The Second Book of the Chronicles

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 9 -

(1 Kings 10:1–13)

Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon, she came to test him with difficult questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. So she came to Solomon and spoke with him about all that was on her mind.

And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for him to explain.

When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built,

the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the service and attire of his attendants and cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he presented (a) at the house of the LORD, it took her breath away.

She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words

(b)

and wisdom is true.

But I did not believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not half of the greatness of your wisdom was told to me. You have far exceeded the report I heard.

How blessed are your men! How blessed are these servants of yours who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!

Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you to set you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God. Because your God loved Israel enough to establish them forever, He has made you king over them to carry out justice and righteousness.”

Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold,(c) a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

(The servants of Hiram and of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir also brought algum (d) wood and precious stones.

The king made the algum wood into steps

(e)

for the house of the LORD 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.)

King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired—whatever she asked—far more than she had brought the king. Then she left and returned to her own country, along with her servants.

Solomon’s Wealth and Splendor

(1 Kings 10:14–29)

The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents,(f)

not including the revenue from the merchants and traders. And all the Arabian kings and governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon.

King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold

(g)

went into each shield.

He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three hundred shekels of gold

(h)

went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.

The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest.

Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.

All 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, because it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.

For the king had the ships of Tarshish

(i)

that went with Hiram’s (j) servants, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.(k)

So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

All the kings of the earth sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.

Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horses,(l) which he stationed in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem.

He reigned over all the kings from the Euphrates

(m)

to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.

The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills.(n)

Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from all the lands.

The Death of Solomon

(1 Kings 11:41–43)

As for the rest of the acts of Solomon, from beginning to end, are they not written in the Records of Nathan the Prophet, in the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the Visions of Iddo the Seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat?

Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

And Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. And his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.

Footnotes

(a)9:4 LXX and Syriac (see also 1 Kings 10:5); Hebrew and his stairway by which he went up

(b)9:5 Or your achievements

(d)9:10 Algum is probably a variant of almug; also in verse 11; see 1 Kings 10:11.

(e)9:11 Or gateways

(f)9:13 666 talents is approximately 25.1 tons or 22.8 metric tons of gold.

(g)9:15 600 shekels is approximately 15.1 pounds or 6.8 kilograms of gold.

(h)9:16 300 shekels is approximately 7.5 pounds or 3.4 kilograms of gold.

(i)9:21 Or a fleet of trading ships; twice in this verse

(j)9:21 Hebrew Huram’s, a variant of Hiram’s

(k)9:21 Or baboons

(l)9:25 Or horsemen or charioteers

(m)9:26 Hebrew the River

(n)9:27 Hebrew Shephelah or lowlands; that is, the western foothills of Judea

(1 Kings 10:1–13)

When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to test Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great caravan, including camels that bore spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. When she had come to Solomon, she talked with him about all that was in her heart.

Solomon answered all her questions. There wasn’t anything hidden from Solomon which he didn’t tell her.

When the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built,

the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his ministers, their clothing, his cup bearers and their clothing, and his ascent by which he went up to the LORD’s house, there was no more spirit in her.(a)

She said to the king, “It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts and of your wisdom.

However I didn’t believe their words until I came, and my eyes had seen it; and behold half of the greatness of your wisdom wasn’t told me. You exceed the fame that I heard!

Happy are your men, and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom.

Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you and set you on his throne to be king for the LORD your God, because your God loved Israel, to establish them forever. Therefore he made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness.”

She gave the king one hundred and twenty talents

(b)

of gold, spices in great abundance, and precious stones. There was never before such spice as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

The servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum trees

(c)

and precious stones.

The king used algum tree wood to make terraces for the LORD’s house and for the king’s house, and harps and stringed instruments for the singers. There were none like these seen before in the land of Judah.

King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, more than that which she had brought to the king. So she turned and went to her own land, she and her servants.

Solomon’s Wealth and Splendor

(1 Kings 10:14–29)

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents

(d)

of gold,

in addition to that which the traders and merchants brought. All the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.

King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold. Six hundred shekels(e) of beaten gold went to one large shield.

He made three hundred shields of beaten gold. Three hundred shekels(f) of gold went to one shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.

There were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and armrests on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.

Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps. There was nothing like it made in any other kingdom.

All 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 valuable in the days of Solomon.

For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with Huram’s servants. Once every three years, the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

They each brought tribute: vessels of silver, vessels of gold, clothing, armor, spices, horses, and mules every year.

Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen that he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.

He ruled over all the kings from the River even to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.

The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars to be as abundant as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland.

They brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands.

The Death of Solomon

(1 Kings 11:41–43)

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, aren’t they 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?

Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in his father David’s city; and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.

Footnotes

(a)9:4 or, she was breathless.

(b)9:9 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces, so 120 talents is about 3.6 metric tons

(d)9:13 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces, so 666 talents is about 20 metric tons

(e)9:15 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.32 Troy ounces, so 600 shekels was about 6 kilograms or about 192 Troy ounces.

(f)9:16 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.32 Troy ounces, so 300 shekels was about 3 kilograms or about 96 Troy ounces.