The First Book of the Kings

⭑ Literal Standard Version 2020 ⭑

- Chapter 10 -

(2 Chronicles 9:1–12)

And the queen of Sheba is hearing of the fame of Solomon concerning the Name of YHWH, and comes to try him with enigmas,

and she comes to Jerusalem, with a very great company, camels carrying spices, and very much gold, and precious stone, and she comes to Solomon, and speaks to him all that has been with her heart.

And Solomon declares to her all her matters—there has not been a thing hid from the king that he has not declared to her.

And the queen of Sheba sees all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he built,

and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the standing of his ministers, and their clothing, and his butlers, and his burnt-offering that he causes to ascend in the house of YHWH, and there has not been anymore spirit in her.

And she says to the king, “The word that I heard in my land has been true concerning your matters and your wisdom;

and I gave no credence to the words until I have come, and my eyes see, and behold, not [even] half was declared to me; you have added wisdom and goodness to the report that I heard.

O the blessedness of your men, O the blessedness of your servants—these—who are standing before you continually, who are hearing your wisdom!

Your God YHWH is blessed, who delighted in you, to put you on the throne of Israel; in YHWH’s loving Israel for all time He sets you for king, to do judgment and righteousness.”

And she gives to the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, and very many spices, and precious stone; there never again came in abundance like that spice that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

And also, the navy of Hiram that bore gold from Ophir, brought in very much almug-trees and precious stone from Ophir;

and the king makes the almug-trees a support for the house of YHWH, and for the house of the king, and harps and psalteries for singers; there have not come such almug-trees, nor have there been seen [such] to this day.

And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire that she asked, apart from that which he gave to her as a memorial of King Solomon, and she turns and goes to her land, she and her servants.

Solomon’s Wealth and Splendor

(2 Chronicles 1:14–17; 2 Chronicles 9:13–28)

And the weight of the gold that has come to Solomon in one year is six hundred sixty-six talents of gold,

apart from [that of] the tourists, and of the traffic of the merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the land.

And King Solomon makes two hundred bucklers of alloyed gold—six hundred [shekels] of gold go up on the one buckler;

and three hundred shields of alloyed gold—three pounds of gold go up on the one shield; and the king puts them [in] the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

And the king makes a great throne of ivory, and overlays it with refined gold;

the throne has six steps, and a round top [is] to the throne behind it, and hands [are] on this [side] and on that, to the place of the sitting, and two lions are standing near the hands,

and twelve lions are standing there on the six steps, on this [side] and on that; it has not been made so for any kingdom.

And all the drinking vessels of King Solomon [are] of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon [are] of refined gold—there are none of silver; it was not reckoned in the days of Solomon for anything,

for the king has a navy of Tarshish at sea with a navy of Hiram; once in three years the navy of Tarshish comes, carrying gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks [[ or monkeys]].

And King Solomon is greater than any of the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom,

and all the earth is seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom that God has put into his heart,

and they are each bringing his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armor, and spices, horses, and mules, the matter of a year in a year.

And Solomon gathers chariots, and horsemen, and he has one thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, and he places them in the cities of the chariot, and with the king in Jerusalem.

And the king makes the silver in Jerusalem as stones, and he has made the cedars as the sycamores that [are] in the low country, for abundance.

And the outgoing of the horses that King Solomon has [is] from Egypt, and from Keveh; merchants of the king take from Keveh at a price;

and a chariot comes up and comes out of Egypt for six hundred pieces of silver, and a horse for one hundred and fifty, and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Aram; they bring out by their hand.