New King James Version

Darby Bible Translation

The Queen of Sheba’s Praise of Solomon

Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions.

1

The Queen of Sheba

And the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon in connection with the name of Jehovah, and came to prove him with enigmas.

2

She came to Jerusalem with a very great [a]retinue, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart.

2

And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bore spices and gold in very great abundance, and precious stones; and she came to Solomon, and spoke to him of all that was in her heart.

3

So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing [b]so difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her.

3

And Solomon explained to her all she spoke of: there was not a thing hidden from the king that he did not explain to her.

4

And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built,

4

And when the queen of Sheba saw all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built,

5

the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her.

5

and the food of his table, and the deportment of his servants, and the order of service of his attendants, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up to the house of Jehovah, there was no more spirit in her.

6

Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom.

6

And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thine affairs, and of thy wisdom;

7

However I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard.

7

but I gave no credit to the words, until I came and mine eyes had seen; and behold, the half was not told me: in wisdom and prosperity thou exceedest the report that I heard.

8

Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!

8

Happy are thy men! happy are these thy servants, who stand continually before thee, who hear thy wisdom!

9

Blessed be the Lord your God, who delighted in you, setting you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord has loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.”

9

Blessed be Jehovah thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel! Because Jehovah loves Israel for ever, therefore did he make thee king, to do judgment and justice.

10

Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great quantity, and precious stones. There never again came such abundance of spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10

And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in very great abundance, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as those which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

11

Also, the ships of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought great quantities of [c]almug wood and precious stones from Ophir.

11

(And the fleet also of Hiram, which carried gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir sandal-wood in very great abundance, and precious stones.

12

And the king made [d]steps of the almug wood for the house of the Lord and for the king’s house, also harps and stringed instruments for singers. There never again came such almug wood, nor has the like been seen to this day.

12

And the king made of the sandal-wood a balustrade for the house of Jehovah, and for the king's house, and harps and lutes for the singers. There came no such sandal-wood, nor was there seen to this day.)

13

Now King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, besides what Solomon had given her according to the royal generosity. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.

13

And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, besides what he gave her of the bounty of king Solomon. And she turned and went to her own land, she and her servants.

14

Solomon’s Great Wealth

The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,

14

Solomon's Riches

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

15

besides that from the traveling merchants, from the income of traders, from all the kings of Arabia, and from the governors of the country.

15

besides what [came] by the dealers, and by the traffic of the merchants, and by all the kings of Arabia, and by the governors of the country.

16

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield.

16

And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold, -- he applied six hundred [shekels] of gold to one target;

17

He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

17

and three hundred shields of beaten gold, -- he applied three minas of gold to one shield; and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

18

Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.

18

And the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with refined gold:

19

The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round at the back; there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests.

19

the throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was rounded behind; and there were arms on each side at the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the arms;

20

Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom.

20

and twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.

21

All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.

21

And all king Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of precious gold: none were of silver, [which] was not of the least account in the days of Solomon.

22

For the king had merchant[e] ships at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and [f]monkeys.

22

For the king had on the sea a Tarshish-fleet, with the fleet of Hiram: once in three years came the Tarshish-fleet, bringing gold and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

23

So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

23

And king Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

24

Now all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

24

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

25

Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year.

25

And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and clothing, and armour, and spices, horses and mules, a rate year by year.

26

And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he [g]stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.

26

And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; and he had a thousand four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; and he placed them in the chariot-cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

27

The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland.

27

And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he as the sycamores that are in the lowland for abundance.

28

Also Solomon had horses imported from Egypt and Keveh; the king’s merchants bought them in Keveh at the current price.

28

And the exportation of horses that Solomon had was from Egypt: a caravan of the king's merchants fetched a drove [of horses], at a price.

29

Now a chariot that was imported from Egypt cost six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse one hundred and fifty; and [h]thus, through their agents, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.

29

And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred [shekels] of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty; and so they brought [them] by their means, for all the kings of the Hittites and for the kings of Syria.

Parallel

New King James Version

Darby Bible Translation

1 Kings 10

1 Kings 10