The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Chronicles 09
1 When the queen of Sheba heard of the
fame of Solomon, she came to test Solomon
with hard questions at Jerusalem, with
a very great caravan, including camels
that bore spices, gold in abundance, and
precious stones. When she had come to
Solomon, she talked with him about all
that was in her heart.
2 Solomon answered all her questions.
There wasn’t anything hidden from
Solomon which he didn’t tell her.
3When the queen of Sheba had seen the
wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had
built,
4 the food of his table, the seating of his
servants, the attendance of his ministers,
their clothing, his cup bearers and their
clothing, and his ascent by which he went
up to Yahweh’s house, 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 half of the greatness of your
wisdom wasn’t 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 Yahweh your God, who delighted in you and set you on his throne
to be king for Yahweh your God, because
your God loved Israel, to establish them
forever. Therefore he made you king over
them, to do justice and righteousness.”
9 She gave the king one hundred and
twenty talents‡ of gold, spices in great
abundance, and precious stones. There
was never before such spice as the queen
of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
10 The servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from
Ophir, also brought algum trees§ and precious stones.
11 The king used algum tree wood to
make terraces for Yahweh’s house and for
the king’s house, and harps and stringed
instruments for the singers. 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,
more than 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
sixty-six talents† of gold,
14 in addition to that which the traders
and merchants brought. All the kings of
Arabia and the governors of the country
brought gold and silver to Solomon.
15 King Solomon made two hundred
large shields of beaten gold. Six hundred
shekels‡ of beaten gold went to one large
shield.
16 He made three hundred shields of
beaten gold. Three hundred shekels§ of
gold went to one shield. 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 There were six steps to the throne,
with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and armrests oneither
side by the place of the seat, and two lions
standing beside the armrests.
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
other 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 not considered valuable in the days of Solomon.
21 For the king had ships that went to
Tarshish with Huram’s servants. Once
every three years, the ships of Tarshish
came bringing gold, silver, ivory, 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 each brought tribute: vessels
of silver, vessels of gold, clothing, armor,
spices, horses, and mules every 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 as common in
Jerusalemas stones, andhemade cedars to
be as abundant as the sycamore trees that
are in the lowland.
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 his father David’s city; and
Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.