God's New Bible

The Second Book of the Chronicles

Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic

- Chapter 9 -

(1 Kings 10:1–13)
1
And when the Queene of Sheba heard of the fame of Salomon, she came to proue Salomon with hard questions at Ierusalem, with a very great traine, and camels that bare sweete odours and much golde, and precious stones: and when she came to Salomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
2
And Salomon declared her all her questions, and there was nothing hid from Salomon, which he declared not vnto her.
3
Then the Queene of Sheba sawe the wisedome of Salomon, and the house that he had buylt,
4
And the meate of his table, and the sitting of his seruants, and the order of his wayters, and their apparel, and his butlers, and their apparel, and his burnt offrings which he offred in the house of the Lord, and she was greatly astonied.
5
And she saide to the King, It was a true worde which I heard in mine owne lande of thy sayings, and of thy wisedome:
6
Howbeit I beleeued not their report, vntil I came, and mine eyes had seene it: and beholde, the one halfe of thy great wisedom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.
7
Happie are thy men, and happie are these thy seruants, which stande before thee alway, and heare thy wisedome.
8
Blessed be the Lord thy God, which loued thee, to set thee on his throne as King, in the steade of the Lord thy God: because thy God loueth Israel, to establish it for euer, therefore hath he made thee King ouer them, to execute iudgement and iustice.
9
Then she gaue the King sixe score talents of golde, and of sweete odours exceeding much and precious stones: neither was there such sweete odours since, as the Queene of Sheba gaue vnto King Salomon.
10
And the seruants also of Huram, and the seruants of Salomon which brought golde from Ophir, brought Algummim wood and precious stones.
11
And the King made of the Algummim wood staires in the house of the Lord, and in the Kings house, and harpes and violes for singers: and there was no such seene before in the lande of Iudah.
12
And King Salomon gaue to the Queene of Sheba euery pleasant thing that she asked, besides for that which she had brought vnto the King: so she returned and went to her owne countrey, both she, and her seruants.

Solomon’s Wealth and Splendor

(1 Kings 10:14–29)
13
Also the weight of golde that came to Salomon in one yeere, was sixe hundreth three score and sixe talents of golde,
14
Besides that which chapmen and marchants brought: and all the Kings of Arabia, and the princes of the countrey brought golde and siluer to Salomon.
15
And King Salomon made two hundreth targets of beaten golde, and sixe hundreth shekels of beaten golde went to one target,
16
And three hundreth shieldes of beaten golde: three hundreth shekels of golde went to one shielde, and the King put them in the house of the wood of Lebanon.
17
And the King made a great throne of yuorie and ouerlaid it with pure golde.
18
And the throne had sixe steppes, with a footestoole of gold fastened to the throne, and stayes on either side on the place of the seate, and two lyons standing by the stayes.
19
And twelue lyons stoode there on the sixe steps on either side: there was not the like made in any kingdome.
20
And all King Salomons drinking vessels were of golde, and all the vessels of the house of the wood of Lebanon were of pure gold: for siluer was nothing esteemed in ye dayes of Salomon.
21
For the Kings ships went to Tarshish with the seruants of Huram, euery three yeere once came the ships of Tarshish, and brought golde, and siluer, yuorie, and apes, and peacockes.
22
So King Salomon excelled all the Kings of the earth in riches and wisedome.
23
And all the Kings of the earth sought the presence of Salomon, to heare his wisedome that God had put in his heart.
24
And they brought euery man his present, vessels of siluer, and vessels of golde, and raiment, armour, and sweet odours, horses, and mules, from yeere to yeere.
25
And Salomon had foure thousand stalles of horses, and charets, and twelue thousand horsmen, whom he bestowed in the charet cities, and with the King at Ierusalem.
26
And he reigned ouer all the Kings from the Riuer euen vnto the land of the Philistims, and to the border of Egypt.
27
And the King gaue siluer in Ierusalem, as stones, and gaue cedar trees as the wilde fig trees, that are aboundant in the plaine.
28
And they brought vnto Salomon horses out of Egypt, and out of all landes.

The Death of Solomon

(1 Kings 11:41–43)
29
Concerning the rest of the actes of Salomon first and last, are they not written in the booke of Nathan the Prophet, and in the prophecie of Ahiiah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Ieedo the Seer against Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat?
30
And Salomon reigned in Ierusalem ouer all Israel fourtie yeeres.
31
And Salomon slept with his fathers, and they buryed him in the citie of Dauid his father: and Rehoboam his sonne reigned in his steade.
(1 Kings 10:1–13)
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.
3
When 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 the LORD’s house, there was no more spirit in her.(a)
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 the LORD your God, who delighted in you and set you on his throne to be king for the LORD 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 (b) 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 (c) and precious stones.
11
The king used algum tree wood to make terraces for the LORD’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.

Solomon’s Wealth and Splendor

(1 Kings 10:14–29)
13
Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents (d) 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(e) of beaten gold went to one large shield.
16
He made three hundred shields of beaten gold. Three hundred shekels(f) 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 on either 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 Jerusalem as stones, and he made 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.

The Death of Solomon

(1 Kings 11:41–43)
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.

Footnotes

(a)9:4 or, she was breathless.
(b)9:9 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces, so 120 talents is about 3.6 metric tons
(c)9:10 possibly Indian sandalwood, which has nice grain and a pleasant scent and is good for woodworking
(d)9:13 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces, so 666 talents is about 20 metric tons
(e)9:15 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.32 Troy ounces, so 600 shekels was about 6 kilograms or about 192 Troy ounces.
(f)9:16 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.32 Troy ounces, so 300 shekels was about 3 kilograms or about 96 Troy ounces.