2 Chronicles 9

9 ¹Hearing Solomon's fame, the queen of Sheba came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions—a huge retinue, camels bearing spices, much gold, precious stones. Reaching Solomon, she told him all on her mind. ²Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for him to explain to her. ³When the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the palace he had built, ⁴the food on his table, his officials seated, his servants attending, their clothing, his cupbearers and theirs, and the burnt offerings at the house of our Father — it took her breath away.

⁵She told the king, "The report I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom was true. ⁶I didn't believe the reports until I came and saw for myself. Not half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you surpass the report I heard. ⁷How happy your people! How happy these servants who stand before you always, hearing your wisdom! ⁸Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you and set you on his throne as king for the LORD your God! Because your God loved Israel, establishing them forever, he made you king to do justice and righteousness."

⁹She gave the king about 9,000 pounds of gold, great quantities of spices, and precious stones. No spice ever matched what the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.

¹⁰Huram's and Solomon's servants, who brought gold from Ophir, also brought sandalwood and precious stones. ^a a v10 Also called 'algum' or 'almug' — a rare, fragrant imported timber, likely sandalwood. ¹¹From the sandalwood the king made steps for our Father's house and his palace, and lyres and harps for the singers—none like them ever seen in Judah. ¹²King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, more than she had brought him. Then she returned to her own land with her servants.

Solomon's Wealth and Splendor

¹³The weight of gold that came to Solomon in a single year was about twenty-five tons, ¹⁴besides what traders and merchants brought; all the kings of Arabia and governors of the land brought gold and silver to Solomon. ¹⁵King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold, each with about fifteen pounds of gold. ¹⁶He made 300 smaller shields of hammered gold, about seven and a half pounds each. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. ¹⁷The king made a large ivory throne and covered it with pure gold. ¹⁸The throne had six steps with a gold footstool attached to it; armrests flanked the seat, with two lions standing beside them, ¹⁹and twelve lions stood there, one at either end of each of the six steps. Nothing like it was ever made for any kingdom. ²⁰All King Solomon's cups were gold, and every vessel of the House of the Forest of Lebanon was pure gold. Silver counted as nothing in Solomon's days, ²¹for the king's ships sailed to Tarshish with Huram's servants; every three years the Tarshish ships returned with gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

²²So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. ²³All the kings of the earth sought Solomon's presence to hear the wisdom our Father put in his heart. ²⁴Each brought his gift—silver and gold articles, garments, weapons, spices, horses, and mules—year after year. ²⁵Solomon had 4,000 horse-and-chariot stalls and 12,000 horsemen, kept in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. ²⁶He ruled all the kings from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, to Egypt's border. ²⁷The king made silver in Jerusalem like stones, and cedar as plentiful as foothill sycamore-figs. ²⁸Horses were imported for Solomon from Egypt and from all the lands.

The Death of Solomon

²⁹Solomon's other deeds, first to last — aren't they recorded in the words of Nathan the prophet, Ahijah of Shiloh's prophecy, and the visions of Iddo the seer about Jeroboam son of Nebat? ³⁰Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. ³¹Solomon rested with his ancestors, buried in the city of David his father. His son Rehoboam reigned in his place.