Chronological

The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon

10 When the queen of Sheba heard about the wisdom Solomon had from the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions. ² She came to Jerusalem and many people came with her. She brought camels carrying spices and much gold and stones of much worth. 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 which he could not make plain to her. ⁴ The queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the house he had built, ⁵ the food on his table, and his many servants seated to eat. She saw those who brought the food and how they were dressed, and those who carried his cups. She saw the steps by which he went up to the house of the Lord. And there was no more spirit in her. ⁶ She said to the king, “The news was true that I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. ⁷ But I did not believe the news until I came. Now my eyes have seen it. And half of it was not told to me. You have more wisdom and riches than I heard you had. ⁸ How happy are your men! How happy are these your servants who stand in front of you always and hear your wisdom! ⁹ Thanks be to the Lord your God Who was pleased with you and set you on the throne of Israel. Because the Lord loved Israel forever, He has made you king, to do what is fair and right and good.” ¹⁰ Then she gave the king gold weighing as much as 120 small men. She gave him a very large amount of spices and stones of much worth. Never again did so much spices come in as that which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

¹¹ The ships of Hiram brought from Ophir gold and very many almug trees and stones of much worth. ¹² The king used the almug trees to make pillars for the house of the Lord and for the king’s house. And he used them to make different kinds of harps for the singers. No such almug trees have come in again or have been seen to this day.

¹³ King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she wanted, whatever she asked, as well as his gifts to her from the king’s riches. Then she and her servants returned to her own land.

Solomon’s Riches

¹⁴ The gold which came in to Solomon in one year weighed as much as 666 small men, ¹⁵ besides all the gold that came from the traders and all the kings of the Arabs and the leaders of the country. ¹⁶ King Solomon made 200 large body coverings for battle of beaten gold. For each covering he used 600 pieces of gold. ¹⁷ And he made 300 coverings of beaten gold, using 150 pieces of gold on each covering. The king put them in the house among the trees of Lebanon. ¹⁸ Then the king made a large throne of ivory and covered it with fine gold. ¹⁹ The throne had six steps, and a round top at its back. There were arms on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the arms. ²⁰ Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one on each end. Nothing like it was made for any other king. ²¹ All of King Solomon’s cups were made of gold. And all the cups of the house among the trees of Lebanon were made of pure gold. None of them were made of silver. Silver was not thought of as being of much worth in the days of Solomon. ²² For the king had a group of ships of Tarshish at sea with the ships of Hiram. Every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks.

²³ So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. ²⁴ They came from all over the earth to see Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. ²⁵ Every one of them brought his gift. They brought objects of silver and gold, clothing, objects for fighting in battle, spices, horses and donkeys, so much year by year.

²⁶ Solomon gathered war-wagons and horsemen. He had 1,400 war-wagons and 12,000 horsemen. He kept them in the war-wagon cities and with the king in Jerusalem. ²⁷ The king made silver as easy to find as stones in Jerusalem. He made cedar trees as easy to find as the sycamore trees of the valley. ²⁸ Solomon had horses brought from Egypt and Kue. The king’s traders bought them from Kue, each for a price. ²⁹ A war-wagon could be brought from Egypt for 600 pieces of silver, and a horse for 150 pieces of silver. They got them in the same way for all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.

Solomon Turns Away from the Lord

11 Now King Solomon loved many women from other nations. He loved the daughter of Pharaoh, and Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian and Hittite women. ² They were from the nations about which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, “Do not take wives from them. And do not have them take wives from you. For they will be sure to turn your heart away to follow their gods.” But Solomon held on to these women in love. ³ He had 700 wives, kings’ daughters, and 300 women who acted as his wives. And his wives turned his heart away. ⁴ When Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away to follow other gods. His whole heart was not faithful to the Lord his God, as the heart of his father David had been. ⁵ For Solomon followed Ashtoreth the false goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom the hated god of the Ammonites. ⁶ Solomon did what was sinful in the eyes of the Lord. He did not follow the Lord with all his heart, as his father David had done. ⁷ Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the hated god of Moab, and for Molech the hated god of the sons of Ammon, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. ⁸ He did the same for all his wives from other nations, who burned special perfume and gave gifts to their gods.

