2 Chronicles 9

1The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, and she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with riddles, with a very great retinue and camels carrying spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart.

2And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from Solomon that he did not explain to her.

3When the queen of Sheba saw Solomon’s wisdom and the house that he had built,

4the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his ministers and their clothing, his cupbearers and their clothing, and the stairway by which he went up to the house of Yahweh, there was no more breath in her.

5Then she said to the king, “The report that I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom was true.”

6But I did not believe their words until I came and my own eyes saw it; and behold, not even half of the greatness of your wisdom had been told to me. You have surpassed the report that I heard.

7Blessed are your men, and blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom.

8Blessed be Yahweh your God, who delighted in you and set you on his throne as king for Yahweh your God. Because your God loved Israel, to establish them forever, he made you king over them to administer justice and righteousness.

9And she gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, and spices in great abundance, and precious stones. There had never been spices like those that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10And also the servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, brought algum wood and precious stones.

11And the king made from the algum wood stairways for the house of Yahweh and for the king’s house, and lyres and harps for the singers. Nothing like them had been seen before in the land of Judah.

12And King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked, besides what she had brought to the king. Then she turned and went to her own land, she and her servants.

13The weight of the gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold,

14Besides what the traders and merchants brought, all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land were bringing gold and silver to Solomon.

15King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of beaten gold went onto each shield.

16and three hundred shields of beaten gold; three hundred shekels of gold went onto each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

17The king made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold.

18There were six steps to the throne, and a gold footstool attached to the throne, and armrests on this side and on that beside the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.

19And twelve lions were standing there on the six steps, on this side and on that side. Nothing like it had been made for any kingdom.

20All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Silver was not considered anything in the days of Solomon.

21For the king had ships going to Tarshish with Huram’s servants; once every three years the ships of Tarshish would come, carrying gold and silver, ivory, monkeys, and peacocks.

22King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in wealth and wisdom.

23And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom that God had put in his heart.

24And they were bringing, each man his tribute: articles of silver and articles of gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses, and mules, year by year.

25Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

26And he ruled over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt.

27The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees in the lowland.

28And they were importing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all the lands.

29The rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are they not written in the records of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat?

30And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

31And Solomon slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.