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1 Kings 10
New Living Translation

Visit of the Queen of Sheba

10 When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, which brought honor to the name of the Lord,[a] she came to test him with hard questions. 2 She arrived in Jerusalem with a large group of attendants and a great caravan of camels loaded with spices, large quantities of gold, and precious jewels. When she met with Solomon, she talked with him about everything she had on her mind. 3 Solomon had answers for all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. 4 When the queen of Sheba realized how very wise Solomon was, and when she saw the palace he had built, 5 she was overwhelmed. She was also amazed at the food on his tables, the organization of his officials and their splendid clothing, the cup-bearers, and the burnt offerings Solomon made at the Temple of the Lord.

6 She exclaimed to the king, “Everything I heard in my country about your achievements[b] and wisdom is true! 7 I didn’t believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of it! Your wisdom and prosperity are far beyond what I was told. 8 How happy your people[c] must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom! 9 Praise the Lord your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness.”

10 Then she gave the king a gift of 9,000 pounds[d] of gold, great quantities of spices, and precious jewels. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

11 (In addition, Hiram’s ships brought gold from Ophir, and they also brought rich cargoes of red sandalwood[e] and precious jewels. 12 The king used the sandalwood to make railings for the Temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and to construct lyres and harps for the musicians. Never before or since has there been such a supply of sandalwood.)

13 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba whatever she asked for, besides all the customary gifts he had so generously given. Then she and all her attendants returned to their own land.

Solomon’s Wealth and Splendor

14 Each year Solomon received about 25 tons[f] of gold. 15 This did not include the additional revenue he received from merchants and traders, all the kings of Arabia, and the governors of the land.

16 King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold, each weighing more than fifteen pounds.[g] 17 He also made 300 smaller shields of hammered gold, each weighing nearly four pounds.[h] The king placed these shields in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.

18 Then the king made a huge throne, decorated with ivory and overlaid with fine gold. 19 The throne had six steps and a rounded back. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, and the figure of a lion stood on each side of the throne. 20 There were also twelve other lions, one standing on each end of the six steps. No other throne in all the world could be compared with it!

21 All of King Solomon’s drinking cups were solid gold, as were all the utensils in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. They were not made of silver, for silver was considered worthless in Solomon’s day!

22 The king had a fleet of trading ships of Tarshish that sailed with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years the ships returned, loaded with gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.[i]

23 So King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on earth. 24 People from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had given him. 25 Year after year everyone who visited brought him gifts of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

26 Solomon built up a huge force of chariots and horses.[j] He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He stationed some of them in the chariot cities and some near him in Jerusalem. 27 The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. And valuable cedar timber was as common as the sycamore-fig trees that grow in the foothills of Judah.[k] 28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt[l] and from Cilicia[m]; the king’s traders acquired them from Cilicia at the standard price. 29 At that time chariots from Egypt could be purchased for 600 pieces of silver,[n] and horses for 150 pieces of silver.[o] They were then exported to the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.

Footnotes

  1. 10:1 Or which was due to the name of the Lord. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  2. 10:6 Hebrew your words.
  3. 10:8 Greek and Syriac versions and Latin Vulgate read your wives.
  4. 10:10 Hebrew 120 talents [4,000 kilograms].
  5. 10:11 Hebrew almug wood; also in 10:12.
  6. 10:14 Hebrew 666 talents [23 metric tons].
  7. 10:16 Hebrew 600 [shekels] of gold [6.8 kilograms].
  8. 10:17 Hebrew 3 minas [1.8 kilograms].
  9. 10:22 Or and baboons.
  10. 10:26 Or charioteers; also in 10:26b.
  11. 10:27 Hebrew the Shephelah.
  12. 10:28a Possibly Muzur, a district near Cilicia; also in 10:29.
  13. 10:28b Hebrew Kue, probably another name for Cilicia.
  14. 10:29a Hebrew 600 [shekels] of silver, about 15 pounds or 6.8 kilograms in weight.
  15. 10:29b Hebrew 150 [shekels], about 3.8 pounds or 1.7 kilograms in weight.
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1 Kings 10
New American Standard Bible

