2 ChroniclesChapter 9
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1The queen of Sheba heard how famous Solomon was. So she came to test him with hard questions. She came to Jerusalem with a very large group of travelers. Her camels carried spices, lots of gold, and precious stones. She came to Solomon and talked with him about everything on her mind. 2Solomon answered all her questions. Nothing was too hard for him to explain. 3The queen of Sheba saw Solomon's wisdom and the palace he had built. 4She saw the food on his table and how his servants were seated. She saw how his helpers served and what they wore. She saw his cupbearers and their clothes. She saw the burnt offerings he gave at the LORD's house. It took her breath away. 5She said to the king, "What I heard in my own country about your words and your wisdom is true. 6But I did not believe it until I came and saw it with my own eyes. Truly, I was not told even half of how great your wisdom is. You are far greater than what I heard. 7How happy your men must be! How happy are these servants of yours who always stand before you and hear your wisdom! 8Praise the LORD your God! He was pleased with you and put you on his throne to be king for the LORD your God. Your God loved Israel and wanted to make them strong forever. So he made you king over them to do what is fair and right." 9Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a large amount of spices, and precious stones. There had never been spices like the ones the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.a 10(Hiram's servants and Solomon's servants brought gold from Ophir. They also brought algum wood and precious stones. 11The king used the algum wood to make steps for the LORD's house and for the king's palace. He also made lyres and harps for the singers. Nothing like them had ever been seen before in the land of Judah.) 12King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she wanted, whatever she asked for. It was far more than she had brought to the king. Then she and her servants left and went back to her own country. 13Each year Solomon received 666 talents of gold.b 14This did not count the money from the merchants and traders. All the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold. Each shield used six hundred shekels of hammered gold.c 16He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold. Each shield used three hundred shekels of gold. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.d 17The king also made a great throne out of ivory. He covered it with pure gold. 18The throne had six steps, and a gold footstool was attached to it. There were armrests on both sides of the seat. A lion stood beside each armrest. 19Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at each end of every step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any kingdom. 20All of King Solomon's cups were gold. All the dishes in the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, because silver was thought to be worth nothing in Solomon's day. 21The king had ships of Tarshish that sailed with Hiram's servants. Once every three years the ships of Tarshish came back. They brought gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. 22So King Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. 23All the kings of the earth wanted to meet Solomon. They wanted to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. 24Year after year, each visitor brought a gift. They brought things made of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules. 25Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horses. He kept them in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 26He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. 27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones. He made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore trees in the foothills. 28Solomon's horses were brought in from Egypt and from all the other lands. 29The rest of what Solomon did, from beginning to end, is written down. It is in the Records of Nathan the Prophet. It is in the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite. It is also in the Visions of Iddo the Seer about Jeroboam son of Nebat. 30Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years. 31Then Solomon died and joined his ancestors. He was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam became king in his place.