1 Kings 10
Christian Standard Bible
The Queen of Sheba
10 The queen of Sheba(A) heard about Solomon’s fame(B) connected with the name of the Lord and came to test him with difficult questions.(C) 2 She came to Jerusalem with a very large entourage, with camels bearing(D) spices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones.(E) She came to Solomon and spoke to him about everything that was on her mind. 3 So Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for the king to explain to her. 4 When the queen of Sheba observed all of Solomon’s wisdom, the palace he had built,(F) 5 the food at his table,(G) his servants’ residence, his attendants’ service and their attire, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he offered at the Lord’s temple, it took her breath away.
6 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words and about your wisdom is true. 7 But I didn’t believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, I was not even told half. Your wisdom and prosperity far exceed the report I heard.(H) 8 How happy are your men.[a] How happy are these servants of yours, who always stand in your presence hearing your wisdom.(I) 9 Blessed be the Lord your God! He delighted in you and put you on the throne of Israel,(J) because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel.(K) He has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness.”(L)
10 Then she gave the king four and a half tons[b] of gold,(M) a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again did such a quantity of spices arrive as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
11 In addition, Hiram’s fleet that carried gold from Ophir brought from Ophir a large quantity of almug[c] wood and precious stones.(N) 12 The king made the almug wood into steps for the Lord’s temple and the king’s palace and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before did such almug wood arrive, and the like has not been seen again.
13 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba her every desire—whatever she asked—besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she, along with her servants, returned to her own country.(O)
Solomon’s Wealth
14 The weight(P) of gold that came to Solomon annually was twenty-five tons,[d] 15 besides what came from merchants,(Q) traders’ merchandise, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land.(R)
16 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; fifteen pounds[e] of gold went into each shield. 17 He made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; nearly four pounds[f] of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.(S)
18 The king also made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with fine gold. 19 The throne had six steps; there was a rounded top at the back of the throne, armrests on either side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests. 20 Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps, one at each end. Nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom.
21 All of King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon(T) were pure gold.(U) There was no silver, since it was considered as nothing in Solomon’s time, 22 for the king had ships of Tarshish(V) at sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.[g](W)
23 King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the world in riches and in wisdom.(X) 24 The whole world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.(Y) 25 Every man would bring his annual tribute: items[h] of silver and gold, clothing, weapons,[i] spices, and horses and mules.(Z)
26 Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen(AA) and stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.(AB) 27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones,(AC) and he made cedar(AD) as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills. 28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue.[j] The king’s traders bought them from Kue at the going price.(AE) 29 A chariot was imported from Egypt for fifteen pounds[k] of silver, and a horse for four pounds.[l] In the same way, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram through their agents.(AF)
1 Kings 10
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Visit of the Queen of Sheba
10 When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon (fame due to[a] the name of the Lord), she came to test him with riddles.(A) 2 She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones, and when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. 3 Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king that he could not explain to her. 4 When the queen of Sheba had observed all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 5 the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his valets, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, it took her breath away.(B)
6 So she said to the king, “The report was true that I heard in my own land of your accomplishments and of your wisdom, 7 but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes saw it. Not even half had been told me; your wisdom and prosperity far surpass the report that I had heard. 8 Happy are your wives![b] Happy are these your servants who continually attend you and hear your wisdom! 9 Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel forever, he has made you king to execute justice and righteousness.”(C) 10 Then she gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones; never again did spices come in such quantity as that which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
11 Moreover, the fleet of Hiram, which carried gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir a great quantity of almug wood and precious stones.(D) 12 From the almug wood the king made supports for the house of the Lord and for the king’s house, lyres also and harps for the singers; no such almug wood has come or been seen to this day.(E)
13 Meanwhile, King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba every desire that she expressed, as well as what he gave her out of Solomon’s royal bounty. Then she returned to her own land with her servants.
14 The weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold,(F) 15 besides that which came from the traders and from the business of the merchants and from all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land. 16 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each large shield.(G) 17 He made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went into each shield; and the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.(H) 18 The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with the finest gold.(I) 19 The throne had six steps. The top of the throne was rounded in the back, and on each side of the seat were arm rests and two lions standing beside the arm rests, 20 while twelve lions were standing, one on each end of a step on the six steps. Nothing like it was ever made in any kingdom. 21 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; none were of silver—it was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon. 22 For the king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet of ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.[c](J)
23 Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.(K) 24 The whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind.(L) 25 Every one of them brought a present, objects of silver and gold, garments, weaponry, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year.
26 Solomon gathered together chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.(M) 27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamores of the Shephelah. 28 Solomon’s import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king’s traders received them from Kue at a price.(N) 29 A chariot could be imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver and a horse for one hundred fifty, so through the king’s traders they were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.(O)
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.