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2 Chronicles 9
The Voice

Solomon’s wealth and wisdom are so well-known that other monarchs in the region come to him to receive advice and to offer gifts. Huram, king of Tyre, may give Solomon great gifts during the construction of Israel’s infrastructure, but his aid is not nearly as memorable as the gifts of the queen of Sheba, who visits from the Arabian peninsula.

9 The queen of Sheba entered Jerusalem with an impressive entourage and camels carrying spices, a large amount of gold, and gems. She had heard about Solomon’s famous wisdom, so she came to ask him difficult questions that addressed her personal concerns. 2 Solomon answered these questions openly and honestly where nothing about the queen was hidden from Solomon’s knowledge. 3-4 His wisdom and frankness impressed and astonished the queen, as did the palace, the meal, the servants, the guests and their clothing, the cupbearers and their clothing, and the stairway[a] that led to the Eternal’s temple. After viewing all these things, the queen was mesmerized and breathless.

Queen of Sheba: 5-6 Although I did not believe the reports of your greatness—it seemed impossible that anyone could have your wisdom, power, and justice—your reputation as a well-spoken and wise king is justified. I have witnessed only a portion of your wisdom, yet even that portion surpasses the stories that are told about you. 7 Those who surround you, your men and your servants, are blessed to be near you and to hear your wise musings daily. 8 Blessed be the Eternal One your God, who favored your potential as a great ruler and placed you on His throne. He has demonstrated His love for Israel by ensuring the nation’s future with you as their just and righteous king.

9 The queen of Sheba gave to Solomon in recognition of his prestige 9,000 pounds of gold, vast quantities of gems, and a large amount of spices previously unknown in Israel. 10 When Solomon’s and Huram’s servants had brought gold from the land of Ophir, they also brought algum wood and costly gems. 11 Solomon had used this non-native algum wood to build the steps to the Eternal’s temple and the king’s palace and to make lyres and harps for the musicians. These were all unmatched by anything that had existed in the land of Judah.

12 Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all that she had traveled to Israel to receive, in addition to gifts equaling those that she brought to him. Contented with her visit, the queen returned home with her servants.

In addition to the gifts of Huram and the queen of Sheba, Solomon collects a substantial treasury from the gifts of other nations.

13 Annually Solomon received about 25 tons of gold 14 in addition to what the traders and merchants brought. The Arabian kings and the local governors also brought gold and silver to him.

15 Solomon used some of this metal to make weapons: 200 large shields (each weighing 7½ pounds of beaten gold) 16 and 300 small, rounded shields (each weighing 3¾ pounds of beaten gold). All the shields were stored in the house made of wood imported from Lebanon.

17 Solomon then constructed a large ivory throne and gilded it. 18-19 At the base of the throne were 6 steps and a golden footstool, and at the sides were armrests. The throne was guarded by 14 lions: one next to each armrest, and one on either side of each step. This throne was unlike any other monarch’s throne.

20 In King Solomon’s house, made of wood from Lebanon, the drinking cups and dishes were of gold (since silver was not recognized as a precious metal in Solomon’s days).

21 Both Solomon and Huram owned ships which traded with the coastal city of Tarshish every three years, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks[b] into Israel. 22 All this made King Solomon richer than all other monarchs, and his wisdom was equally immeasurable. 23 All the kings of the earth wanted an audience with King Solomon, to hear the wisdom which God bestowed upon him, as the queen of Sheba had. 24 Each visitor brought gifts to Solomon every year: silver, gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

25 Solomon’s horses and chariots stayed in 4,000 stalls along with the 12,000 horsemen who resided with him in Jerusalem or in Israel’s other fortified cities.

26 During his reign, Solomon ruled the region between the Euphrates River in the east and to the land of the Philistines all the way to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, and southward to north of the border of Egypt. 27 He made Jerusalem so wealthy that silver was as common as stones in the rocky regions and cedars were as plentiful as sycamore trees in the lowland. 28 Solomon also imported and was given expensive horses from Egypt and from other countries.

29 The actions of King Solomon, from his birth until his death, are recorded in the chronicles of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecies of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer (specifically those concerning Jeroboam, son of Nebat).

30 Solomon’s rule over all Israel lasted 40 years—during which time he governed from his capital city, Jerusalem. 31 And after he joined with his ancestors in death and was laid with his father, our beloved King David, in Jerusalem, Solomon’s son Rehoboam ruled Israel in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 9:3-4 Difficult text; another possible reading, “roof chamber.”
  2. 9:21 Difficult reading; possibly “baboons” or “monkeys.”
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2 Chronicles 9
International Standard Version

The Queen of Sheba Visits Jerusalem(A)

9 When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon’s reputation, she traveled to Jerusalem and tested him[a] with difficult questions. She brought along a large retinue, camels laden with spices, and lots of gold and precious stones. Upon her arrival, she spoke with Solomon about everything that was on her mind.[b] 2 Solomon answered all of her questions. Because nothing was hidden from Solomon, he hid nothing from her. 3 When the queen of Sheba had seen Solomon’s wisdom for herself, the palace that he had built, 4 the food set at his table, his servants who waited on him, his ministers in attendance and how they were dressed, his personal staff[c] and how they were dressed, and even his personal stairway by which he went up to the Lord’s Temple, she was breathless!

