2 Chronicles: Chapter 9
1. When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of
Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a
very great train, and camels that bore spices, and gold in abundance, and
precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she talked with him of all
that was in her heart.
2. Solomon told her all her questions; and there was
not anything hid from Solomon which he didn't tell her.
3. When the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of
Solomon, and the house that he had built,
4. and the food of his table, and the sitting of his
servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their clothing, his cup
bearers also, and their clothing, and his ascent by which he went up to the
house of The Lord; there was no more spirit in her.
5. She said to the king, It was a true report that I
heard in my own land of your acts, and of your wisdom.
6. However I didn't believe their words, until I
came, and my eyes had seen it; and behold, the half of the greatness of your wisdom
was not told me: you exceed the fame that I heard.
7. Happy are your men, and happy are these your
servants, who stand continually before you, and hear your wisdom.
8. Blessed be The Lord your God, who delighted in
you, to set you on his throne, to be king for The Lord your God: because your God
loved Israel, to establish them forever, therefore made he you king over them,
to do justice and righteousness.
9. She gave the king one hundred and twenty talents
of gold, and spices in great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there
any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
10. The servants also of Huram, and the servants of
Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones.
11. The king made of the algum trees terraces for the
house of The Lord, and for the king's house, and harps and stringed instruments
for the singers: and there were none like these seen before in the land of
Judah.
12. King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her
desire, whatever she asked, besides that which she had brought to the king. So
she turned, and went to her own land, she and her servants.
13. Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one
year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,
14. besides that which 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 bucklers of beaten
gold; six hundred [shekels] of beaten gold went to one buckler.
16. [he made] three hundred shields of beaten gold; three
hundred [shekels] of gold went to one 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. And there were six steps to the throne, with a
footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on either side
by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the stays.
19. Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on
the other on the six steps: there was nothing like it made in any 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 nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.
21. For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with
the servants of Huram; once every three years came the ships of Tarshish, bringing
gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
22. So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the
earth in riches and wisdom.
23. All the kings of the earth sought the presence of
Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
24. They brought every man his tribute, vessels of
silver, and vessels of gold, and clothing, armor, and spices, horses, and
mules, a rate year by year.
25. Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and
chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he stationed in the chariot
cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.
26. He ruled over all the kings from the River even to
the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.
27. The king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones,
and he made cedars to be as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland, for
abundance.
28. They brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt, and
out of all lands.
29. Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and
last, aren't they written in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the
prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer
concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat?
30. Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty
years.
31. Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried
in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.