Parallel Bible results for "1 kings 10"

1 Kings 10

The Message Bible MSG

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 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 Solomon answered everything she put to him - nothing stumped him.

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 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 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 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 Lucky the men and women who work for you, getting to be around you every day and hear your wise words firsthand!

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 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 The ships of Hiram also imported gold from Ophir along with tremendous loads of fragrant sandalwood and expensive gems.

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 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 Solomon received twenty-five tons of gold in tribute annually.

15 This was above and beyond the taxes and profit on trade with merchants and assorted kings and governors.

16 King Solomon crafted two hundred body-length shields of hammered gold - seven and a half pounds of gold to each shield

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 built a massive throne of ivory accented with a veneer of gold.

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 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 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 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 King Solomon was wiser and richer than all the kings of the earth - he surpassed them all.

24 People came from all over the world to be with Solomon and drink in the wisdom God had given him.

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 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 The king made silver as common as rocks and cedar as common as the fig trees in the lowland hills.

28 His horses were brought in from Egypt and Cilicia, specially acquired by the king's agents.

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.

New Century Version NCV

1 When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon, she came to test him with hard questions.

2 She traveled to Jerusalem with a large group of servants and camels carrying spices, jewels, and much gold. When she came to Solomon, she talked with him about all she had in mind,

3 and Solomon answered all her questions. Nothing was too hard for him to explain to her.

4 The queen of Sheba learned that Solomon was very wise. She saw the palace he had built,

5 the food on his table, his many officers, the palace servants, and their good clothes. She saw the servants who served him at feasts and the whole burnt offerings he made in the Temple of the Lord. All these things amazed her.

6 So she said to King Solomon, "What I heard in my own country about your achievements and wisdom is true.

7 I could not believe it then, but now I have come and seen it with my own eyes. I was not told even half of it! Your wisdom and wealth are much greater than I had heard.

8 Your men and officers are very lucky, because in always serving you, they are able to hear your wisdom.

9 Praise the Lord your God, who was pleased to make you king of Israel. The Lord has constant love for Israel, so he made you king to keep justice and to rule fairly."

10 Then she gave the king about nine thousand pounds of gold and many spices and jewels. No one since that time has brought more spices than the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

11 (Hiram's ships brought gold from Ophir, as well as much juniper wood and jewels.

12 Solomon used the juniper wood to build supports for the Temple of the Lord and the palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. Such fine juniper wood has not been brought in or been seen since that time.)

13 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she wanted and asked for, in addition to what he had already given her of his wealth. Then she and her servants returned to her own country.

14 Every year King Solomon received about fifty thousand pounds of gold.

15 Besides that, he also received gold from the traders and merchants, as well as from the kings of Arabia and governors of the land.

16 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold, each of which contained about seven and one-half pounds of gold.

17 He also made three hundred smaller shields of hammered gold, each of which contained about four pounds of gold. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.

18 The king built a large throne of ivory and covered it with fine gold.

19 The throne had six steps on it, and its back was round at the top. There were armrests on both sides of the chair, and each armrest had a lion beside it.

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

21 All of Solomon's drinking cups, as well as the dishes in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon, were made of pure gold. Nothing was made from silver, because silver was not valuable in Solomon's time.

22 King Solomon also had many trading ships at sea, along with Hiram's ships. Every three years the ships returned, bringing back gold, silver, ivory, apes, and baboons.

23 So Solomon had more riches and wisdom than all the other kings on earth.

24 People everywhere wanted to see King Solomon and listen to the wisdom God had given him.

25 Every year those who came brought gifts of silver and gold, clothes, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

26 Solomon had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses. He kept some in special cities for the chariots, and others he kept with him in Jerusalem.

27 In Jerusalem Solomon made silver as common as stones and cedar trees as common as the fig trees on the western hills.

28 He imported horses from Egypt and Kue. His traders bought them in Kue.

29 A chariot from Egypt cost about fifteen pounds of silver, and a horse cost nearly four pounds of silver. Solomon's traders also sold horses and chariots to all the kings of the Hittites and the Arameans.