2 Chronicles 9

The Queen of Sheba

1 f Now when g the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions, having a very great retinue and camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. 2 And Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing hidden from Solomon that he could not explain to her. 3 And when g the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 4 the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, and their clothing, his cupbearers, and their clothing, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more breath in her.

5 And she said to the king, "The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom, 6 but I did not believe the 1 reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, half the greatness of your wisdom was not told me; you surpass the report that I heard. 7 Happy are your wives! 2 Happy are these your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! 8 Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you h and set you on his throne as king for the Lord your God! i Because your God loved Israel and would establish them forever, he has made you king over them, that you may execute justice and righteousness." 9 Then she gave the king 120 talents 3 of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There were no spices such as those that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10 Moreover, the servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon, j who brought gold from Ophir, brought algum wood and precious stones. 11 And the king made from the algum wood k supports for the house of the Lord and for the king's house, lyres also and harps for the singers. There never was seen the like of them before in the land of Judah.

12 And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked l besides what she had brought to the king. So she turned and went back to her own land with her servants.

Solomon's Wealth

13 m Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, 14 besides that which the explorers and merchants brought. n And all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15 King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold; 600 shekels 4 of beaten gold went into each shield. 16 And he made 300 shields of beaten gold; o 300 shekels of gold went into each shield; and the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. 17 The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold. 18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold, which were attached to the throne, and on each side of the seat were armrests and two lions standing beside the armrests, 19 while twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. Nothing like it was ever made for any kingdom. 20 All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. Silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon. 21 For the king's ships went to p Tarshish with the servants of Hiram. Once every three years the ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. 5

22 Thus King Solomon q excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. 23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind. 24 Every one of them brought his present, articles of silver and of gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year. 25 And Solomon had r 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 26 s And he ruled over all the kings t from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. 27 u And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah. 28 v And horses were imported for Solomon from Egypt and from all lands.

Solomon's Death

29 w Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from x first to last, are they not written in the history of y Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of z Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of a Iddo b the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? 30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31 And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in c the city of David his father, and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.

  1. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 9:1 - 12
    Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions, having a very great retinue and camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind.
    1 Kings 10:1 - 13
    Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions.
  2. Cross References
    Matthew 12:42
    The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
    Luke 11:31
    The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
  3. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 9:1
    Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions, having a very great retinue and camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind.
  4. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 29:23
    Then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king in place of David his father. And he prospered, and all Israel obeyed him.
  5. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 2:11
    Then Hiram the king of Tyre answered in a letter that he sent to Solomon, "Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you king over them.
  6. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 8:18
    And Hiram sent to him by the hand of his servants ships and servants familiar with the sea, and they went to Ophir together with the servants of Solomon and brought from there 450 talents of gold and brought it to King Solomon.
  7. Cross References
    1 Kings 10:12
    And the king made of the almug wood supports for the house of the Lord and for the king's house, also lyres and harps for the singers. No such almug wood has come or been seen to this day.
  8. Cross References
    1 Kings 10:13
    And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked besides what was given her by the bounty of King Solomon. So she turned and went back to her own land with her servants.
  9. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 9:13 - 28
    Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold.
    1 Kings 10:14 - 28
    Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold.
  10. Cross References
    Psalms 68:29
    Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings shall bear gifts to you.
    Psalms 72:10
    May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts!
  11. Cross References
    1 Kings 10:17
    And he made 300 shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.
  12. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 20:36 - 37
    He joined him in building ships to go to Tarshish, and they built the ships in Ezion-geber.
  13. Cross References
    1 Kings 3:13
    I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days.
  14. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 1:14
    Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.
    1 Kings 4:26
    Solomon also had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen.
    1 Kings 10:26
    And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.
  15. Cross References
    1 Kings 4:21
    Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
  16. Cross References
    Genesis 15:18
    On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.
    Exodus 23:31
    And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you.
    Psalms 72:8
    May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth!
  17. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 1:15
    And the king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah.
  18. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 1:16
    And Solomon's import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king's traders would buy them from Kue for a price.
  19. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 9:29 - 31
    Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are they not written in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat?
    1 Kings 11:41 - 43
    Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the Book of the Acts of Solomon?
  20. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 29:29
    Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are written in the Chronicles of Samuel the seer, and in the Chronicles of Nathan the prophet, and in the Chronicles of Gad the seer.
  21. Cross References
    2 Samuel 12:1
    And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, "There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.
  22. Cross References
    1 Kings 11:29
    And at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Now Ahijah had dressed himself in a new garment, and the two of them were alone in the open country.
  23. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 12:15
    Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the chronicles of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer? There were continual wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam.
    2 Chronicles 13:22
    The rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.
  24. Cross References
    2 Samuel 24:11
    And when David arose in the morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying.
    1 Samuel 9:9
    (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, "Come, let us go to the seer," for today's "prophet" was formerly called a seer.)
  25. Cross References
    1 Kings 2:10
    Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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