
8 Baruch Hashem Eloheicha Who delighted in thee to set thee on His kisse, to be Melech for Hashem Eloheicha, because Eloheicha loved Yisroel, to establish them l’olam, therefore He made thee Melech over them, to maintain Mishpat and Tzedakah.
9 And she gave HaMelech a hundred and twenty talents of zahav, and spices in great abundance, and precious stones; neither was there ever any such spice as the Malkat Sheva gave Sh’lomo HaMelech.
10 And the avadim also of Churam, and the avadim of Sh’lomo, which brought zahav from Ophir, brought atzei algummim (algum trees) and precious stones.
11 And HaMelech made of the atzei algummim steps for the Beis Hashem, and for the Beis HaMelech, and kinnorot and nevalim for the musicians; and there were none such seen before in the Eretz Yehudah.
12 And Sh’lomo HaMelech gave to Malkat Sheva all her chefetz, whatsoever she asked, beside such that she had brought unto HaMelech. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her avadim.
13 Now the weight of zahav that came to Sh’lomo in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of zahav;
14 Besides that which traders and merchants brought. And all the melachim of Arabia and governors of the country brought zahav and kesef to Sh’lomo.
15 And Melech Sh’lomo made 200 shields of hammered zahav; 600 measures of hammered zahav went to one shield.
16 And 300 moginnim he made of hammered zahav; 300 measures of zahav went to one mogen. And HaMelech put them in Beis Ya’ar HaLevanon (House of the Forest of Levanon).
17 Moreover HaMelech made a kisse shen gadol (great ivory throne) and overlaid it with zahav tahor.
18 And there were six steps to the kisse, with a kevesh (ramp) of zahav, which was attached to the kisse, and arms on each side of the seat, and two aroyot (lions) standing by the armrests;
19 And 12 aroyot stood there on the one side and on the other upon 6 steps. There was nothing like it made for any other mamlechah.
20 And all the kelei mashkeh (drinking vessels) of Sh’lomo HaMelech were of zahav, and all the kelei Beis Ya’ar HaLevanon were of pure zahav; none were of kesef; it [silver] was not accounted as anything in the days of Sh’lomo.
21 HaMelech had a fleet of oniyyot that went to Tarshish with the avadim of Churam. Once every three years came the oniyyot Tarshish bringing zahav, and kesef, ivory, and monkeys, and peacocks.
22 And Sh’lomo HaMelech surpassed all the Malkhei HaAretz in riches and chochmah.
23 And all the Malkhei Ha’Aretz sought the presence of Sh’lomo, to hear his chochmah, that HaElohim had put in his lev.
24 And they brought every ish his minchah (present), kelei kesef, kelei zahav, and clothing, weapons, and spices, susim, and peradim (mules), at a set rate.
25 And Sh’lomo had four thousand stalls for susim and markovot (chariots), and twelve thousand parashim whom he kept in the chariot cities, and with HaMelech at Yerushalayim.
26 And he reigned over all the melachim from the River [i.e., the Euphrates] even unto the Eretz Pelishtim, and to the border of Mitzrayim.
27 And HaMelech made kesef in Yerushalayim as common as stones, and cedar trees he made like sycamore trees that are in the Shefelah in abundance.
28 And they imported unto Sh’lomo susim out of Mitzrayim, and from all the lands.
29 Now the rest of the Divrei Sh’lomo, harishonim and ha’acharonim, are they not written in the Divrei Natan HaNavi, and in the Nevu’at Achiyah the Shiloni, and in the chazot Yadai HaChozer against Yarov’am ben Nevat?
30 And Sh’lomo reigned in Yerushalayim over kol Yisroel arba’im shaneh.
31 And Sh’lomo slept with Avotav, and he was buried in Ir Dovid Aviv. And Rechav’am Bno reigned in his place.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International