The Queen of Sheba

10 (A)Now when the (B)queen of (C)Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon in relation to the name of the Lord, she came (D)to test him with riddles. 2 So she came to Jerusalem with a very large entourage, with camels (E)carrying balsam oil and a very large quantity of gold and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she spoke to him about everything that was in her heart. 3 And Solomon [a]answered all her questions; nothing was concealed from the king which he did not explain to her. 4 When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, 5 and the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their attire, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings which he offered at the house of the Lord, [b]she was breathless. 6 Then she said to the king, “It was a true [c]story that I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. 7 But I did not believe the [d]stories until I came and my own eyes saw it all. And behold, the half of it was not reported to me. You have exceeded in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard. 8 (F)Blessed are your men, and blessed are these servants of yours who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom! 9 (G)Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you to put you on the throne of Israel; (H)because the Lord loves Israel forever, He made you king, (I)to do justice and righteousness.” 10 Then (J)she gave the king [e]120 talents of gold, and a very large amount of balsam oil and precious stones. Never again did such a large quantity of balsam oil come in as that which the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.

11 (K)And the ships of Hiram as well, which brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir a very great number of almug trees and precious stones. 12 (L)The king made from the almug trees supports for the house of the Lord and for the king’s house, and lyres and harps for the singers; such almug trees have not come in again, nor have they been seen to this day.

13 And King Solomon granted the queen of Sheba everything she desired, whatever she requested, besides what he gave her in proportion to [f]his royal bounty. Then she [g]departed and went to her own land [h]together with her servants.

Wealth, Splendor, and Wisdom

14 (M)Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was [i]666 talents of gold, 15 besides that from the traders, and the [j]wares of the merchants and all the kings of the (N)Arabs and the governors of the country. 16 (O)King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold, [k]using six hundred shekels of gold on each large shield. 17 And he made (P)three hundred small shields of beaten gold, [l]using [m]three minas of gold on each shield; and (Q)the king put them in the house of the timber of Lebanon. 18 Moreover, the king made a large throne of (R)ivory and overlaid it with fine gold. 19 There were six steps to the throne and a round top to the throne at its back, and [n]armrests [o]on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the [p]armrests. 20 Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for [q]any other kingdom. 21 Now all King Solomon’s drinking utensils were of gold, and all the utensils of the house of the timber of Lebanon were of pure gold. None was of silver; it was not considered as amounting to anything in the days of Solomon. 22 For (S)the king had the ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s ships; once every three years the ships of Tarshish would come carrying gold and silver, ivory, monkeys, and peacocks.

23 (T)So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in wealth and wisdom. 24 And all the earth was seeking the [r]attention of Solomon, (U)to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 25 And (V)they were bringing, everyone, [s]a gift: articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, balsam oil, horses, and mules, so much year by year.

26 (W)Now Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; and he had 1,400 chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, and he [t]stationed them in the (X)chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 27 (Y)And the king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the [u]lowland. 28 (Z)Also Solomon’s import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king’s merchants acquired them from Kue for a price. 29 A chariot [v]was imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for 150; and [w]by the same means they exported them (AA)to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of the Arameans.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 10:3 Lit told her all her words
  2. 1 Kings 10:5 Lit there was no more breath in her
  3. 1 Kings 10:6 Lit word
  4. 1 Kings 10:7 Lit words
  5. 1 Kings 10:10 About 4.5 tons or 4 metric tons
  6. 1 Kings 10:13 Lit the hand of King Solomon
  7. 1 Kings 10:13 Lit turned around
  8. 1 Kings 10:13 Lit she and her
  9. 1 Kings 10:14 About 25 tons or 23 metric tons
  10. 1 Kings 10:15 Or traffic
  11. 1 Kings 10:16 Lit he brought up
  12. 1 Kings 10:17 Lit he brought up
  13. 1 Kings 10:17 About 3.8 lb. or 1.7 kg
  14. 1 Kings 10:19 Lit hands
  15. 1 Kings 10:19 Lit from this and from this at the place of the seat
  16. 1 Kings 10:19 Lit hands
  17. 1 Kings 10:20 Lit all kingdoms
  18. 1 Kings 10:24 Lit face
  19. 1 Kings 10:25 Lit his gift
  20. 1 Kings 10:26 As in ancient versions; MT led
  21. 1 Kings 10:27 Heb Shephelah
  22. 1 Kings 10:29 Lit came up and went out from
  23. 1 Kings 10:29 Lit in the same way by their hand
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1 Kings 9
1 Kings 11
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