The Queen of Sheba Visits King Solomon |
2 Chronicles 9:1-31 2 Chronicles in [Smaller Chunks] |
When the Queen of Sheba heard of [Solomon’s] fame, she came to Jerusalem [to test] Solomon with hard questions. [She came] with a [large] company & camels that [carried:] spices & gold in abundance & precious stones. |
When she [came] to Solomon, she [discussed] with him all that was on her heart. Solomon [answered] all her questions & [there wasn’t anything he was unable to answer.] |
When the Queen of Sheba had seen [Solomon’s] wisdom, the [palace] he built, the [food on] his table, the [seating] of his servants, the attendance of his ministers & their [clothing,] his cup bearers & their [clothing] & the [path used when] he went [up] to the [Lord’s] house, there was no more spirit [left] in her. |
She said to king [Solomon,] The report I heard in my land was true [about your actions] & your wisdom. [But] I [didn’t] believe their words until I [saw] it with my [own] eyes. ½ of the greatness of your wisdom [wasn’t] told to me. You exceed [your] fame that I heard. |
Your men & your servants are happy, [who] continually stand before you & hear your wisdom. Blessed be the Lord, your God, [Who delights] in you, to [put] 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 the king over them, to [provide] judgment & justice. She gave [Solomon] 120 talents of gold & an abundance of [rare] spices & precious stones. Neither [had there been] such [spices, like] the Queen of Sheba gave [to] king Solomon. |
The servants of Huram [a.k.a. Hiram] & [Solomon’s] servants brought [him] gold from Ophir & algum [a.k.a. almug] trees & precious stones. King [Solomon] made terraces to the house of the Lord [with] the algum trees & [for] the king’s palace & harps & [lyres] for singers. |
There [was nothing like this] seen before in the land of Judah. [Besides] what she had brought to the king, Solomon gave her [whatever] she desired & asked [for.] She & her servants [returned] to her own land. |
Now, the weight of the gold that came to Solomon in 1 year was 666 talents of gold. [Besides what] the [traders] & merchants brought. All [Arabia’s] kings & governors of the country brought gold & silver to Solomon. |
King Solomon made 200 [large shields] of beaten gold. 300 shekels of gold went [into each] shield. King [Solomon] put them in the house [at] the Forest of Lebanon. [Also,] the king made a [large] throne of ivory & overlaid it with pure gold. |
There were 6 steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which fastened to the throne. There were [armrests] on each side & 2 lions standing by the [armrests.] There [were] 12 lions, 6 on each side of the 6 steps to the throne. There [wasn’t anything like this] made in any kingdom. |
All of [Solomon’s] drinking [goblets] were gold. All the vessels of the house in the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold & none were of silver. [There was nothing like this] all the days of Solomon. |
[Solomon’s] ships went to Tarshish every 3 years with [Huram’s] servants [& returned with] gold, silver, ivory, apes & peacocks. King Solomon [surpassed] all kings of the earth in riches & wisdom & [they] sought to [come to] Solomon to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart. |
[Each] man brought [Solomon presents:] vessels of silver & of gold, [clothing, harnesses,] spices, horses, mules [year] by [year.] Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses & chariots. And 12,000 horsemen whom [Solomon had given to stay] in the chariot cities & with the king in Jerusalem. |
Solomon [ruled] over all the kings from the river to the land of the Philistines to the border of Egypt. King [Solomon] made silver in Jerusalem [as plentiful] as stones & he made cedar trees abundant [like] the sycamore trees in the [foothills.] |
They brought horses out of Egypt & all [the] lands to Solomon. [Aren’t] the rest of [Solomon’s actions] 1st & last, written in the [records] of Nathan, the prophet & in the prophecy of Ahijah, the Shilonite & in the visions of Iddo, the seer against Jeroboam, [Nebat’s] son? |
Solomon [ruled] over all [of] Israel for 40 years in Jerusalem. Solomon [died] & slept with his father & he was buried in the city of David, his father. And Rehoboam, his son, [ruled] in his [place.] |