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1 Kings 10
Common English Bible

Queen of Sheba

10 When the queen of Sheba heard reports about Solomon, due to the Lord’s name,[a] she came to test him with riddles. 2 Accompanying her to Jerusalem was a huge entourage with camels carrying spices, a large amount of gold, and precious stones. After she arrived, she told Solomon everything that was on her mind. 3 Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for him to answer. 4 When the queen of Sheba saw how wise Solomon was, the palace he had built, 5 the food on his table, the servants’ quarters, the function and dress of his attendants, his cupbearers, and the entirely burned offerings that he offered at the Lord’s temple, it took her breath away.

6 “The report I heard about your deeds and wisdom when I was still at home is true,” she said to the king. 7 “I didn’t believe it until I came and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, the half of it wasn’t even told to me! You have far more wisdom and wealth than I was told. 8 Your people and these servants who continually serve you and get to listen to your wisdom are truly happy! 9 Bless the Lord your God because he was pleased to place you on Israel’s throne. Because the Lord loved Israel with an eternal love, the Lord made you king to uphold justice and righteousness.”

10 The queen gave the king one hundred twenty kikkars of gold, a great quantity of spice, and precious stones. Never again has so much spice come to Israel as when the queen of Sheba gave this gift to King Solomon. 11 Hiram’s fleet went to Ophir and brought back gold, much almug wood, and precious stones. 12 The king used the almug wood to make parapets for the Lord’s temple and for the royal palace as well as lyres and harps for the musicians. To this day, that much almug wood hasn’t come into or been seen in Israel. 13 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she wanted and all that she had asked for, in addition to what he had already given her from his own personal funds. Then she and her servants returned to her homeland.

Solomon’s wealth

14 Solomon received an annual income of six hundred sixty-six kikkars of gold, 15 not including income from the traders, the merchants and their profits, all the Arabian kings, and the officials of the land. 16 King Solomon made two hundred body-sized shields of hammered gold, using fifteen pounds[b] of gold in each shield, 17 and three hundred small shields of hammered gold, using sixty ounces[c] of gold in each shield. The king placed these in the Forest of Lebanon Palace.

18 The king also made a large ivory throne and covered it with pure gold. 19 Six steps led up to the throne, and the back of the throne was rounded at the top. Two lions stood beside the armrests on both sides of the throne. 20 Another twelve lions stood on both sides of the six steps. No other kingdom had anything like this. 21 All of King Solomon’s drinking cups were made of gold, and all the items in the Forest of Lebanon Palace were made of pure gold, not silver, since even silver wasn’t considered good enough in Solomon’s time! 22 The royal fleet of Tarshish-style ships was at sea with Hiram’s fleet, returning once every three years with gold, silver, ivory, monkeys, and peacocks.[d]

23 King Solomon far exceeded all the earth’s kings in wealth and wisdom, 24 and so the whole earth wanted an audience with Solomon in order to hear his God-given wisdom. 25 Year after year they came with tribute: objects of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

26 Solomon acquired more and more chariots and horses until he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses that he kept in chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 27 In Jerusalem, the king made silver as common as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore trees that grow in the foothills. 28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue, purchased from Kue by the king’s agents at the going price. 29 They would import a chariot from Egypt for six hundred pieces of silver and a horse for one hundred fifty, and then export them to all the Hittite and Aramean kings.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 10:1 Heb uncertain
  2. 1 Kings 10:16 Or six hundred (shekels)
  3. 1 Kings 10:17 three manehs
  4. 1 Kings 10:22 Heb uncertain
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1 Kings 10
New King James Version

The Queen of Sheba’s Praise of Solomon(A)

10 Now when the (B)queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came (C)to test him with hard questions. 2 She came to Jerusalem with a very great [a]retinue, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. 3 So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing [b]so difficult for the king that he could not explain it 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 on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers, (D)and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her. 6 Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. 7 However I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard. 8 (E)Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! 9 (F)Blessed be the Lord your God, who (G)delighted in you, setting you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord has loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, (H)to do justice and righteousness.”

10 Then she (I)gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great quantity, and precious stones. There never again came such abundance of spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. 11 (J)Also, the ships of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought great quantities of [c]almug wood and precious stones from Ophir. 12 (K)And the king made [d]steps of the almug wood for the house of the Lord and for the king’s house, also harps and stringed instruments for singers. There never again came such (L)almug wood, nor has the like been seen to this day.

13 Now King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, besides what Solomon had given her according to the royal generosity. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.

Solomon’s Great Wealth

14 The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, 15 besides that from the (M)traveling merchants, from the income of traders, (N)from all the kings of Arabia, and from the governors of the country.

16 And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. 17 He also made (O)three hundred shields of hammered gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the (P)House of the Forest of Lebanon.

18 (Q)Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. 19 The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round at the back; there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests. 20 Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom.

