Visit of the Queen of Sheba

(A)Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with riddles. She had a very large entourage, with camels carrying balsam oil and a large amount of gold and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about everything that was on her heart. Solomon [a]answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from Solomon which he did not [b]explain to her. When the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house which he had built, the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his ministers and their attire, his cupbearers and their attire, and [c]his stairway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, she was breathless. Then she said to the king, “It was a true [d]story that I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. But I did not believe their [e]stories until I came and my own eyes saw it all. And behold, not even half of the greatness of your wisdom was reported to me. You have surpassed the report that I heard. How [f]blessed are your men, how [g]blessed are these servants of yours, who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom! Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you, (B)setting you on His throne as king for the Lord your God; (C)because your God loved Israel, establishing them forever, He made you king over them, to carry out justice and righteousness.” Then she gave the king [h]120 talents of gold and a very great amount of balsam oil and precious stones; there had never been balsam oil like that which the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.

10 The servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon (D)who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum trees and precious stones. 11 From the algum trees the king made steps to the house of the Lord and for the king’s palace, and lyres and harps for the singers; and nothing like them was seen before in the land of Judah.

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba her every desire, whatever she requested, besides gifts equal to what she had brought to the king. Then she turned and went to her own land with her servants.

Solomon’s Wealth and Power

13 (E)Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was [i]666 talents of gold, 14 besides what the traders and merchants brought; and all (F)the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold, [j]using six hundred shekels of beaten gold on each large shield. 16 He made three hundred shields of beaten gold, [k]using three hundred shekels of gold on each shield; and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

17 Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. 18 There were six steps to the throne and a footstool in gold attached to the throne, and [l]arms [m]on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the [n]arms. 19 Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for any other kingdom. 20 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; silver was not considered [o]valuable in the days of Solomon. 21 (G)For the king had ships which went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

22 (H)So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in wealth and wisdom. 23 And all the kings of the earth were seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. 24 (I)They were bringing, each of them his gift: articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, balsam oil, horses, and mules, so much year by year.

25 Now Solomon had (J)four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 26 (K)He was ruler over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, and as far as the border of Egypt. 27 (L)And the king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the [p]lowland. 28 (M)And they were bringing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all countries.

29 (N)Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from the first to the last, (O)are they not written in the [q]records of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of [r]Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? 30 (P)Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.

Death of Solomon

31 And Solomon [s]lay down with his fathers and was buried in (Q)the city of his father David; and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 9:2 Lit told her all her words
  2. 2 Chronicles 9:2 Lit tell
  3. 2 Chronicles 9:4 Or his burnt offering which he offered
  4. 2 Chronicles 9:5 Lit word
  5. 2 Chronicles 9:6 Lit words
  6. 2 Chronicles 9:7 Or happy
  7. 2 Chronicles 9:7 Or happy
  8. 2 Chronicles 9:9 About 4.5 tons or 4 metric tons
  9. 2 Chronicles 9:13 About 25 tons or 23 metric tons
  10. 2 Chronicles 9:15 Lit he brought up
  11. 2 Chronicles 9:16 Lit he brought up
  12. 2 Chronicles 9:18 Lit hands
  13. 2 Chronicles 9:18 Lit from this and from this at the place of the seat
  14. 2 Chronicles 9:18 Lit hands
  15. 2 Chronicles 9:20 Lit anything
  16. 2 Chronicles 9:27 Heb shephelah
  17. 2 Chronicles 9:29 Lit words
  18. 2 Chronicles 9:29 Heb Jedo
  19. 2 Chronicles 9:31 I.e., died

The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon(A)

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

She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe what they said until I came(D) and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard. How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne(E) as king to rule for the Lord your God. Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever, he has made you king(F) over them, to maintain justice and righteousness.”

Then she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold,(G) large quantities of spices, and precious stones. There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir;(H) they also brought algumwood[c] and precious stones. 11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. Nothing like them had ever been seen in Judah.)

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for; he gave her more than she had brought to him. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country.

Solomon’s Splendor(I)

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents,[d] 14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders. Also all the kings of Arabia(J) and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon.

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

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory(M) and overlaid with pure gold. 18 The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. 19 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. 20 All King Solomon’s goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s day. 21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[g] manned by Hiram’s[h] servants. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.(N) 23 All the kings(O) of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. 24 Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift(P)—articles of silver and gold, and robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots,(Q) and twelve thousand horses,[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 26 He ruled(R) over all the kings from the Euphrates River(S) to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.(T) 27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. 28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries.

Solomon’s Death(U)

29 As for the other events of Solomon’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the records of Nathan(V) the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah(W) the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam(X) son of Nebat? 30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David(Y) his father. And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 9:4 Or and the ascent by which he went up to
  2. 2 Chronicles 9:9 That is, about 4 1/2 tons or about 4 metric tons
  3. 2 Chronicles 9:10 Probably a variant of almugwood
  4. 2 Chronicles 9:13 That is, about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons
  5. 2 Chronicles 9:15 That is, about 15 pounds or about 6.9 kilograms
  6. 2 Chronicles 9:16 That is, about 7 1/2 pounds or about 3.5 kilograms
  7. 2 Chronicles 9:21 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish
  8. 2 Chronicles 9:21 Hebrew Huram, a variant of Hiram
  9. 2 Chronicles 9:25 Or charioteers

The Warnings of History to the Ungodly

[a](A)Jude, a (B)bond-servant of Jesus Christ and brother of [b]James,

To (C)those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and (D)kept for Jesus Christ: (E)May mercy, peace, and love (F)be multiplied to you.

