The Queen of Sheba (2 Chronicles 9:1–12)
1 WBS And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard 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 WBS And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bore spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she had come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in 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 WBS And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. BSB BSB: And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for the king to explain.
4 WBS And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, 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 WBS And the provisions of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cup-bearers, and his ascent by which he went up to the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit 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 WBS And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in my own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. BSB BSB: She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words and wisdom is true.
7 WBS Howbeit, I believed not the words, until I came, and my eyes had seen it : and behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which 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 WBS Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, who stand continually before thee, and that hear thy 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 WBS Blessed be the LORD thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore he made thee king, to do judgment and justice. 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 WBS And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices a very great quantity, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which 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 WBS And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones. 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 WBS And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the LORD, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug-trees, nor have they 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 WBS And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, besides that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, 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 WBS Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty six talents of gold, BSB BSB: The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents,
15 WBS Besides what he had of the merchants, and of the traffic of the spice-merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country. BSB BSB: not including the revenue from the merchants, traders, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land.
16 WBS And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of gold went to one target. BSB BSB: King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield.
17 WBS And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pounds of gold went to 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 WBS Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold. BSB BSB: Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.
19 WBS The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind: and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays. 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 WBS And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom. 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 WBS And 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; none were of silver: it was nothing accounted of 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 WBS For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, 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 WBS So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. BSB BSB: So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
24 WBS And all the earth sought to 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 WBS And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armor, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate 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 WBS And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars he made to be as the sycamore trees that are in the vale, for abundance. BSB BSB: The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills.
28 WBS And Solomon had horses brought from Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price. BSB BSB: Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue; the royal merchants purchased them from Kue.
29 WBS And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means. 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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