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10 And when the Malkah (Queen) of Sheva heard of the fame of Sh’lomo, that it was for the Shem Hashem, then she came to test him with chidot (hard questions, riddles).

And she came to Yerushalayim with a very great caravan, with gemalim that bore spices, and very much zahav, and precious gems; and when she was come to Sh’lomo, she spoke intimately with him of all that was on her lev.

And Sh’lomo answered her regarding all her questions; there was not anything hid from HaMelech, which he told her not.

And when the Malkah of Sheva had seen kol chochmat Sh’lomo, and the Bais (Palace) that he had built,

And the ma’akhal (food) of his shulchan, and the moshav (seating) of his avadim (officials), and the ma’amad (station) of his attendants, and their robes, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the Beis Hashem; there was no more ruach (breath) in her.

And she said to HaMelech, It was emes the report that I heard in mine own eretz of thy devarim and of thy chochmah.

Howbeit I believed not the devarim, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it; and, hinei, the half was not told me; thy chochmah and tov (prosperity) exceedeth the fame which I heard.

Ashrei are thy anashim; ashrei are these thy avadim, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy chochmah.

Yehi Hashem Eloheicha baruch Who delighted in thee, to set thee on the Kisse Yisroel; because Hashem loved Yisroel l’olam, therefore made He thee Melech, to do mishpat and tzedakah.

10 And she gave HaMelech a hundred and twenty talents of zahav, and a very large store of spices and precious gems; there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the Malkah of Sheva gave to Melech Sh’lomo.

11 And the fleet of oniyyot also of Chiram, that brought zahav from Ophir, brought in from Ophir a vast supply of almug wood, and precious gems.

12 And HaMelech made of the almug wood misad (steps, support) for the Beis Hashem, and for the Bais HaMelech, kinnorot (harps) also and nevalim (lyres) for the singers; there came no such almug wood, nor were seen unto this day.

13 And HaMelech Sh’lomo gave unto the Malkah of Sheva all her desire, whatsoever she asked, besides that which Sh’lomo gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her avadim.

14 Now the weight of zahav that came to Sh’lomo in one year was 666 talents of zahav,

15 This was in addition to what he had of the anashei hatarim (merchants), and of the income of traders, and of all the Melachim of Arabia, and of the Governors of the land.

16 And HaMelech Sh’lomo made two hundred large shields of hammered zahav; six hundred shekels of zahav went to one shield.

17 And he made three hundred moginim of hammered zahav; three mina of zahav went to one mogen (shield); and HaMelech put them in the Bais Ya’ar HaLevanon.

18 Moreover HaMelech made a kisse shen gadol (great throne of ivory), and overlaid it with the finest, brightest zahav.

19 The kisse had shesh ma’alot (six steps), and the top of the kisse was rounded; and there were armrests on either side on the makom (place) of the seat, and two arayot (lions) stood beside the armrests.

20 And twelve arayim (lions) stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps; there was not the like made in any mamlakhot (kingdoms).

21 And all HaMelech Sh’lomo’s kelei mashkeh (drinking vessels) were of zahav, and all the vessels of the Bais Ya’ar HaLevanon were of pure zahav; none were of kesef; it was nothing accounted of in the days of Sh’lomo.

22 For HaMelech had at sea a fleet of oniyyot Tarshish with the fleet of oniyyot of Chiram; once in shalosh shanim came the fleet of oniyyot Tarshish, bringing zahav, and kesef, ivory, and monkeys, and peacocks.

23 So HaMelech Sh’lomo exceeded all the Melachim of Ha’Aretz in osher and in chochmah.

24 And kol Ha’Aretz sought the face of Sh’lomo, to hear his chochmah, which Elohim had put in his lev.

25 They brought every ish his minchah, vessels of kesef, vessels of zahav, and robes, and weapons, and spices, susim, and peradim (mules), yearly at each year’s due.

26 And Sh’lomo gathered together merkavot and parashim; and he had a thousand and four hundred merkavot, and twelve thousand parashim, whom he kept in his chariot cities and with HaMelech in Yerushalayim.

27 And HaMelech made kesef to be in Yerushalayim like avanim (rocks), and cedars made he to be like sycamores in the Shefelah, for abundance.

28 And Sh’lomo had susim brought out of Mitzrayim, and from Keveh; HaMelech’s agents acquired from Kevah at a price.

29 And a merkavah (chariot) went out of Mitzrayim for six hundred pieces of kesef, and a sus for a hundred and fifty; and so for all the melachim of the Chittim (Hittites), and for the melachim of Aram, did they [HaMelech’s agents] export them by the same means.

The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon(A)

10 When the queen of Sheba(B) heard about the fame(C) of Solomon and his relationship to the Lord, she came to test Solomon with hard questions.(D) Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan(E)—with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones—she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind. Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, the food on his table,(F) the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at[a] the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.

She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe(G) these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth(H) you have far exceeded the report I heard. How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear(I) your wisdom! Praise(J) be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love(K) for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice(L) and righteousness.”

10 And she gave the king 120 talents[b] of gold,(M) large quantities of spices, and precious stones. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

11 (Hiram’s ships brought gold from Ophir;(N) and from there they brought great cargoes of almugwood[c] and precious stones. 12 The king used the almugwood to make supports[d] for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. So much almugwood has never been imported or seen since that day.)

13 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for, besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country.

Solomon’s Splendor(O)

14 The weight of the gold(P) that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents,[e] 15 not including the revenues from merchants and traders and from all the Arabian kings and the governors of the territories.

16 King Solomon made two hundred large shields(Q) of hammered gold; six hundred shekels[f] of gold went into each shield. 17 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three minas[g] of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.(R)

18 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with fine gold. 19 The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. 20 Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom. 21 All King Solomon’s goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold.(S) Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s days. 22 The king had a fleet of trading ships[h](T) at sea along with the ships(U) of Hiram. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.

23 King Solomon was greater in riches(V) and wisdom(W) than all the other kings of the earth. 24 The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom(X) God had put in his heart. 25 Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift(Y)—articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.

26 Solomon accumulated chariots and horses;(Z) he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses,[i] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 27 The king made silver as common(AA) in Jerusalem as stones,(AB) and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig(AC) trees in the foothills. 28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue[j]—the royal merchants purchased them from Kue at the current price. 29 They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty.[k] They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites(AD) and of the Arameans.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 10:5 Or the ascent by which he went up to
  2. 1 Kings 10:10 That is, about 4 1/2 tons or about 4 metric tons
  3. 1 Kings 10:11 Probably a variant of algumwood; also in verse 12
  4. 1 Kings 10:12 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  5. 1 Kings 10:14 That is, about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons
  6. 1 Kings 10:16 That is, about 15 pounds or about 6.9 kilograms; also in verse 29
  7. 1 Kings 10:17 That is, about 3 3/4 pounds or about 1.7 kilograms; or perhaps reference is to double minas, that is, about 7 1/2 pounds or about 3.5 kilograms.
  8. 1 Kings 10:22 Hebrew of ships of Tarshish
  9. 1 Kings 10:26 Or charioteers
  10. 1 Kings 10:28 Probably Cilicia
  11. 1 Kings 10:29 That is, about 3 3/4 pounds or about 1.7 kilograms

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

And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.

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

And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her.

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

Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.

Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.

Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.

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

11 And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.

12 And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the Lord, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.

13 And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.

14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,

15 Beside that he had of the merchantmen, and of the traffick of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.

16 And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of gold went to one target.

17 And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pound of gold went 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 the best gold.

19 The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind: and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays.

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 And 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; none were of silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.

22 For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.

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

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

26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.

27 And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.

28 And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price.

29 And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means.