21 (R)All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon. 22 For the king had (S)merchant[e] ships at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the merchant (T)ships came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and [f]monkeys. 23 So (U)King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

24 Now all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 25 Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year.

26 (V)And Solomon (W)gathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he [g]stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. 27 (X)The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland.

28 (Y)Also Solomon had horses imported from Egypt and Keveh; the king’s merchants bought them in Keveh at the current price. 29 Now a chariot that was imported from Egypt cost six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse one hundred and fifty; (Z)and [h]thus, through their agents, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 10:2 company
  2. 1 Kings 10:3 too
  3. 1 Kings 10:11 algum, 2 Chr. 9:10, 11
  4. 1 Kings 10:12 Or supports
  5. 1 Kings 10:22 Lit. ships of Tarshish, deep-sea vessels
  6. 1 Kings 10:22 Or peacocks
  7. 1 Kings 10:26 So with LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. (cf. 2 Chr. 9:25); MT led
  8. 1 Kings 10:29 Lit. by their hands
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1 Kings 10
English Standard Version

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.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 10:10 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
  2. 1 Kings 10:16 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
  3. 1 Kings 10:17 A mina was about 1 1/4 pounds or 0.6 kilogram
  4. 1 Kings 10:19 Or and at the back of the throne was a calf's head
  5. 1 Kings 10:22 Or baboons
  6. 1 Kings 10:25 Or armor
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1 Reyes 10
Nueva Versión Internacional (Castilian)

La reina de Sabá visita a Salomón(A)

10 La reina de Sabá se enteró de la fama de Salomón, con la cual él honraba el nombre del Señor, así que fue a verlo para ponerlo a prueba con preguntas difíciles. 2 Llegó a Jerusalén con un séquito muy grande. Sus camellos llevaban perfumes y grandes cantidades de oro y piedras preciosas. Al presentarse ante Salomón, le preguntó todo lo que tenía pensado, 3 y él respondió a todas sus preguntas. No hubo ningún asunto, por difícil que fuera, que el rey no pudiera resolver.

4-5 La reina de Sabá se quedó atónita ante la sabiduría de Salomón y al ver el palacio que él había construido, los manjares de su mesa, los asientos que ocupaban sus funcionarios, el servicio y la ropa de los camareros, las bebidas, y los holocaustos que ofrecía en el templo[a] del Señor. 6 Entonces le dijo al rey: «¡Todo lo que escuché en mi país acerca de tus triunfos y de tu sabiduría es cierto! 7 No podía creer nada de eso hasta que vine y lo vi con mis propios ojos. Pero, en realidad, ¡no me habían contado ni siquiera la mitad! Tanto en sabiduría como en riqueza, superas todo lo que había oído decir. 8 ¡Dichosos tus súbditos! ¡Dichosos estos tus siervos, que constantemente están en tu presencia bebiendo de tu sabiduría! 9 ¡Y alabado sea el Señor tu Dios, que se ha deleitado en ti y te ha puesto en el trono de Israel! En su eterno amor por Israel, el Señor te ha hecho rey para que gobiernes con justicia y rectitud».

10 Luego la reina le regaló a Salomón tres mil novecientos sesenta kilos[b] de oro, piedras preciosas y gran cantidad de perfumes. Nunca más llegaron a Israel tantos perfumes como los que la reina de Sabá le obsequió al rey Salomón.

11 La flota de Hiram trajo desde Ofir, además del oro, grandes cargamentos de madera de sándalo y de piedras preciosas. 12 Con la madera, el rey construyó balaustres[c] para el templo del Señor y para el palacio real, y también hizo arpas y liras para los músicos. Desde entonces, nunca más se ha importado, ni ha vuelto a verse, tanto sándalo como aquel día.

13 El rey Salomón, por su parte, le dio a la reina de Sabá todo lo que a ella se le antojó pedirle, además de lo que él, en su magnanimidad, ya le había regalado. Después de eso, la reina regresó a su país con todos los que la atendían.

El esplendor de Salomón(B)

14 La cantidad de oro que Salomón recibía anualmente llegaba a los veintidós mil kilos,[d] 15 sin contar los impuestos aportados por los mercaderes, el tráfico comercial, y todos los reyes árabes y los gobernadores del país.

16 El rey Salomón hizo doscientos escudos grandes de oro batido, en cada uno de los cuales se emplearon unos seis kilos y medio[e] de oro. 17 Hizo además trescientos escudos más pequeños, también de oro batido, empleando en cada uno de ellos un kilo y medio[f] de oro. Estos escudos los puso el rey en el palacio llamado «Bosque del Líbano».

