1The queen of Sheba heard about how famous Solomon was. So she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. She arrived with a very large group of attendants. Her camels were carrying spices, huge amounts of gold, and valuable jewels. She came to Solomon and asked him about everything she wanted to know.2He answered all her questions. There wasn’t anything too hard for him to explain to her.3So the queen of Sheba saw how wise Solomon was. She saw the palace he had built.4She saw the food on his table. She saw his officials sitting there. She saw the robes of the servants who waited on everyone. She saw the robes the wine tasters were wearing. And she saw the burnt offerings Solomon sacrificed at the LORD’s temple. She could hardly believe everything she had seen.5She said to the king, ‘Back in my own country I heard a report about you. I heard about how much you had accomplished. I also heard about how wise you are. Everything I heard is true.6But I didn’t believe what people were saying. So I came to see for myself. And now I believe it! You are twice as wise as people say you are. The report I heard doesn’t even begin to tell the whole story about you.7How happy your people must be! How happy your officials must be! They always get to serve you and hear the wise things you say.8May the LORD your God be praised. He takes great delight in you. He placed you on his throne as king. He put you there to rule for him. Your God loves Israel very much. He longs to take good care of them for ever. That’s why he has made you king over them. He knows that you will do what is fair and right.’9She gave the king 4.5 tonnes of gold. She also gave him huge amounts of spices and valuable jewels. There had never been as many spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.10The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir. They also brought algumwood and valuable jewels.11The king used the algumwood to make steps for the LORD’s temple and the royal palace. He also used it to make harps and lyres for those who played the music. No one had ever seen anything like those instruments in Judah before.12King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she wanted and asked for. In fact, he gave her more than she had brought to him. Then she left. She returned to her own country with her attendants.
Solomon’s greatness
13Each year Solomon received 24 tonnes of gold.14That didn’t include the money brought in by business and trade. All the kings of Arabia also brought gold and silver to Solomon. So did the governors of the territories.15King Solomon made 200 large shields out of hammered gold. Each one weighed 7 kilograms.16He also made 300 small shields out of hammered gold. Each one weighed almost 4 kilograms. The king put all the shields in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.17Then he made a large throne. It was covered with ivory. And that was covered with pure gold.18The throne had six steps. A gold stool for the king’s feet was connected to it. The throne had armrests on both sides of the seat. A statue of a lion stood on each side of the throne.19Twelve lions stood on the six steps. There was one at each end of each step. Nothing like that throne had ever been made for any other kingdom.20All of King Solomon’s cups were made out of gold. All the things used in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were made out of pure gold. Nothing was made out of silver. When Solomon was king, silver wasn’t considered to be worth very much.21He had many ships that carried goods to be traded. The crews of those ships were made up of Hiram’s servants. Once every three years the ships returned. They brought gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks.22King Solomon was richer than all the other kings on earth. He was also wiser than they were.23All these kings wanted to meet Solomon in person. They wanted to see for themselves how wise God had made him.24Year after year, everyone who came to him brought a gift. They brought gifts made out of silver and gold. They brought robes, weapons and spices. They also brought horses and mules.25Solomon had 4,000 spaces where he kept his horses and chariots. He had 12,000 horses. He kept some of his horses and chariots in the chariot cities. He kept the others with him in Jerusalem.26Solomon ruled over all the kings from the River Euphrates to the land of the Philistines. He ruled all the way to the border of Egypt.27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones. He made cedar wood as common there as sycamore-fig trees in the western hills.28Solomon got horses from Egypt. He also got them from many other countries.
Solomon dies
29The other events of Solomon’s rule from beginning to end are written down. They are written in the records of Nathan the prophet. They are written in the prophecy of Ahijah. He was from Shiloh. They are also written in the records of the visions of Iddo the prophet about Jeroboam. Jeroboam was the son of Nebat.30Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over the whole nation of Israel for 40 years.31Then he joined the members of his family who had already died. He was buried in the city of his father David. Solomon’s son Rehoboam became the next king after him.
2 Chronicles 9
English Standard Version
The Queen of Sheba
1Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions, having a very great retinue and camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. (1Ki 10:1; Mt 12:42; Lu 11:31)2And Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing hidden from Solomon that he could not explain to her.3And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, (2Ch 9:1)4the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, and their clothing, his cupbearers, and their clothing, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more breath in her.5And she said to the king, “The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom,6but I did not believe the[1] reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, half the greatness of your wisdom was not told me; you surpass the report that I heard.7Happy are your wives![2] Happy are these your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!8Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on his throne as king for the Lord your God! Because your God loved Israel and would establish them forever, he has made you king over them, that you may execute justice and righteousness.” (1Ch 29:23; 2Ch 2:11)9Then she gave the king 120 talents[3] of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There were no spices such as those that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.10Moreover, the servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, brought algum wood and precious stones. (2Ch 8:18)11And the king made from the algum wood supports for the house of the Lord and for the king’s house, lyres also and harps for the singers. There never was seen the like of them before in the land of Judah. (1Ki 10:12)12And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked besides what she had brought to the king. So she turned and went back to her own land with her servants. (1Ki 10:13)
Solomon’s Wealth
13Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, (1Ki 10:14)14besides that which the explorers and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land brought gold and silver to Solomon. (Ps 68:29; Ps 72:10)15King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold; 600 shekels[4] of beaten gold went into each shield.16And he made 300 shields of beaten gold; 300 shekels of gold went into each shield; and the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. (1Ki 10:17)17The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold.18The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold, which were attached to the throne, and on each side of the seat were armrests and two lions standing beside the armrests,19while twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. Nothing like it was ever made for any kingdom.20All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. Silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon.21For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram. Once every three years the ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.[5] (2Ch 20:36)22Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. (1Ki 3:13)23And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind.24Every one of them brought his present, articles of silver and of gold, garments, myrrh,[6] spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year.25And Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. (1Ki 4:26; 1Ki 10:26; 2Ch 1:14)26And he ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates[7] to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. (Ge 15:18; Ex 23:31; 1Ki 4:21; Ps 72:8)27And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah. (2Ch 1:15)28And horses were imported for Solomon from Egypt and from all lands. (2Ch 1:16)
Solomon’s Death
29Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? (1Sa 9:9; 2Sa 12:1; 2Sa 24:11; 1Ki 11:29; 1Ki 11:41; 1Ch 29:29; 2Ch 12:15; 2Ch 13:22)30Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.31And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father, and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place. (1Ki 2:10)