2 Chronicles 9
9
The Queen of Sheba
1The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame,#1Kg 10:1–13; Mt 12:42; Lk 11:31 so she came to test Solomon with difficult questions at Jerusalem with a very large entourage, with camels bearing spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. She came to Solomon and spoke with him about everything that was on her mind. 2So Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for Solomon to explain to her. 3When the queen of Sheba observed Solomon’s wisdom, the palace he had built, 4the food at his table, his servants’ residence, his attendants’ service and their attire, his cupbearers and their attire, and the burnt offerings he offered at the Lord’s temple, it took her breath away.
5She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words and about your wisdom is true. 6But I didn’t believe their reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, I was not even told half of your great wisdom! You far exceed the report I heard. 7How happy are your men.#9:7 LXX, Old Lat read wives; 1Kg 10:8#1Kg 10:8 How happy are these servants of yours, who always stand in your presence hearing your wisdom. 8Blessed be the Lord your God! He delighted in you and put you on his throne as king for the Lord your God.#1Ch 28:5; 29:23 Because your God loved Israel enough to establish them forever, he has set you over them as king to carry out justice and righteousness.”#Dt 7:8; 2Ch 2:11
9Then she gave the king four and a half tons#9:9 Lit 120 talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There never were such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. 10In addition, Hiram’s servants and Solomon’s servants who brought gold from Ophir#2Ch 8:18 also brought algum wood and precious stones. 11The king made the algum wood into walkways for the Lord’s temple and for the king’s palace and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had anything like them been seen in the land of Judah.
12King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba her every desire, whatever she asked — far more than she had brought the king. Then she, along with her servants, returned to her own country.
Solomon’s Wealth
13The weight of gold that came to Solomon#1Kg 10:14–25 annually was twenty-five tons,#9:13 Lit 666 talents 14besides what was brought by the merchants and traders. All the Arabian kings and governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon.
15King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; 15 pounds#9:15 Lit 600 (shekels) of hammered gold went into each shield. 16He made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; 7½ pounds#9:16 Lit 300 (shekels) of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.#1Kg 7:2–5
17The king also made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold. 18The throne had six steps; there was a footstool covered in gold for the throne, armrests on either side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests. 19Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps, one at each end. Nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom.
20All of 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, since it was considered as nothing in Solomon’s time, 21for the king’s ships kept going to Tarshish#2Ch 20:36–37 with Hiram’s servants, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.#9:21 Or baboons
22King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the world in riches and wisdom.#1Kg 3:13; 2Ch 1:12 23All the kings of the world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. 24Each of them would bring his own gift — items#9:24 Or vessels, or weapons of silver and gold, clothing, weapons,#9:24 LXX reads resin#9:24 Or fragrant balsam spices, and horses and mules — as an annual tribute.
25Solomon#Dt 17:16; 1Kg 10:26–29; 2Ch 1:14–17 had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.#1Kg 4:26 He stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 26He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and as far as the border of Egypt.#Gn 15:18; 1Kg 4:21,24 27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills. 28They were bringing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all the countries.
Solomon’s Death
29The remaining events#1Kg 11:41–43 of Solomon’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the Events of the Prophet Nathan, the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the Visions of the Seer Iddo concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat.#1Ch 29:29; 2Ch 12:15; 13:22 30Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years. 31Solomon rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of his father David.#1Kg 2:10 His son Rehoboam became king in his place.
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
2 Chronicles 9
9
The Queen of Sheba Visits
1When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon’s fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. She had a large group of servants with her and camels carrying spices, jewels, and much gold. When she came to Solomon, she talked with him about all she had in mind, 2and Solomon answered all her questions. Nothing was too hard for him to explain to her. 3The queen of Sheba saw that Solomon was very wise. She saw the palace he had built, 4the food on his table, his many officers, the palace servants and their good clothes, the servants who served Solomon his wine and their good clothes. She saw the whole burnt offerings he made in the Temple of the Lord. All these things amazed her.
5So she said to King Solomon, “What I heard in my own country about your achievements and wisdom is true. 6I did not believe it then, but now I have come and seen it with my own eyes. I was not told even half of your great wisdom! You are much greater than I had heard. 7Your people and officials are very lucky, because in always serving you, they are able to hear your wisdom. 8Praise the Lord your God who was pleased to make you king. He has put you on his throne to rule for the Lord your God, because your God loves the people of Israel and supports them forever. He has made you king over them to keep justice and to rule fairly.”
9Then she gave the king about nine thousand pounds of gold and many spices and jewels. No one had ever given such spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
10Hiram’s men and Solomon’s men brought gold from Ophir, juniper wood, and jewels. 11King Solomon used the juniper wood to build steps for the Temple of the Lord and the palace and to make lyres and harps for the musicians. No one in Judah had ever seen such beautiful things as these.
12King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she wanted and asked for, even more than she had brought to him. Then she and her servants returned to her own country.
Solomon’s Wealth
13Every year King Solomon received about fifty thousand pounds of gold. 14Besides that, he also received gold from traders and merchants. All the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land also brought gold and silver.
15King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold, each of which contained about seven and one-half pounds of hammered gold. 16He also made three hundred smaller shields of hammered gold, each of which contained about four pounds of gold. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.
17The king built a large throne of ivory and covered it with pure gold. 18The throne had six steps on it and a gold footstool. There were armrests on both sides of the chair, and each armrest had a lion beside it. 19Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any other kingdom. 20All of Solomon’s drinking cups, as well as the dishes in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon, were made of pure gold. In Solomon’s time people did not think silver was valuable.
21King Solomon had many ships that he sent out to trade, with Hiram’s men as the crews. Every three years the ships returned, bringing back gold, silver, ivory, apes, and baboons.
22King Solomon had more riches and wisdom than all the other kings on earth. 23All the kings of the earth wanted to see Solomon and listen to the wisdom God had given him. 24Year after year everyone who came brought gifts of silver and gold, clothes, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
25Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and he had twelve thousand horses. He kept some in special cities for the chariots, and others he kept with him in Jerusalem. 26Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. 27In Jerusalem the king made silver as common as stones and cedar trees as plentiful as the fig trees on the western hills. 28Solomon imported horses from Egypt and all other countries.
Solomon’s Death
29Everything else Solomon did, from the beginning to the end, is written in the records of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer, who wrote about Jeroboam, Nebat’s son. 30Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years. 31Then Solomon died and was buried in Jerusalem, the city of David, his father. And Solomon’s son Rehoboam became king in his place.
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.