2 Chronicles 9:1-12
Evangelical Heritage Version
The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon
9 The Queen of Sheba heard about Solomon’s fame, so she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with difficult questions. She came with a very great entourage,[a] with camels carrying spices, a large quantity of gold, and precious stones. She came to Solomon and spoke with him about everything that was on her heart.
2 Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing hidden from Solomon that he could not explain to her.
3 When the Queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, the house which he had built, 4 the food on his table, the council meeting of his officials, the careful attention of his ministers and their attire, also his cupbearers and their attire, and the passageway by which he went up to the House of the Lord,[b] it took her breath away.
5 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my land about your accomplishments[c] and about your wisdom is true. 6 I did not believe the report, until I came and saw it with my own eyes. Now I find that I was not informed about even half of the greatness of your wisdom. You surpass the report that I heard. 7 Blessed are your men! Blessed are your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!
8 “Blessed be the Lord your God, who has been delighted with you and has placed you on his throne as king to serve the Lord your God. Because of your God’s love for Israel and his purpose of establishing Israel forever, he has placed you over them as king to administer justice and righteousness.”
9 Then she gave the king one hundred twenty talents[d] of gold, a very great quantity of spices and incense,[e] and precious stones. There was nothing comparable to these spices and incense that the Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
10 In addition, the servants of Huram and Solomon who brought gold from Ophir also brought algum[f] wood and precious stones. 11 The king made the algum wood into steps[g] for the Lord’s house and for the house of the king and into lyres and harps for the singers. Nothing like them had ever been seen before in the land of Judah.
12 King Solomon gave the Queen of Sheba everything she desired, whatever she asked for, more than what she had brought to the king. Then she returned to her land along with her servants.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2 Chronicles 9:1 Or a very impressive display of wealth
- 2 Chronicles 9:4 Or and the whole burnt offerings which he offered at the House of the Lord, which is the main reading in the parallel in 1 Kings 10:5. The context seems to require something impressive about the palace.
- 2 Chronicles 9:5 Or words
- 2 Chronicles 9:9 About nine thousand pounds
- 2 Chronicles 9:9 Spices and incense—the Hebrew text has only one word here. In English we usually distinguish spices which flavor food, fragrances which are applied to the body, and incense which is burned, but all of these meanings can be expressed by one Hebrew word. Sometimes it takes more than one English word to cover the range of one Hebrew word.
- 2 Chronicles 9:10 Perhaps a type of sandalwood. In 1 Kings 10:11, it reads almug wood.
- 2 Chronicles 9:11 Or supports
2 Chronicles 9:1-12
Lexham English Bible
Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
9 Now the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, and she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions, with much wealth and camels, bearing spices and much gold and precious stones. And she came to Solomon and told him all that was on her mind.[a] 2 And Solomon answered all her questions.[b] Not a word was hidden from Solomon that he did not answer for her. 3 When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon and the house he had built, 4 and the food of his table, and the position of his officers, the duty of his servants and their clothing, his cupbearers and their clothing, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of Yahweh, there was no longer any breath[c] in her. 5 And she said to the king, “The word which I heard in my land concerning your words and your wisdom is true, 6 but I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes. And behold, half the greatness of your wisdom was not reported to me; you surpass the rumors that I had heard. 7 Blessed are your men, and blessed are these your servants who stand before you regularly and hear your wisdom! 8 Blessed be Yahweh your God who took delight in you, to put you on his throne as king for Yahweh your God! Because your God loved Israel, he established him forever and has put you over them as king to do justice and righteousness!” 9 And she gave to the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold and a very great amount of spices and precious stones. And there were no spices such as those that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
10 Moreover the servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum wood and precious stones. 11 And the king made steps for the house of Yahweh and the house of the king, and lyres and harps for the singers from the algum wood. And there was not seen anything like them before in the land of Judah. 12 Now King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba every desired thing she asked, besides what she had brought to the king. Then she turned and went to her land, she and her servants.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2 Chronicles 9:1 Literally “in her heart”
- 2 Chronicles 9:2 Literally “made known to her all her words”
- 2 Chronicles 9:4 Or “spirit”
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