Self-interpreting Bible

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2 Chronicles 9

1The queen of Sheba's visit to Solomon; her admiration and astonishment at his wisdom and magnificence; her presents and return. 13Solomon's yearly revenue in gold. 15His golden targets and shields. 17His ivory throne. 20His rich vessels of gold. 23The respect paid to his wisdom by foreign princes. 25His stables and horsemen. 26The extent and wealth of his dominions. 29His reign and death; Rehoboam succeedeth him.


1 AND when athe queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she bcame to *prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

2 And Solomon told her all her 1questions: and there was nothing chid from Solomon which he told her not.

3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the dwisdom of Solomon, and the ehouse that he had built,

4 And fthe *meat of his table, and the gsitting of his servants, and the 2attendance of his ministers, and their *apparel; his 3cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his hascent 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, It was a true 4report which I heard in mine own land of thine 5acts, and of thy wisdom:

  • 4: Heb. word.
  • 5: Or, sayings.

6 Howbeit I ibelieved not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for jthou 6exceedest the fame that I heard.

7 Happy kare thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.

8 Blessed lbe the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on mhis throne, to be king for the LORD thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.

9 And nshe gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon.

10 And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought 7*algum trees and precious stones.

11 And the king made of the *algum trees 8terraces to the house of the LORD, and to the king's palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.

  • *: algum-almug, sandalwood.
  • 8: Or, stairs, 1Ki. 10.12. Heb. highways. , 1Ki. 10:12

12 And oking Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants.

13 ¶Now the pweight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold;

14 Beside that which *chapmen and merchants brought. And all the qkings of Arabia and 9governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.

15 ¶And rking Solomon made two hundred *targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of beaten gold went to one target.

16 And sthree hundred shields made he 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 Moreover tthe 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, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the sitting place, and two lions standing by the 10stays:

  • 10: Heb. hands.

19 And utwelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps. There was not the like made in any kingdom.

20 ¶And vall the drinking vessels of king Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were 11of pure gold: 12none were of silver; it was not any thing accounted of in the days of Solomon.

21 For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years wonce came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, 13ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

22 And king xSolomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

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

24 And they brought every man his zpresent, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and *raiment, harness, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

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

26 ¶And he breigned over all the kings from the 14river even unto the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.

27 And the king 15made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that are in the low plains in abundance.

28 And cthey brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands.

29 ¶Now dthe rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the 16book of eNathan the prophet, and in the fprophecy of gAhijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of hIddo the iseer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

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

    31 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and jRehoboam his son reigned in his *stead.