II Chronicles 9

¹Also, when the queen of Sheba had heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem, with great riches and with camels which were carrying aromatics, and very much gold, and precious gems, so that she might test him with enigmas. And when she had approached Solomon, she spoke to him all that was in her heart.

²And Solomon explained for her all that she had proposed. And there was nothing that he did not make clear to her.

³And after she saw these things, specifically, the wisdom of Solomon, and the house which he had built,

⁴indeed also the foods of his table, and the habitations of the servants, and the duties of his ministers, and their apparel, and also his cupbearers and their garments, and the victims which he was immolating in the house of the Lord, there was no longer any spirit in her, due to astonishment.

⁵And she said to the king: “The word is true, which I had heard in my own land, about your virtues and wisdom.

⁶I did not believe those who described it, until I had arrived and my eyes had seen, and I had proven that not even half of your wisdom had been described to me. You have exceeded your fame with your virtue.

⁷Blessed are your men, and blessed are your servants, who stand before you at all times and listen to your wisdom.

⁸Blessed is the Lord your God, who willed to set you upon his throne as a king for the Lord your God. Since God loves Israel, he wishes to preserve them unto eternity. For this reason, he appointed you as king over them, so that you may accomplish judgment and justice.”

⁹Then she gave to the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, and an exceedingly great abundance of aromatics, and very precious gems. Never were there such aromatics as those that the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

¹⁰Then too, the servants of Hiram, with the servants of Solomon, brought gold from Ophir, and wood from thyine trees, and very precious gems.

¹¹And the king made, from this particular thyine wood, steps in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king, and also harps and psalteries for the singing men. Never was there seen such wood in the land of Judah.

¹²Then king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, and all that she requested, and much more than what she had brought to him. And returning, she went away to her own land with her servants.

¹³Now the weight of the gold, which was being brought to Solomon throughout each year, was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold,

¹⁴apart from the sum that the legates of various nations and the merchants were accustomed to bring, and apart from the gold and silver that all the kings of Arabia, and the princes of the lands, were bringing together for Solomon.

¹⁵And so, king Solomon made two hundred gold spears, from six hundred gold pieces, the amount used for each spear,

¹⁶and also three hundred gold shields, from three hundred gold pieces, which covered each shield. And the king placed them in the armory, which was situated in a forest.

¹⁷Also, the king made a great ivory throne, and he clothed it with the purest gold.

¹⁸And there were six steps, by which he would ascend to the throne, and a footstool of gold, and two arms, one on each side, and two lions standing beside the arms.

¹⁹Moreover, there were twelve additional little lions standing upon the six steps on both sides. There was no similar throne in all the kingdoms.

²⁰Also, all the vessels for the feasts of the king were of gold, and the vessels of the forest house of Lebanon were from the purest gold. For silver in those days was considered as nothing.

²¹For indeed, the ships of the king went to Tarshish, with the servants of Hiram, once every three years. And they brought from there gold, and silver, and ivory, and primates, and peacocks.

²²And so, Solomon was magnified above all the kings of the earth in wealth and glory.

²³And all the kings of the lands were desiring to see the face of Solomon, so that they might hear the wisdom that God had granted to his heart.

²⁴And they were bringing to him gifts, vessels of silver and of gold, and garments, and armor, and aromatics, and horses, and mules, throughout each year.

²⁵Also, Solomon had forty thousand horses in the stables, and twelve thousand chariots and horsemen, and he appointed them to the cities of the chariots, and where the king was in Jerusalem.

²⁶Now he also exercised authority over all the kings from the river Euphrates as far as the land of the Philistines, and as far as the borders of Egypt.

²⁷And he brought forth so much silver that it was as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones. And cedar trees were as great in number as the sycamores that spring up in the plains.

²⁸And horses were brought to him from Egypt and from every region.

²⁹Now the rest of the works of Solomon, the first and the last, have been written in the words of Nathan, the prophet, and in the books of Ahijah, the Shilonite, as well as in the vision of Iddo, the seer, against Jeroboam, the son of Nabat.

