The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon^(A)

9 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. ² Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for him to explain to her. ³ When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon,^(C) as well as the palace he had built, ⁴ 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.

⁵ She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. ⁶ 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. ⁷ How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! ⁸ 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.”

⁹ 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.

The Seals

6 I watched as the Lamb^(A) opened the first of the seven seals.^(B) Then I heard one of the four living creatures^(C) say in a voice like thunder,^(D) “Come!” ² I looked, and there before me was a white horse!^(E) Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown,^(F) and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.^(G)

³ When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature^(H) say, “Come!” ⁴ Then another horse came out, a fiery red one.^(I) Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth^(J) and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.

⁵ When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature^(K) say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse!^(L) Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. ⁶ Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures,^(M) saying, “Two pounds^[a] of wheat for a day’s wages,^[b] and six pounds^[c] of barley for a day’s wages,^[d](N) and do not damage^(O) the oil and the wine!”

⁷ When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature^(P) say, “Come!” ⁸ I looked, and there before me was a pale horse!^(Q) Its rider was named Death, and Hades^(R) was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.^(S)

⁹ When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under^(T) the altar^(U) the souls of those who had been slain^(V) because of the word of God^(W) and the testimony they had maintained. ¹⁰ They called out in a loud voice, “How long,^(X) Sovereign Lord,^(Y) holy and true,^(Z) until you judge the inhabitants of the earth^(AA) and avenge our blood?”^{(AB) 11} Then each of them was given a white robe,^(AC) and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters,^[e] were killed just as they had been.^(AD)

¹² I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake.^(AE) The sun turned black^(AF) like sackcloth^(AG) made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, ¹³ and the stars in the sky fell to earth,^(AH) as figs drop from a fig tree^(AI) when shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴ The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up,^(AJ) and every mountain and island was removed from its place.^(AK)

¹⁵ Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free,^(AL) hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.^{(AM) 16} They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us^(AN) and hide us^[f] from the face of him who sits on the throne^(AO) and from the wrath of the Lamb! ¹⁷ For the great day^(AP) of their^[g] wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”^(AQ)