The Queen of Sheba

10 ^(A)Now when ^(B)the queen of ^(C)Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came ^(D)to test him with hard questions. ² She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels ^(E)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 And Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king that he could not explain to her. ⁴ And when the queen of Sheba had seen 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 cupbearers, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more breath in her.

⁶ And she said to the king, “The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom, ⁷ but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report that I heard. ^8 (F)Happy are your men! Happy are your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! ^9 (G)Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! ^(H)Because the Lord loved Israel forever, he has made you king, ^(I)that you may execute justice and righteousness.” ^10 (J)Then she gave the king 120 talents^[a] of gold, and a very great quantity of spices and precious stones. Never again came such an abundance of spices as these that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

¹¹ Moreover, ^(K)the fleet of Hiram, which brought ^(L)gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir a very great amount of almug wood and precious stones. ¹² And the king made of the almug wood supports for the house of the Lord and for the king's house, also lyres and harps for the singers. No such almug wood has come or been seen to this day.

¹³ And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked besides what was given her by the bounty of King Solomon. So she turned and went back to her own land with her servants.

Solomon's Great Wealth

^14 (M)Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, ¹⁵ besides that which came from the explorers and from the business of the merchants, and from all the kings of the west and from the governors of the land. ¹⁶ King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold; 600 shekels^[b] of gold went into each shield. ¹⁷ And he made 300 ^(N)shields of beaten gold; three minas^[c] of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in ^(O)the House of the Forest of Lebanon. ¹⁸ The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with the finest gold. ¹⁹ The throne had six steps, and the throne had a round top,^[d] and on each side of the seat were armrests and two lions standing beside the armrests, ²⁰ while twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. The like of it was never made in any kingdom. ²¹ All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of ^(P)the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver; silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon. ²² For the king had ^(Q)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.^[e]

^23 (R)Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. ²⁴ And the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind. ²⁵ Every one of them brought his present, articles of silver and gold, garments, myrrh,^[f] spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year.

^26 (S)And Solomon gathered together ^(T)chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the ^(U)chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. ²⁷ And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as ^(V)the sycamore of the Shephelah. ²⁸ And Solomon's ^(W)import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king's traders received them from Kue at a price. ²⁹ A chariot could be imported from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver and a horse for 150, and so through the king's traders they were exported to all the kings of ^(X)the Hittites and the kings of Syria.

Solomon Turns from the Lord

11 Now ^(Y)King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, ² from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, ^(Z)“You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. ³ He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. ⁴ For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and ^(AA)his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, ^(AB)as was the heart of David his father. ⁵ For Solomon went after ^(AC)Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after ^(AD)Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. ⁶ So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and did not wholly follow the Lord, as David his father had done. ⁷ Then Solomon built a high place for ^(AE)Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for ^(AF)Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. ⁸ And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods.

Sit at My Right Hand

A Psalm of David.

Unity in the Body of Christ

4 I therefore, ^(A)a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to ^(B)walk in a manner worthy of ^(C)the calling to which you have been called, ² with all ^(D)humility and ^(E)gentleness, with ^(F)patience, ^(G)bearing with one another in love, ³ eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in ^(H)the bond of peace. ⁴ There is ^(I)one body and ^(J)one Spirit—just as you were called to the one ^(K)hope that belongs to your call— ^5 (L)one Lord, ^(M)one faith, ^(N)one baptism, ^6 (O)one God and Father of all, ^(P)who is over all and through all and in all. ⁷ But ^(Q)grace was given ^(R)to each one of us ^(S)according to the measure of Christ's gift. ⁸ Therefore it says,

⁹ (^(V)In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into ^(W)the lower regions, the earth?^{[b] 10} He who descended is the one who also ^(X)ascended ^(Y)far above all the heavens, that he might ^(Z)fill all things.) ¹¹ And ^(AA)he gave the ^(AB)apostles, the prophets, the ^(AC)evangelists, the ^(AD)shepherds^[c] and teachers,^{[d] 12 (AE)}to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for ^(AF)building up ^(AG)the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all attain to ^(AH)the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, ^(AI)to mature manhood,^[e] to the measure of the stature of ^(AJ)the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴ so that we may no longer be children, ^(AK)tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in ^(AL)deceitful schemes. ¹⁵ Rather, ^(AM)speaking the truth in love, we are to ^(AN)grow up in every way into him who is ^(AO)the head, into Christ, ^16 (AP)from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, ^(AQ)when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

The New Life

¹⁷ Now this I say and ^(AR)testify in the Lord, ^(AS)that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, ^(AT)in the futility of their minds. ¹⁸ They ^(AU)are darkened in their understanding, ^(AV)alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to ^(AW)their hardness of heart. ¹⁹ They ^(AX)have become callous and ^(AY)have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. ²⁰ But that is not the way you ^(AZ)learned Christ!— ²¹ assuming that ^(BA)you have heard about him and ^(BB)were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, ²² to ^(BC)put off ^(BD)your old self,^[f] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through ^(BE)deceitful desires, ²³ and ^(BF)to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and to put on ^(BG)the new self, ^(BH)created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