³⁰And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem, over all of Israel, for forty years.

³¹And he slept with his fathers. And they buried him in the City of David. And his son, Rehoboam, reigned in his place.

II Chronicles 9

¹And when the queen of Saba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to try him with hard questions at Jerusalem, with great riches, and camels, which carried spices, and abundance of gold, and precious stones. And when she was come to Solomon, she proposed to him all that was in her heart.

²And Solomon explained to her all that she proposed: and there was not any thing that he did not make clear unto her.

³And when she had seen these things, to wit, the wisdom of Solomon, and the house which he had built,

⁴And the meats of his table, and the dwelling places of his servants, and the attendance of his officers, and their apparel, his cupbearers also, and their garments, and the victims which he offered in the house of the Lord: there was no more spirit in her, she was so astonished.

⁵And she said to the king: The word is true which I heard in my country of thy virtues and wisdom.

⁶I did not believe them that told it, until I came, and my eyes had seen, and I had proved that scarce one half of thy wisdom had been told me: thou hast exceeded the same with thy virtues.

⁷Happy are thy men, and happy are thy servants, who stand always before thee, and hear thy wisdom.

⁸Blessed be the Lord thy God, who hath been pleased to set thee on his throne, king of the Lord thy God. Because God loveth Israel, and will preserve them forever: therefore hath he made thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.

⁹And she gave to the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in great abundance, and most precious stones: there were no such spices as these which the queen of Saba gave to king Solomon.

¹⁰And the servants also of Hiram, with the servants of Solomon, brought gold from Ophir, and thyine trees, and most precious stones:

¹¹And the king made of the thyine trees stairs in the house of the Lord, and in the king's house, and harps and psalteries for the singing men: never were there seen such trees in the land of Juda.

¹²And king Solomon gave to the queen of Saba all that she desired, and that she asked, and many more things than she brought to him: so she returned, and went to her own country with her servants.

¹³And the weight of the gold, that was brought to Solomon every year, was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold:

¹⁴Beside the sum which the deputies of divers nations, and the merchants were accustomed to bring, and all the kings of Arabia, and the lords of the lands, who brought gold and silver to Solomon.

¹⁵And king Solomon made two hundred golden spears, of the sum of six hundred pieces of gold, which went to every spear:

¹⁶And three hundred golden shields of three hundred pieces of gold, which went to the covering of every shield: and the king put them in the armoury, which was compassed with a wood.

¹⁷The king also made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.

¹⁸And six steps to go up to the throne, and a footstool of gold, and two arms one on either side, and two lions standing by the arms:

¹⁹Moreover twelve other little lions standing upon the steps on both sides: there was not such a throne in any kingdom.

²⁰And all the vessels of the king's table were of gold, and the vessels of the house of the forest of Libanus were of the purest gold. For no account was made of silver in those days.

²¹For the king's ships went to Tharsis with the servants of Hiram, once in three years: and they brought thence gold and silver, and ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

²²And Solomon was magnified above all the kings of the earth for riches and glory.

²³And all the kings of the earth desired to see the face of Solomon, that they might hear the wisdom which God had given in his heart.

²⁴And every year they brought him presents, vessels of silver and of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, and horses, and mules.

²⁵And Solomon had forty thousand horses in the stables, and twelve thousand chariots, and horsemen, and he placed them in the cities of the chariots and where the king was in Jerusalem.

²⁶And he exercised authority over all the kings from the river Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, and to the borders of Egypt.

²⁷And he made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones: and cedars as common as the sycamores, which grow in the plains.

²⁸And horses were brought to him out of Egypt, and out of all countries.

²⁹Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are written in the words of Nathan the prophet, and in the books of Ahias the Silonite, and in the vision of Addo the seer, against Jeroboam the son of Nabat.

³⁰And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

³¹And he slept with his fathers: and they buried him in the city of David: and Roboam his son reigned in his stead.