1 Kings 10
10
The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon
(2 Chronicles 9.1-12)
1 #
Mt 12.42; Lk 11.31. The Queen of Sheba heard how famous Solomon was, so she went to Jerusalem to test him with difficult questions. 2She took along several of her officials, and she loaded her camels with gifts of spices, jewels, and gold. When she arrived, she and Solomon talked about everything she could think of. 3He answered every question, no matter how difficult it was.
4-5The Queen was amazed at Solomon's wisdom. She was breathless when she saw his palace, the food on his table, his officials, his servants in their uniforms, the people who served his food, and the sacrifices he offered at the Lord's temple. 6She said:
Solomon, in my own country I had heard about your wisdom and all you've done. 7But I didn't believe it until I saw it with my own eyes! And there's so much I didn't hear about. You are wiser and richer than I was told. 8Your wives#10.8 wives: Two ancient translations; Hebrew “men.” and officials are lucky to be here where they can listen to the wise things you say.
9I praise the Lord your God. He is pleased with you and has made you king of Israel. The Lord has always loved Israel, so he has given them a king who will rule fairly and honestly.
10The Queen of Sheba gave Solomon more than four tons of gold, many jewels, and more spices than anyone had ever brought into Israel.
11-13In return, Solomon gave her the gifts he would have given any other ruler, but he also gave her everything else she wanted. Then she and her officials went back to their own country.
Solomon's Wealth
(2 Chronicles 9.13-28)
King Hiram's ships brought gold, juniper wood, and jewels from the country of Ophir. Solomon used the wood to make steps#10.11-13 steps: Or “stools” or “railings.” for the temple and palace, and harps and other stringed instruments for the musicians. It was the best juniper wood anyone in Israel had ever seen.
14Solomon received almost 23 tons of gold a year. 15The merchants and traders, as well as the kings of Arabia and rulers from Israel, also gave him gold.
16Solomon made 200 gold shields and used almost seven kilograms of gold for each one. 17He also made 300 smaller gold shields, using almost two kilograms for each one, and he put the shields in his palace in Forest Hall.
18His throne was made of ivory and covered with pure gold. 19-20The back of the throne was rounded at the top, and it had armrests on each side. There was a statue of a lion on both sides of the throne, and there was a statue of a lion at both ends of each of the six steps leading up to the throne. No other throne in the world was like Solomon's.
21Since silver was almost worthless in those days, everything was made of gold, even the cups and dishes used in Forest Hall.
22Solomon had a lot of seagoing ships.#10.22 seagoing ships: The Hebrew text has “ships of Tarshish,” which may have been a Phoenician city in Spain. “Ships of Tarshish” probably means large, seagoing ships. Every three years he sent them out with Hiram's ships to bring back gold, silver, and ivory, as well as monkeys and peacocks.#10.22 peacocks: Or “baboons.”
23He was the richest and wisest king in the world. 24People from every nation wanted to hear the wisdom God had given him. 25Year after year people came and brought gifts of silver and gold, as well as clothes, weapons, spices, horses, or mules.
26 #
1 K 4.26. Solomon had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses that he kept in Jerusalem and other towns.
27 #
Dt 17.17. While he was king, there was silver everywhere in Jerusalem, and cedar was as common as ordinary sycamore trees in the foothills.
28-29 #
Dt 17.16. Solomon's merchants bought his horses and chariots in the regions of Musri and Kue.#10.28,29 Musri and Kue: Hebrew “Egypt and Kue.” Musri and Kue were regions located in what is today southeast Turkey. They paid 600 pieces of silver for a chariot and 150 pieces of silver for a horse. They also sold horses and chariots to the Hittite and Syrian kings.
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1 Kings 10: CEV
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
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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