18 El rey hizo también un gran trono de marfil, recubierto de oro puro. 19 El trono tenía seis peldaños, un espaldar redondo, brazos a cada lado del asiento, dos leones de pie junto a los brazos 20 y doce leones de pie sobre los seis peldaños, uno en cada extremo. En ningún otro reino se había hecho algo semejante. 21 Todas las copas del rey Salomón y toda la vajilla del palacio «Bosque del Líbano» eran de oro puro. Nada estaba hecho de plata, pues en tiempos de Salomón la plata era poco apreciada. 22 Cada tres años, la flota comercial que el rey tenía en el mar, junto con la flota de Hiram, regresaba de Tarsis trayendo oro, plata y marfil, monos y mandriles.[g]

23 Tanto en riquezas como en sabiduría, el rey Salomón sobrepasó a los demás reyes de la tierra. 24 Todo el mundo procuraba visitarlo para oír la sabiduría que Dios le había dado, 25 y año tras año le llevaban regalos: artículos de plata y de oro, vestidos, armas y perfumes, y caballos y mulas.

26 Salomón multiplicó el número de sus carros de combate y sus caballos; llegó a tener mil cuatrocientos carros y doce mil caballos,[h] los cuales mantenía en las caballerizas y también en su palacio en Jerusalén. 27 El rey hizo que en Jerusalén la plata fuera tan común y corriente como las piedras, y el cedro tan abundante como las higueras de la llanura. 28 Los caballos de Salomón eran importados de Egipto y de Coa, que era donde los mercaderes de la corte los compraban. 29 En Egipto compraban carros por seiscientas monedas de plata,[i] y caballos por ciento cincuenta, para luego vendérselos a todos los reyes hititas y sirios.

Footnotes

  1. 10:4-5 los holocaustos … templo. Alt. la escalinata por la cual él subía al templo.
  2. 10:10 tres mil novecientos sesenta kilos. Lit. ciento veinte talentos.
  3. 10:12 balaustres. Alt. barandas.
  4. 10:14 veintidós mil kilos. Lit. seiscientos sesenta y seis talentos.
  5. 10:16 unos seis kilos y medio. Lit. seiscientos siclos.
  6. 10:17 un kilo y medio. Lit. tres minas.
  7. 10:22 mandriles. Alt. pavos reales.
  8. 10:26 caballos. Alt. aurigas.
  9. 10:29 seiscientas monedas de plata. Lit. seiscientos [siclos] de plata.
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1 Kings 10
New International Version

The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon(A)

10 When the queen of Sheba(B) heard about the fame(C) of Solomon and his relationship to the Lord, she came to test Solomon with hard questions.(D) 2 Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan(E)—with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones—she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind. 3 Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. 4 When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, 5 the food on his table,(F) the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at[a] the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.

6 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. 7 But I did not believe(G) these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth(H) you have far exceeded the report I heard. 8 How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear(I) your wisdom! 9 Praise(J) be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love(K) for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice(L) and righteousness.”

10 And she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold,(M) large quantities of spices, and precious stones. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

11 (Hiram’s ships brought gold from Ophir;(N) and from there they brought great cargoes of almugwood[c] and precious stones. 12 The king used the almugwood to make supports[d] for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. So much almugwood has never been imported or seen since that day.)

13 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for, besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country.

Solomon’s Splendor(O)

14 The weight of the gold(P) that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents,[e] 15 not including the revenues from merchants and traders and from all the Arabian kings and the governors of the territories.

16 King Solomon made two hundred large shields(Q) of hammered gold; six hundred shekels[f] of gold went into each shield. 17 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three minas[g] of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.(R)

18 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with fine gold. 19 The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. 20 Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom. 21 All King Solomon’s goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold.(S) Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s days. 22 The king had a fleet of trading ships[h](T) at sea along with the ships(U) of Hiram. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.

23 King Solomon was greater in riches(V) and wisdom(W) than all the other kings of the earth. 24 The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom(X) God had put in his heart. 25 Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift(Y)—articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.

26 Solomon accumulated chariots and horses;(Z) he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses,[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 27 The king made silver as common(AA) in Jerusalem as stones,(AB) and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig(AC) trees in the foothills. 28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue[j]—the royal merchants purchased them from Kue at the current price. 29 They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty.[k] They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites(AD) and of the Arameans.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 10:5 Or the ascent by which he went up to
  2. 1 Kings 10:10 That is, about 4 1/2 tons or about 4 metric tons
  3. 1 Kings 10:11 Probably a variant of algumwood; also in verse 12
  4. 1 Kings 10:12 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  5. 1 Kings 10:14 That is, about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons
  6. 1 Kings 10:16 That is, about 15 pounds or about 6.9 kilograms; also in verse 29
  7. 1 Kings 10:17 That is, about 3 3/4 pounds or about 1.7 kilograms; or perhaps reference is to double minas, that is, about 7 1/2 pounds or about 3.5 kilograms.
  8. 1 Kings 10:22 Hebrew of ships of Tarshish
  9. 1 Kings 10:26 Or charioteers
  10. 1 Kings 10:28 Probably Cilicia
  11. 1 Kings 10:29 That is, about 3 3/4 pounds or about 1.7 kilograms
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