The Queen of Sheba (2 Chronicles 9:1–12)
1 ULT Now the Queen of Sheba heard the report of Solomon regarding the name of Yahweh. And she came to test him with difficult questions. BSB BSB: Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions.
2 ULT And she came to Jerusalem with a very great entourage, camels carrying spices and very much gold and precious stone. And she came to Solomon and spoke to him all that was with her heart. BSB BSB: She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones. And she came to Solomon and spoke to him all that was on her mind.
3 ULT And Solomon declared to her all of her matters. No matter was hidden from the king that he did not declare to her. BSB BSB: And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for the king to explain.
4 ULT And the Queen of Sheba saw all of the wisdom of Solomon and the house that he had built BSB BSB: When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built,
5 ULT and the food of his table and the seating of his servants and the service of his attendants and their apparel and his cupbearers and his burnt offerings that he offered{ at} the house of Yahweh. And no more breath was in her. BSB BSB: the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the service and attire of his attendants, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he presented at the house of the LORD, it took her breath away.
6 ULT And she said to the king,“The word is true that I heard in my land about your words and about your wisdom. BSB BSB: She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words and wisdom is true.
7 ULT But I did not believe the words until when I came and my eyes saw, and behold, the half had not been declared to me! You have added wisdom and goodness to the report that I heard. BSB BSB: But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told to me. Your wisdom and prosperity have far exceeded the report I heard.
8 ULT The happiness of your men! The happiness of these servants of yours, the ones standing to your face continually, the ones hearing your wisdom! BSB BSB: How blessed are your men! How blessed are these servants of yours who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!
9 ULT May Yahweh your God be blessed, who has delighted in you to put you on the throne of Israel. Because Yahweh loves Israel to forever, he has set you as king, to do justice and righteousness!” BSB BSB: Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, He has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness.”
10 ULT And she gave to the king 120 kikkars of gold and very many spices and precious stone.{ There} has not come again for abundance like that spice that the Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. BSB BSB: Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again were spices in such abundance brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
11 ULT (And also the fleet of Hiram, which carried gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir very much wood of almug and precious stone. BSB BSB: (The fleet of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir also brought from Ophir a great cargo of almug wood and precious stones.
12 ULT And the king made the wood of almug a support for the house of Yahweh and for the house of the king and harps and lyres for the singers. Such wood of almug had not come and has not been seen to this day.) BSB BSB: The king made the almug wood into steps for the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had such almug wood been brought in, nor has such been seen again to this day.)
13 ULT And King Solomon gave to the Queen of Sheba all of her desire that she asked, besides what he gave to her according to the hand of King Solomon. And she turned and went to her land, she and her servants. BSB BSB: King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired—whatever she asked—besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned to her own country, along with her servants.
Solomon’s Wealth and Splendor (2 Chronicles 1:14–17; 2 Chronicles 9:13–28)
14 ULT And the weight of the gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 kikkars of gold, BSB BSB: The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents,
15 ULT apart from the men of the searchers and from the merchandise of the traders and all of the kings of the Arab and the governors of the land. BSB BSB: not including the revenue from the merchants, traders, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land.
16 ULT And King Solomon made 200 beaten- gold large shields(he brought up 600 gold onto one large shield) BSB BSB: King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield.
17 ULT and 300 beaten- gold shields(he brought up three gold minas onto one shield). And the king put them{ in} the House of the Forest of Lebanon. BSB BSB: He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.
18 ULT And the king made a great ivory throne, and he overlaid it{ with} refined gold. BSB BSB: Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.
19 ULT Six steps{ were} to the throne, and a round head{ was} to the throne from behind it. And hands{ were} from this and from this to the place of the seat. And two lions were standing beside the hands. BSB BSB: The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest.
20 ULT And 12 lions were standing there on the six steps, from this side and from that side. It had not been done thus for any of the kingdoms. BSB BSB: Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.
21 ULT And all of the vessels of the drink of King Solomon were gold, and all of the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were beaten gold.{ There was} no silver. It was not reckoned as anything in the days of Solomon. BSB BSB: All King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, because it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.
22 ULT For a fleet of Tarshish{ was} to the king on the sea with the fleet of Hiram. One in three years the fleet of Tarshish would come carrying gold and silver, elephant tusks and apes and peacocks. BSB BSB: For the king had the ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
23 ULT And King Solomon became greater than all of the kings of the earth in wealth and in wisdom. BSB BSB: So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
24 ULT And all of the earth was seeking the face of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. BSB BSB: The whole world sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.
25 ULT And they were bringing, a man his gift, vessels of silver and vessels of gold and garments and weaponry and spices, horses and mules, a matter of year by year. BSB BSB: Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
27 ULT And the king made silver in Jerusalem like stones, and he made cedars like the sycamores that{ are} in the Shephelah for abundance. BSB BSB: The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills.
28 ULT And the going out of the horses that{ were} to Solomon{ was} from Egypt and from Kue. The traders of the king took from Kue for a price. BSB BSB: Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue; the royal merchants purchased them from Kue.
29 ULT And a chariot came up and went out from Egypt for 600 silver, and a horse for 150, and thus by their hand they brought out to all of the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram. BSB BSB: A chariot could be imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. Likewise, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram.
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