²⁵ Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you ^(BI)speak the truth with his neighbor, for ^(BJ)we are members one of another. ^26 (BK)Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and ^(BL)give no opportunity to the devil. ²⁸ Let the thief no longer steal, but rather ^(BM)let him labor, ^(BN)doing honest work with his own hands, so ^(BO)that he may have something to share with anyone in need. ^29 (BP)Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give ^(BQ)grace to those who hear. ³⁰ And ^(BR)do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, ^(BS)by whom you were sealed for the day of ^(BT)redemption. ^31 (BU)Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ^32 (BV)Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, ^(BW)forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Walk in Love

5 ^(BX)Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ² And ^(BY)walk in love, ^(BZ)as Christ loved us and ^(CA)gave himself up for us, a ^(CB)fragrant ^(CC)offering and sacrifice to God.

³ But ^(CD)sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness ^(CE)must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. ⁴ Let there be ^(CF)no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, ^(CG)which are out of place, but instead ^(CH)let there be thanksgiving. ⁵ For you may be sure of this, that ^(CI)everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (^(CJ)that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ^6 (CK)Let no one ^(CL)deceive you with empty words, for because of these things ^(CM)the wrath of God comes upon ^(CN)the sons of disobedience. ⁷ Therefore ^(CO)do not become partners with them; ⁸ for ^(CP)at one time you were ^(CQ)darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. ^(CR)Walk as children of light ⁹ (for ^(CS)the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), ¹⁰ and ^(CT)try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. ^11 (CU)Take no part in the ^(CV)unfruitful ^(CW)works of darkness, but instead ^(CX)expose them. ¹² For ^(CY)it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. ¹³ But when ^(CZ)anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, ¹⁴ for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

^15 (DD)Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ^16 (DE)making the best use of the time, because ^(DF)the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what ^(DG)the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And ^(DH)do not get drunk with wine, for that is ^(DI)debauchery, but ^(DJ)be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ addressing one another in ^(DK)psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, ^20 (DL)giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father ^(DM)in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^21 (DN)submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives and Husbands

^22 (DO)Wives, ^(DP)submit to your own husbands, ^(DQ)as to the Lord. ²³ For ^(DR)the husband is the head of the wife even as ^(DS)Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is ^(DT)himself its Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit ^(DU)in everything to their husbands.

^25 (DV)Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and ^(DW)gave himself up for her, ²⁶ that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by ^(DX)the washing of water ^(DY)with the word, ²⁷ so ^(DZ)that he might present the church to himself in splendor, ^(EA)without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.^{[g] 28} In the same way ^(EB)husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, ³⁰ because ^(EC)we are members of his body. ^31 (ED)“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and ^(EE)the two shall become one flesh.” ³² This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. ³³ However, ^(EF)let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she ^(EG)respects her husband.

Children and Parents

6 ^(EH)Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ^2 (EI)“Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), ³ “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” ⁴ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, ^(EJ)but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Bondservants and Masters

^5 (EK)Bondservants,^[h] obey your earthly masters^[i] with fear and trembling, ^(EL)with a sincere heart, ^(EM)as you would Christ, ⁶ not by the way of eye-service, as ^(EN)people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, ⁷ rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, ^8 (EO)knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, ^(EP)whether he is a bondservant or is free. ⁹ Masters, do the same to them, ^(EQ)and stop your threatening, knowing that ^(ER)he who is both their Master^[j] and yours is in heaven, and that ^(ES)there is no partiality with him.

The Whole Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, ^(ET)be strong in the Lord and in ^(EU)the strength of his might. ^11 (EV)Put on ^(EW)the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against ^(EX)the schemes of the devil. ¹² For ^(EY)we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against ^(EZ)the rulers, against the authorities, against ^(FA)the cosmic powers over ^(FB)this present darkness, against ^(FC)the spiritual forces of evil ^(FD)in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore ^(FE)take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in ^(FF)the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, ^(FG)having fastened on the belt of truth, and ^(FH)having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, ^(FI)as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up ^(FJ)the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all ^(FK)the flaming darts of ^(FL)the evil one; ¹⁷ and take ^(FM)the helmet of salvation, and ^(FN)the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying ^(FO)at all times ^(FP)in the Spirit, ^(FQ)with all prayer and supplication. To that end, ^(FR)keep alert with all perseverance, making ^(FS)supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and ^(FT)also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth ^(FU)boldly to proclaim ^(FV)the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I ^(FW)am an ambassador ^(FX)in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Final Greetings

^21 (FY)So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, ^(FZ)Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. ²² I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may ^(GA)encourage your hearts.

^23 (GB)Peace be to the brothers,^[k] and ^(GC)love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ Grace be with all who ^(GD)love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.