2 Chronicles 9

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1. 1When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon's fame, she traveled to Jerusalem to test him with difficult questions. She arrived with an enormous caravan — camels loaded with spices, massive amounts of gold, and precious stones. When she met with Solomon, she talked with him about everything on her mind.
2. 2Solomon answered every one of her questions. Nothing was too complex for him — he explained it all.
3. 3When the queen of Sheba had witnessed Solomon's wisdom firsthand, seen the palace he had built,
4. 4the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his ministers and their clothing, his cupbearers and their clothing, and the stairway he used to go up to the house of the LORD; she was overwhelmed.
5. 5She said to the king, "Everything I heard back in my own country about your accomplishments and your wisdom was true.
6. 6However, I did not believe their words until I came and saw it with my own eyes. And indeed, I was not told half of the greatness of your wisdom; you exceed the fame I heard.
7. 7Happy are your men, and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom.
8. 8Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you to set you on his throne to be king for the LORD your God. Because your God loved Israel, to establish them forever, he made you king over them to carry out judgment and justice.
9. 9She gave the king 120 talents of gold, an enormous quantity of spices, and precious stones. No one had ever given spices like the ones the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
10. 10In addition, the servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir also brought back algum wood and precious stones.
11. 11The king used the algum wood to build terraces for the LORD's house and the royal palace, and to craft harps and lyres for the musicians. Nothing like them had ever been seen before in the land of Judah.
12. 12King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she wanted, whatever she asked for, in addition to what she had brought to the king. Then she and her servants left and returned to her own country.
13. 13The total weight of gold that came to Solomon in a single year was 666 talents of gold,
14. 14not counting what the traders and merchants brought in. On top of that, all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the surrounding regions brought gold and silver to Solomon.
15. 15King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold, with 600 shekels of hammered gold going into each shield.
16. 16He also made 300 smaller shields of hammered gold, using 300 shekels of gold for each one. The king placed them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.
17. 17The king also built a magnificent throne made of ivory and overlaid with pure gold.
18. 18The throne had 6 steps leading up to it, with a gold footstool attached to it. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, and 2 lions stood beside the armrests.
19. 1912 more lions stood on the steps, one on each side of every step. Nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom.
20. 20Every one of King Solomon's drinking cups was made of gold, and all the vessels in the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Silver was not considered important during Solomon's reign.
21. 21The king had ships that sailed to Tarshish with Huram's crew. Once every 3 years, the Tarshish fleet would return carrying gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
22. 22King Solomon surpassed every other king on earth in both wealth and wisdom.
23. 23Kings from all over the world sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had placed in his heart.
24. 24Each person brought his gift year after year—vessels of silver and gold, clothing, harness, spices, horses, and mules.
25. 25Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his horses and chariots, along with 12,000 horsemen. He stationed them in the chariot cities and with him in Jerusalem.
26. 26He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and all the way to the border of Egypt.
27. 27The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and cedar wood as plentiful as the sycamore trees in the lowlands.
28. 28Horses were imported for Solomon from Egypt and from every other land.
29. 29Everything else Solomon did, from beginning to end, is recorded in the writings of Nathan the prophet, the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat.
30. 30Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for 40 years.
31. 31Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David, his father's city. His son Rehoboam became king after him.