1 Kings 10
10
1The queen of Sheba heard how famous Solomon was, so she came to Jerusalem to test him with tough questions. 2She brought with her a very large entourage, with camels loaded with spices, large amounts of gold, and precious gemstones. She came to Solomon and asked him about everything she had on her mind. 3Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing he couldn't explain to her. 4When the queen of Sheba saw Solomon's wisdom, and the palace he had built, 5the food on the table, how his officials lived, how his servants operated and how they were dressed, the clothes of the waiters, and the burnt offerings he presented at the Lord's Temple, she was so astonished#10:5. “She was so astonished”: implied by the phrase (literally) “there was no longer breath in her.” she could hardly breathe.
6She told the king, “It's true what I heard in my own country about your proverbs#10:6. “Proverbs”: literally, “words.” and your wisdom! 7But I didn't believe what they told me until I came and saw with my own eyes. In fact, I wasn't told the half of it—the extent of your wisdom far exceeds what I heard! 8How happy your people must be! How happy those who work for you, who stand here every day listening to your wisdom! 9Praise the Lord your God who is so pleased with you, who placed you on his throne as king to rule on his behalf. Because of the love of your God for Israel he has made them secure forever, and he has made you king over them to do what is fair and right.”
10She presented the king with one hundred and twenty talents of gold, huge amounts of spices and precious stones. Never before had there been spices like those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
11(Hiram's fleet of ships brought gold from Ophir, and also carried algum wood and precious stones. 12The king used the algum wood to make steps#10:12. “Steps”: or “railings.” for the Temple and for the royal palace, and into lyres and harps for the musicians. Nothing like them had ever been seen before in the land of Judah.)
13King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she wanted, whatever she asked for. This was in addition to the usual gifts he had generously given her. Then she and her attendants returned home to her own country.
14The weight of gold that Solomon received each year was 666 talents, 15not including that received from traders and merchants, and all the kings of Arabia and governors of the land.
16King Solomon made two hundred shields of hammered gold. Each shield required six hundred shekels of hammered gold. 17He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold. Each of these shields required three gold minas.#10:17. A mina was worth around 50 shekels. The king placed them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.
18The king also made a great throne of ivory, and covered it with pure gold. 19The throne had six steps, with a rounded top#10:19. “Rounded top”: the Septuagint has “calves,” in other words a carving depicting calves. at the back. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with lions standing beside the armrests. 20Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one on opposite ends of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.
21All of King Solomon's drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. No silver was used, because it was not valued in the days of Solomon.
22The king had a fleet of ships from Tarshish crewed by Hiram's sailors. Once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive with a cargo of gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
23King Solomon was greater than any other king on earth in wealth and wisdom. 24The whole world wanted to meet Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had placed in his mind. 25Year after year, every visitor would bring gifts—articles of silver and gold, clothes, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
26Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen. He kept them in the chariot towns, and also with him in Jerusalem. 27The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar wood as plentiful as sycamore-figs in the foothills. 28Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt#10:28. “Egypt”: or Musri (Cappadocia). and Kue—the royal merchants purchased them in Kue. 29A chariot imported from Egypt cost six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse a hundred and fifty. They also exported them to all the Hittite kings, and to the Aramean kings.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
1 Kings 10
10
Visit of the Queen of Sheba
1When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, which brought honor to the name of the Lord,#10:1 Or which was due to the name of the Lord. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. she came to test him with hard questions. 2She arrived in Jerusalem with a large group of attendants and a great caravan of camels loaded with spices, large quantities of gold, and precious jewels. When she met with Solomon, she talked with him about everything she had on her mind. 3Solomon had answers for all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. 4When the queen of Sheba realized how very wise Solomon was, and when she saw the palace he had built, 5she was overwhelmed. She was also amazed at the food on his tables, the organization of his officials and their splendid clothing, the cup-bearers, and the burnt offerings Solomon made at the Temple of the Lord.
6She exclaimed to the king, “Everything I heard in my country about your achievements#10:6 Hebrew your words. and wisdom is true! 7I didn’t believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of it! Your wisdom and prosperity are far beyond what I was told. 8How happy your people#10:8 Greek and Syriac versions and Latin Vulgate read your wives. must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom! 9Praise the Lord your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness.”
10Then she gave the king a gift of 9,000 pounds#10:10 Hebrew 120 talents [4,000 kilograms]. of gold, great quantities of spices, and precious jewels. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
11(In addition, Hiram’s ships brought gold from Ophir, and they also brought rich cargoes of red sandalwood#10:11 Hebrew almug wood; also in 10:12. and precious jewels. 12The king used the sandalwood to make railings for the Temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and to construct lyres and harps for the musicians. Never before or since has there been such a supply of sandalwood.)
13King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba whatever she asked for, besides all the customary gifts he had so generously given. Then she and all her attendants returned to their own land.
Solomon’s Wealth and Splendor
14Each year Solomon received about 25 tons#10:14 Hebrew 666 talents [23 metric tons]. of gold. 15This did not include the additional revenue he received from merchants and traders, all the kings of Arabia, and the governors of the land.
16King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold, each weighing more than fifteen pounds.#10:16 Hebrew 600 [shekels] of gold [6.8 kilograms]. 17He also made 300 smaller shields of hammered gold, each weighing nearly four pounds.#10:17 Hebrew 3 minas [1.8 kilograms]. The king placed these shields in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.
18Then the king made a huge throne, decorated with ivory and overlaid with fine gold. 19The throne had six steps and a rounded back. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, and the figure of a lion stood on each side of the throne. 20There were also twelve other lions, one standing on each end of the six steps. No other throne in all the world could be compared with it!
21All of King Solomon’s drinking cups were solid gold, as were all the utensils in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. They were not made of silver, for silver was considered worthless in Solomon’s day!
22The king had a fleet of trading ships of Tarshish that sailed with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years the ships returned, loaded with gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.#10:22 Or and baboons.
23So King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on earth. 24People from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had given him. 25Year after year everyone who visited brought him gifts of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
26Solomon built up a huge force of chariots and horses.#10:26 Or charioteers; also in 10:26b. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He stationed some of them in the chariot cities and some near him in Jerusalem. 27The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. And valuable cedar timber was as common as the sycamore-fig trees that grow in the foothills of Judah.#10:27 Hebrew the Shephelah. 28Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt#10:28a Possibly Muzur, a district near Cilicia; also in 10:29. and from Cilicia#10:28b Hebrew Kue, probably another name for Cilicia.; the king’s traders acquired them from Cilicia at the standard price. 29At that time chariots from Egypt could be purchased for 600 pieces of silver,#10:29a Hebrew 600 [shekels] of silver, about 15 pounds or 6.8 kilograms in weight. and horses for 150 pieces of silver.#10:29b Hebrew 150 [shekels], about 3.8 pounds or 1.7 kilograms in weight. They were then exported to the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.
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