(G)Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our (H)common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you (I)contend earnestly for (J)the faith that was once for all time (K)handed down to (L)the [c]saints. For certain people have (M)crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand [d](N)marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn (O)the grace of our God into (P)indecent behavior and (Q)deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Now I want to (R)remind you, though (S)you know everything once and for all, that [e]the Lord, (T)after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, [f]subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. And (U)angels who did not keep their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling place, these He has (V)kept in eternal restraints under darkness for the judgment of the great day, just as (W)Sodom and Gomorrah and the (X)cities around them, since they in the same way as these angels indulged in sexual perversion and (Y)went after [g]strange flesh, are exhibited as an [h](Z)example in undergoing the (AA)punishment of eternal fire.

Yet in the same way these people also, dreaming, (AB)defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak abusively of angelic [i]majesties. But (AC)Michael (AD)the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about (AE)the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him an abusive judgment, but said, “(AF)The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But (AG)these people disparage all the things that they do not understand; and (AH)all the things that they know by instinct, (AI)like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone (AJ)the way of Cain, and for pay [j]they have given themselves up to (AK)the error of Balaam, and (AL)perished in the rebellion of Korah. 12 These are the ones who are [k]hidden reefs (AM)in your love feasts when they feast with you (AN)without fear, like shepherds caring only for themselves; (AO)clouds without water, (AP)carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, [l]doubly dead, (AQ)uprooted; 13 (AR)wild waves of the sea, churning up (AS)their own shameful deeds like dirty foam; wandering stars, (AT)for whom the [m]gloom of darkness has been reserved forever.

14 It was also about these people that (AU)Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “(AV)Behold, the Lord has come with [n]many thousands of His holy ones, 15 (AW)to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which (AX)ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” 16 These are (AY)grumblers, finding fault, (AZ)following after their own lusts; [o]they speak (BA)arrogantly, flattering people (BB)for the sake of gaining an advantage.

Keep Yourselves in the Love of God

17 But you, (BC)beloved, (BD)ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by (BE)the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18 that they were saying to you, “(BF)In the last time there will be mockers, (BG)following after their own ungodly lusts.” 19 These are the ones who cause divisions, [p](BH)worldly-minded, [q]devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, (BI)beloved, (BJ)building yourselves up on your most holy (BK)faith, (BL)praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, (BM)looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting; 23 save others, (BN)snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, (BO)hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.

24 (BP)Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling, and to (BQ)make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with (BR)great joy, 25 to the (BS)only (BT)God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, (BU)be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority (BV)before all time and now and [r]forever. Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Jude 1:1 Gr Judas
  2. Jude 1:1 Or Jacob
  3. Jude 1:3 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  4. Jude 1:4 Or written about regarding this
  5. Jude 1:5 One early ms Jesus
  6. Jude 1:5 Lit the second time
  7. Jude 1:7 Lit different; or other flesh
  8. Jude 1:7 Or example of eternal fire, in undergoing punishment
  9. Jude 1:8 Lit glories
  10. Jude 1:11 Lit they have poured themselves out
  11. Jude 1:12 Or stains
  12. Jude 1:12 Lit twice
  13. Jude 1:13 Or netherworld gloom
  14. Jude 1:14 Lit His holy ten thousands
  15. Jude 1:16 Lit their mouth speaks
  16. Jude 1:19 Or merely natural
  17. Jude 1:19 Lit not having
  18. Jude 1:25 Lit to all the ages

Jude,(A) a servant of Jesus Christ(B) and a brother of James,

To those who have been called,(C) who are loved in God the Father and kept for[a] Jesus Christ:(D)

Mercy, peace(E) and love be yours in abundance.(F)

The Sin and Doom of Ungodly People

Dear friends,(G) although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share,(H) I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend(I) for the faith(J) that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.(K) For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about[b] long ago have secretly slipped in among you.(L) They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.(M)

Though you already know all this,(N) I want to remind you(O) that the Lord[c] at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.(P) And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.(Q) In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah(R) and the surrounding towns(S) gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.(T)

In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings.(U) But even the archangel(V) Michael,(W) when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses,(X) did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”[d](Y) 10 Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.(Z)

11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain;(AA) they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error;(AB) they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.(AC)

12 These people are blemishes at your love feasts,(AD) eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves.(AE) They are clouds without rain,(AF) blown along by the wind;(AG) autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted(AH)—twice dead. 13 They are wild waves of the sea,(AI) foaming up their shame;(AJ) wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.(AK)

14 Enoch,(AL) the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming(AM) with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones(AN) 15 to judge(AO) everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”[e](AP) 16 These people are grumblers(AQ) and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires;(AR) they boast(AS) about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.

A Call to Persevere

17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles(AT) of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold.(AU) 18 They said to you, “In the last times(AV) there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.”(AW) 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.(AX)

20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up(AY) in your most holy faith(AZ) and praying in the Holy Spirit,(BA) 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait(BB) for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.(BC)

22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire;(BD) to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.[f](BE)

Doxology

24 To him who is able(BF) to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence(BG) without fault(BH) and with great joy— 25 to the only God(BI) our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!(BJ) Amen.(BK)

Footnotes

  1. Jude 1:1 Or by; or in
  2. Jude 1:4 Or individuals who were marked out for condemnation
  3. Jude 1:5 Some early manuscripts Jesus
  4. Jude 1:9 Jude is alluding to the Jewish Testament of Moses (approximately the first century a.d.).
  5. Jude 1:15 From the Jewish First Book of Enoch (approximately the first century b.c.)
  6. Jude 1:23 The Greek manuscripts of these verses vary at several points.