⁹ Now the Lord was angry with Solomon, because Solomon’s heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel. The Lord had come to him twice ¹⁰ and had told him about this, that he should not follow other gods. But Solomon did not obey what the Lord had told him. ¹¹ So the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you have done this and have not kept My agreement and My Laws which I told you, for sure I will tear the nation from you and will give it to your servant. ¹² But I will not do it while you are alive, because of your father David. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. ¹³ But I will not tear away all the nation. I will give one family group to your son because of My servant David, and because of Jerusalem which I have chosen.”

Solomon’s Trouble

¹⁴ Then the Lord sent Hadad the Edomite to make trouble for Solomon. He was of the king’s family in Edom. ¹⁵ For when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the army had gone up to bury the dead, he killed every male in Edom. ¹⁶ (For Joab and all Israel stayed there six months, until he had killed every male in Edom.) ¹⁷ But Hadad ran away to Egypt, together with certain Edomites of his father’s servants, while Hadad was still a young boy. ¹⁸ They came from Midian to Paran. Then they took men with them from Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt. Pharaoh gave Hadad a house and food and land. ¹⁹ Now Hadad found much favor in the eyes of Pharaoh. So Pharaoh gave him in marriage the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen. ²⁰ Tahpenes’ sister gave birth to his son Genubath, whom Tahpenes took care of in Pharaoh’s house. Genubath was in Pharaoh’s house among the sons of Pharaoh. ²¹ But Hadad heard in Egypt that David and Joab the captain of David’s army were dead. So Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Send me away, so I may return to my own country.” ²² Pharaoh said to him, “But what have you been without while you stayed with me? Why do you want to go to your own country?” Hadad answered, “Nothing. But even so, let me go.”

²³ God sent Rezon the son of Eliada against Solomon also. Rezon had run away from his owner Hadadezer king of Zobah. ²⁴ He gathered men around him and became the leader of a group of fighters, after David killed the men of Zobah. They went to Damascus and stayed there. Rezon was made king in Damascus. ²⁵ So he brought trouble to Israel all the days of Solomon, together with the trouble brought by Hadad. He hated Israel and ruled over Syria.

Jeroboam Works against the King

²⁶ Then Jeroboam the son of Nebat turned against the king. Jeroboam was Solomon’s servant, an Ephraimite of Zeredah. His mother’s name was Zeruah, a woman whose husband had died. ²⁷ Now this is the reason he turned against the king. Solomon built the Millo, and built a stronger wall around the city of his father David. ²⁸ Now Jeroboam was a powerful soldier. When Solomon saw that the young man was a good worker, he chose him to rule over all men of the family of Joseph who were made to work. ²⁹ When Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, the man who spoke for God Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Ahijah had dressed himself with a new coat, and both of them were alone in the field. ³⁰ Then Ahijah took hold of his new coat and tore it into twelve pieces. ³¹ And he said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself. For the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘See, I will tear the nation out of the hand of Solomon and give you ten family groups. ³² (But he will have one family group, because of My servant David and because of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen from all the families of Israel.) ³³ Because they have turned away from Me. They have worshiped Ashtoreth the false goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon. They have not walked in My ways, doing what is right in My eyes and keeping My Laws, as his father David did. ³⁴ But I will not take the whole nation from him. I will make him ruler all the days of his life, because of My servant David whom I chose, who kept My Word and My Laws. ³⁵ But I will take the nation from his son, and will give to you ten family groups. ³⁶ I will give one family group to his son, that My servant David will have a lamp always before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen for Myself to put My name. ³⁷ And I will take you, and you will rule over whatever you want. You will be the king of Israel. ³⁸ Listen to all I tell you to do. Walk in My ways. Do what is right in My eyes by keeping My Word and My Laws, as My servant David did. If you do, then I will be with you and build you a house that will last, as I built for David. And I will give Israel to you. ³⁹ I will bring trouble to the children of David for this, but not forever.’” ⁴⁰ So Solomon tried to put Jeroboam to death. But Jeroboam got up and ran to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt. And he stayed in Egypt until Solomon died.

