English Standard Version ESV
The Message Bible MSG
1 Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions.
1
The queen of Sheba heard about Solomon and his connection with the Name of God. She came to put his reputation to the test by asking tough questions.
2 She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind.
2
She made a grand and showy entrance into Jerusalem - camels loaded with spices, a huge amount of gold, and precious gems. She came to Solomon and talked about all the things that she cared about, emptying her heart to him.
3 And Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king that he could not explain to her.
3
Solomon answered everything she put to him - nothing stumped him.
4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built,
4
When the queen of Sheba experienced for herself Solomon's wisdom and saw with her own eyes the palace he had built,
5 the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the LORD, there was no more breath in her.
5
the meals that were served, the impressive array of court officials and sharply dressed waiters, the lavish crystal, and the elaborate worship extravagant with Whole-Burnt-Offerings at the steps leading up to The Temple of God, it took her breath away.
6 And she said to the king, "The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom,
6
She said to the king, "It's all true! Your reputation for accomplishment and wisdom that reached all the way to my country is confirmed.
7 but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report that I heard.
7
I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself; they didn't exaggerate! Such wisdom and elegance - far more than I could ever have imagined.
8 Happy are your men! Happy are your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!
8
Lucky the men and women who work for you, getting to be around you every day and hear your wise words firsthand!
9 Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the LORD loved Israel forever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice and righteousness."
9
And blessed be God, your God, who took such a liking to you and made you king. Clearly, God's love for Israel is behind this, making you king to keep a just order and nurture a God-pleasing people."
10 Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices and precious stones. Never again came such an abundance of spices as these that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
10
She then gave the king four and a half tons of gold, and also sack after sack of spices and expensive gems. There hasn't been a cargo of spices like that since that shipload the queen of Sheba brought to King Solomon.
11 Moreover, the fleet of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir a very great amount of almug wood and precious stones.
11
The ships of Hiram also imported gold from Ophir along with tremendous loads of fragrant sandalwood and expensive gems.
12 And the king made of the almug wood supports for the house of the LORD and for the king's house, also lyres and harps for the singers. No such almug wood has come or been seen to this day.
12
The king used the sandalwood for fine cabinetry in The Temple of God and the palace complex, and for making harps and dulcimers for the musicians. Nothing like that shipment of sandalwood has been seen since.
13 And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked besides what was given her by the bounty of King Solomon. So she turned and went back to her own land with her servants.
13
King Solomon for his part gave the queen of Sheba all her heart's desire - everything she asked for, on top of what he had already so generously given her. Satisfied, she returned home with her train of servants.
14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold,
14
Solomon received twenty-five tons of gold in tribute annually.
15 besides that which came from the explorers and from the business of the merchants, and from all the kings of the west and from the governors of the land.
15
This was above and beyond the taxes and profit on trade with merchants and assorted kings and governors.
16 King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold; 600 shekels of gold went into each shield.
16
King Solomon crafted two hundred body-length shields of hammered gold - seven and a half pounds of gold to each shield
17 And he made 300 shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.
17
- and three hundred smaller shields about half that size. He stored the shields in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.
18 The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with the finest gold.
18
The king built a massive throne of ivory accented with a veneer of gold.
19 The throne had six steps, and at the back of the throne was a calf's head, and on each side of the seat were armrests and two lions standing beside the armrests,
19
The throne had six steps leading up to it, its back shaped like an arch. The armrests on each side were flanked by lions.
20 while twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. The like of it was never made in any kingdom.
20
Lions, twelve of them, were placed at either end of the six steps. There was no throne like it in any of the surrounding kingdoms.
21 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. None were of silver; silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon.
21
King Solomon's chalices and tankards were made of gold and all the dinnerware and serving utensils in the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold - nothing was made of silver; silver was considered common and cheap.
22 For the king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet of ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
22
The king had a fleet of ocean-going ships at sea with Hiram's ships. Every three years the fleet would bring in a cargo of gold, silver, and ivory, and apes and peacocks.
23 Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.
23
King Solomon was wiser and richer than all the kings of the earth - he surpassed them all.
24 And the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind.
24
People came from all over the world to be with Solomon and drink in the wisdom God had given him.
25 Every one of them brought his present, articles of silver and gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year.
25
And everyone who came brought gifts - artifacts of gold and silver, fashionable robes and gowns, the latest in weapons, exotic spices, and horses and mules - parades of visitors, year after year.
26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.
26
Solomon collected chariots and horses: fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses! He stabled them in the special chariot cities as well as in Jerusalem.
27 And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah.
27
The king made silver as common as rocks and cedar as common as the fig trees in the lowland hills.
28 And Solomon's import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king's traders received them from Kue at a price.
28
His horses were brought in from Egypt and Cilicia, specially acquired by the king's agents.
29 A chariot could be imported from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver and a horse for 150, and so through the king's traders they were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.
29
Chariots from Egypt went for fifteen pounds of silver and a horse for about three and three-quarter pounds of silver. Solomon carried on a brisk horse-trading business with the Hittite and Aramean royal houses.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.