The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
New Living Translation NLT
1 When the queen of Sh'va heard what was being said about Shlomo, she came to test him with difficult questions in Yerushalayim, accompanied by a very great retinue, including camels bearing spices and gold in abundance, and precious stones. When she appeared before Shlomo, she spoke with him about everything on her heart;
1
When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. She arrived with a large group of attendants and a great caravan of camels loaded with spices, large quantities of gold, and precious jewels. When she met with Solomon, she talked with him about everything she had on her mind.
2 and Shlomo answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from the king that he could not explain to her.
2
Solomon had answers for all her questions; nothing was too hard for him to explain to her.
3 After the queen of Sh'va had seen Shlomo's wisdom, the palace he had built,
3
When the queen of Sheba realized how wise Solomon was, and when she saw the palace he had built,
4 the food at his table, the manner of seating his officials, the manner in which his staff served him and how they were dressed, his personal servants and how they were dressed, and his manner of going up to the house of ADONAI, it left her breathless.
4
she was overwhelmed. She was also amazed at the food on his tables, the organization of his officials and their splendid clothing, the cup-bearers and their robes, and the burnt offerings Solomon made at the Temple of the LORD .
5 She said to the king, "What I heard in my own country about your deeds and your wisdom is true,
5
She exclaimed to the king, “Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true!
6 but I couldn't believe the report until I came and saw for myself. Actually, they didn't tell me even half of how great your wisdom is. In reality, you surpass the reports I heard.
6
I didn’t believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of your great wisdom! It is far beyond what I was told.
7 How happy your people must be, how happy these servants of yours who are always here attending you and get to hear your wisdom!
7
How happy your people must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom!
8 Blessed be ADONAI your God, who took pleasure in you to put you on his throne, so that you could be king for ADONAI your God. Because of your God's love for Isra'el, to establish them forever, he has made you king over them, to administer law and judgment."
8
Praise the LORD your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne as king to rule for him. Because God loves Israel and desires this kingdom to last forever, he has made you king over them so you can rule with justice and righteousness.”
9 Then she gave the king four tons of gold, spices in great abundance, and precious stones; there had never been spices like those the queen of Sh'va gave to King Shlomo.
9
Then she gave the king a gift of 9,000 pounds of gold, great quantities of spices, and precious jewels. Never before had there been spices as fine as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
10 Huram's servants and Shlomo's servants, who had brought the gold from Ofir, now brought sandalwood and precious stones.
10
(In addition, the crews of Hiram and Solomon brought gold from Ophir, and they also brought red sandalwood and precious jewels.
11 The king used the sandalwood to make walkways for the house of ADONAI and for the royal palace, also lyres and lutes for the singers. None like these had been seen before in the land of Y'hudah.
11
The king used the sandalwood to make steps for the Temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and to construct lyres and harps for the musicians. Never before had such beautiful things been seen in Judah.)
12 King Shlomo gave the queen of Sh'va everything she wanted, whatever she asked, more than what she had brought to the king. After this, she returned and went back to her own country, she and her servants.
12
King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba whatever she asked for—gifts of greater value than the gifts she had given him. Then she and all her attendants returned to their own land.
13 The weight of the gold Shlomo received annually came to twenty-two tons,
13
Each year Solomon received about 25 tons of gold.
14 besides that which came from customs duties and sales taxes; also all the Arab kings and regional governors brought gold and silver to Shlomo.
14
This did not include the additional revenue he received from merchants and traders. All the kings of Arabia and the governors of the provinces also brought gold and silver to Solomon.
15 King Shlomo made 200 large shields of hammered gold; fifteen pounds of hammered gold went into one shield.
15
King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold, each weighing more than 15 pounds.
16 He made 300 more shields of hammered gold, with seven-and-a-half pounds going into one shield; the king put these in the House of the L'vanon Forest.
16
He also made 300 smaller shields of hammered gold, each weighing more than 7 pounds. The king placed these shields in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.
17 The king also made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.
17
Then the king made a huge throne, decorated with ivory and overlaid with pure gold.
18 The throne had six steps and a gold footstool; these were fastened to the throne. There were arms on either side of the seat, two lions standing beside the arms,
18
The throne had six steps, with a footstool of gold. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, and the figure of a lion stood on each side of the throne.
19 and twelve more lions standing on each side of the six steps. Nothing like it had ever been made in any kingdom.
19
There were also twelve other lions, one standing on each end of the six steps. No other throne in all the world could be compared with it!
20 All King Shlomo's drinking vessels were of gold; and all the utensils in the House of the L'vanon Forest were of pure gold; for in Shlomo's time, silver was regarded as having little value.
20
All of King Solomon’s drinking cups were solid gold, as were all the utensils in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. They were not made of silver, for silver was considered worthless in Solomon’s day!
21 The king had ships that could go to Tarshish with Huram's servants; once every three years the "Tarshish" ships came in, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks.
21
The king had a fleet of trading ships of Tarshish manned by the sailors sent by Hiram. Once every three years the ships returned, loaded with gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
22 So King Shlomo surpassed all the kings on earth in both wealth and wisdom.
22
So King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on earth.
23 All the kings on earth sought to have an audience with Shlomo, in order to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
23
Kings from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had given him.
24 Each one brought his present - articles of silver, articles of gold, clothing, armor, spices, horses and mules; and this continued year after year.
24
Year after year everyone who visited brought him gifts of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
25 Shlomo also had 4,000 stalls of horses for his chariots and his 12,000 horsemen; he assigned them to the chariot cities and to the king in Yerushalayim.
25
Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his horses and chariots, and he had 12,000 horses. He stationed some of them in the chariot cities, and some near him in Jerusalem.
26 He ruled over all the kingdoms from the [Euphrates] River through the land of the P'lishtim to the border of Egypt.
26
He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River in the north to the land of the Philistines and the border of Egypt in the south.
27 The king made silver in Yerushalayim as common as stones, and he made cedars as abundant as sycamore-fig trees are in the Sh'felah.
27
The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. And valuable cedar timber was as common as the sycamore-fig trees that grow in the foothills of Judah.
28 They brought horses for Shlomo from Egypt and from all countries.
28
Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and many other countries.
29 Other activities of Shlomo, from beginning to end, are written in the records of Natan the prophet, in the prophecy of Achiyah of Shiloh and in the visions of Ye'do the seer concerning Yarov'am the son of N'vat.
29
The rest of the events of Solomon’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in and and also in concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat.
30 Shlomo reigned in Yerushalayim over all Isra'el for forty years.
30
Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.
31 Then Shlomo slept with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David his father, and Rechav'am his son became king in his place.
31
When he died, he was buried in the City of David, named for his father. Then his son Rehoboam became the next king.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.