Visit of the Queen of Sheba
10 The servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum trees and precious stones. 11 From the algum trees the king made steps to the house of the Lord and for the king’s palace, and lyres and harps for the singers; and nothing like them was seen before in the land of Judah.
12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba her every desire, whatever she requested, besides gifts equal to what she had brought to the king. Then she turned and went to her own land with her servants.
Solomon’s Wealth and Power
13 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was [i]666 talents of gold, 14 besides what the traders and merchants brought; and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold, [j]using six hundred shekels of beaten gold on each large shield. 16 He made three hundred shields of beaten gold, [k]using three hundred shekels of gold on each shield; and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
17 Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. 18 There were six steps to the throne and a footstool in gold attached to the throne, and [l]arms [m]on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the [n]arms. 19 Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for any other kingdom. 20 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 [o]valuable in the days of Solomon. 21 For the king had ships which went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
22 So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in wealth and wisdom. 23 And all the kings of the earth were seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. 24 They were bringing, each of them his gift: articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, balsam oil, horses, and mules, so much year by year.
25 Now Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 26 He was ruler over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, and as far as the border of Egypt. 27 And the king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the [p]lowland. 28 And they were bringing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all countries.
29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from the first to the last, are they not written in the [q]records of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of [r]Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? 30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.
Death of Solomon
31 And Solomon [s]lay down with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David; and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 9:2 Lit told her all her words
- 2 Chronicles 9:2 Lit tell
- 2 Chronicles 9:4 Or his burnt offering which he offered
- 2 Chronicles 9:5 Lit word
- 2 Chronicles 9:6 Lit words
- 2 Chronicles 9:7 Or happy
- 2 Chronicles 9:7 Or happy
- 2 Chronicles 9:9 About 4.5 tons or 4 metric tons
- 2 Chronicles 9:13 About 25 tons or 23 metric tons
- 2 Chronicles 9:15 Lit he brought up
- 2 Chronicles 9:16 Lit he brought up
- 2 Chronicles 9:18 Lit hands
- 2 Chronicles 9:18 Lit from this and from this at the place of the seat
- 2 Chronicles 9:18 Lit hands
- 2 Chronicles 9:20 Lit anything
- 2 Chronicles 9:27 Heb shephelah
- 2 Chronicles 9:29 Lit words
- 2 Chronicles 9:29 Heb Jedo
- 2 Chronicles 9:31 I.e., died