II Chronicles 9

1. And the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon and came to test Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company and camels that carried spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones. And she came in to Solomon and spoke with him of all that was in her heart.

2. And Solomon answered her all her questions. And there was nothing hidden from Solomon which he could not answer her.

3. And when the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,

4. And the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers and their apparel, and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her.

5. And she said to the king, “The word that I heard in my own land of your acts and of your wisdom is true.

6. Nevertheless, I did not believe their words until I came and had seen it all with my own eyes. And behold, not even one-half of the greatness of your wisdom was told to me, for you far exceed the report which I heard.

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

8. Blessed be the LORD your God Who delighted in you to set you upon 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. And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and an abundance of spices, and precious stones. And there has not been any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.

10. And the servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum trees and precious stones.

11. And the king made terraces by the walkways to the house of the LORD with the algum trees, and terraces leading to the king’s palace, and lyres and harps for singers. And there were none such as these seen before in the land of Judah.

12. And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, even more than what she had brought to the king. And she returned and went away to her own land, she and her servants.

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

14. Besides that from the traders and that which the merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.

15. And King Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold. Six hundred shekels of gold went to one target.

16. And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold. Three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

17. And the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.

18. And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold fastened to the throne. And there were armrests on each side of the sitting place and two lions standing by the stays.

19. And 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. And all the drinking vessels of King Solomon 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 accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon,

21. For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram. Once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

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

23. And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom that God had put in his heart.

24. And they each brought a present, vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and clothing, armor, and spices, horses, and mules at a certain rate year by year.

25. And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he put in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.

26. And he reigned over all the kings from the River even to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt.

27. And the king made silver in Jerusalem like stones, and he made cedar trees as the sycamore trees in the low plains.

28. And they brought to Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands.

29. And the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah of Shiloh, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

30. And Solomon reigned forty years in Jerusalem over all Israel.

31. And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father. And his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.