The Death of Solomon

⁴¹ Now the rest of the acts of Solomon and whatever he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the Book of the Acts of Solomon? ⁴² Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. ⁴³ And Solomon died and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam ruled in his place.

The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon

9 The queen of Sheba heard how well Solomon was known in all the lands. So she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. She came with many servants and camels carrying spices and much gold and stones of much worth. When she came to Solomon, she talked with him about all that was on her heart. ² And Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing hidden from him which he could not make clear to her. ³ Then the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon and the house he had built. ⁴ She saw the food at his table, and all his captains sitting there. She saw all those who were bringing in the food, and how they were dressed. She saw those who carried the cups, and their clothing. And she saw the burnt gifts that Solomon gave at the house of the Lord. After that, there was no more spirit in her. ⁵ She said to the king, “The news was true which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. ⁶ But I did not believe the news until I came and saw it with my own eyes. See, half the greatness of your wisdom was not told to me. You are greater than what I had heard. ⁷ Happy are your men! Happy are your servants who stand in front of you all the time hearing your wisdom! ⁸ Praise be to the Lord your God Who was pleased with you! He set you on His throne as king for the Lord your God. Your God loved Israel and would have them last forever. So He made you king over them to do what is fair and right and good.” ⁹ Then she gave the king gold weighing as much as 120 men, a very large amount of spices, and stones of much worth. There had never been spices like what the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

¹⁰ Huram’s servants and Solomon’s servants brought gold from Ophir. They also brought algum trees and stones of much worth. ¹¹ The king used the algum wood to make steps for the house of the Lord and for the king’s house. And he used it to make different kinds of harps for the singers. There were none seen like them before in the land of Judah.

¹² King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she asked for, much more than she had brought to him. Then she returned to her own land with her servants.

King Solomon’s Riches

¹³ The gold that came to Solomon in one year weighed as much as 666 men. ¹⁴ Traders and men who buy and sell brought gold also. And all the kings of Arabia and the leaders of the land brought gold and silver to Solomon. ¹⁵ King Solomon made 200 battle-coverings of beaten gold. The beaten gold he used to make each large covering was as much as 600 gold pieces. ¹⁶ And he made 300 battle-coverings of beaten gold, using as much as 300 gold pieces worth of gold for each covering. The king put them in the House of the Trees of Lebanon.

¹⁷ The king made a great throne of ivory and covered it with pure gold. ¹⁸ There were six steps to the throne, and a part made of gold for his feet was joined to the throne. The throne had arms on each side, and two lions standing beside the arms. ¹⁹ Twelve lions were standing on each side of the six steps. Nothing like it had ever been made for the king of any other nation. ²⁰ All King Solomon’s cups were made of gold. And all the cups of the House of the Trees of Lebanon were made of pure gold. Silver was not thought of as having much worth in the days of Solomon. ²¹ For the king had ships which went to Tarshish with Huram’s servants. Once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

²² So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. ²³ And all the kings of the earth wanted to be with Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put into his heart. ²⁴ Every one of them brought his gift. Objects of silver and gold, clothing, objects for battle, spices, horses and donkeys, were brought each year.

²⁵ Solomon had 4,000 rooms for horses and war-wagons, and 12,000 horsemen. He put them in the war-wagon cities and with the king in Jerusalem. ²⁶ He was the ruler over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, and as far as the land of Egypt. ²⁷ And the king made silver as easy to find as stones in Jerusalem. He made cedar trees as easy to find as sycamore trees in the valley. ²⁸ And horses were brought in for Solomon from Egypt and from all countries.

Death of Solomon

²⁹ Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are written in the words of Nathan the man of God. They are written in the holy words of Ahijah the Shilonite. And they are written in the special dreams of Iddo, the man who tells what will happen in the future, about Jeroboam the son of Nebat. ³⁰ Solomon ruled forty years in Jerusalem over all Israel. ³¹ When he died he was buried in the city of his father David. And his son Rehoboam ruled in his place.