5 “Everything I heard about your wisdom and what you have to say is true!” she gasped, 6 “but I didn’t believe it at first! But then I came here and I’ve seen it for myself! It’s amazing! I wasn’t told half of what’s really great about your wisdom. You’re far better in person than what the reports have said about you! 7 How blessed are your staff! And how blessed are your employees,[d] who serve you continually and get to listen to your wisdom! 8 Blessed be the Lord your God, who is delighted with you! He set you in place on his throne to be king for the Lord your God. He made you king over them so you could carry out justice and implement righteousness, because your God loves Israel and intends to establish them[e] forever.”

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[f] of gold, a vast quantity of spices, and precious stones. There were no spices comparable to those that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. 10 Hiram’s servants and Solomon’s servants, who brought gold from Ophir,[g] also presented algum wood[h] and other precious stones. 11 The king used the algum wood[i] to have steps made for the Lord’s Temple and for the royal palace, as well as lyres and harps for the choir,[j] and nothing like that wood[k] had been seen before in the territory of Judah. 12 In return, King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she wanted and requested in addition to what she had brought for the king. Afterward, she returned to her own land, accompanied by her servants.

Solomon’s Wealth(B)

13 Solomon received in any given year about 666 talents[l] of gold, 14 not including revenue from traders and merchants. In addition, all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the nation brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15 King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, overlaying each shield with the gold from 600 gold pieces,[m] 16 and 300 shields from beaten gold, overlaying each shield with the gold from 300 gold pieces.[n] The king put them in his palace in the Lebanon forest. 17 The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold. 18 Six steps led up to the throne. A golden footstool was attached to the throne, which had armrests on each side of the seat and two lions standing on either side of each armrest. 19 Twelve lions were placed on both sides of the six steps leading to the throne,[o] and nothing comparable was made for any other[p] kingdom. 20 All of King Solomon’s drinking vessels were made of[q] gold, and all the vessels in his palace in the Lebanon forest were made of[r] pure gold. Silver was never considered to be valuable during the lifetime of Solomon, 21 because the king had ships that sailed to Tarshish accompanied by Hiram’s servants. Once every three years ships from Tarshish returned, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

22 As a result, King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in regards to wealth and wisdom. 23 All the kings of the earth continued to seek audiences with Solomon so they could hear the wise things that God had put in his heart. 24 Everyone kept on bringing gifts on an annual basis, including items made of silver and gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules. 25 Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, along with 12,000 cavalry soldiers. He stationed them in various chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 26 King Solomon[s] ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates[t] River west[u] to the land of the Philistines and as far south as the boundary with Egypt.

27 The king made silver as common as[v] stones in Jerusalem, and made cedar trees as abundant as sycamore trees in the Shephelah.[w] 28 They also kept bringing horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all of the surrounding[x] countries.

The Death of Solomon(C)

29 Now the rest of Solomon’s accomplishments, from first to last, are written in the records of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer pertaining to Nebat’s son Jeroboam, are they not? 30 Solomon reigned for 40 years in Jerusalem over all of Israel. 31 Then Solomon died, as had[y] his ancestors, and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 9:1 Lit. Solomon
  2. 2 Chronicles 9:1 Lit. heart
  3. 2 Chronicles 9:4 Lit. his cupbearers
  4. 2 Chronicles 9:7 Lit. servants
  5. 2 Chronicles 9:8 Lit. him; i.e. the nation personified as an individual
  6. 2 Chronicles 9:9 I.e. about 9,000 pounds; a talent weighed about 75 pounds
  7. 2 Chronicles 9:10 Or from a source of fine gold; cf. 1Chr 29:4
  8. 2 Chronicles 9:10 Or presented Juniper trees
  9. 2 Chronicles 9:11 Or the Juniper trees
  10. 2 Chronicles 9:11 Lit. singers
  11. 2 Chronicles 9:11 The Heb. lacks wood
  12. 2 Chronicles 9:13 I.e. about 49,950 pounds; a talent weighed about 75 pounds
  13. 2 Chronicles 9:15 MT does not identify the individual unit of measure
  14. 2 Chronicles 9:16 MT does not identify the individual unit of measure
  15. 2 Chronicles 9:19 The Heb. lacks leading to the throne
  16. 2 Chronicles 9:19 The Heb. lacks other
  17. 2 Chronicles 9:20 The Heb. lacks made of
  18. 2 Chronicles 9:20 The Heb. lacks made of
  19. 2 Chronicles 9:26 Lit. He
  20. 2 Chronicles 9:26 The Heb. lacks Euphrates
  21. 2 Chronicles 9:26 The Heb. lacks west
  22. 2 Chronicles 9:27 The Heb. lacks as common as
  23. 2 Chronicles 9:27 I.e. the verdant central lowlands of Israel; cf. Josh 10:40
  24. 2 Chronicles 9:28 The Heb. lacks surrounding
  25. 2 Chronicles 9:31 Lit. Solomon slept with; and so throughout the book
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