2 Chronicles

Covers Solomon's reign and the kingdom of Judah's history, emphasizing faithfulness to God.

Chapter 9

1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came 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.

*When the queen of Sheba learned about Solomon's reputation, she visited him in Jerusalem to test him with difficult questions. She brought a large group, many camels carrying spices, gold, and valuable stones. When she arrived at Solomon, they talked about everything on her mind.

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

*Solomon answered all the woman's questions, revealing everything to her without withholding any information.

3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,

*When the queen of Sheba saw Solomon's wisdom and the house he built,

4 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.

*His food, servant seats, minister care, their clothes, cupbearer clothes, and how he entered the Lord's house - she had no more life left.

5 And she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom:

*She told the king, "I heard back home about your good deeds and wise decisions."

6 Howbeit I believed 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 thou exceedest the fame that I heard.

*However, I did not believe their words until I arrived and saw it myself. And when I got there, I realized that half of your great wisdom was not even told to me; you are more amazing than I had heard.

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

*Your men are very happy, and your servants are also happy, who always stay near you and listen to your wise words.

8 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his 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.

*Praise the Lord your God! He chose you to sit on the throne as king because of his love for Israel. He wants to always protect Israel, so he made you their ruler to make fair decisions and be just.

9 And she 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.

*The queen gave the king 120 talents of gold, lots of spices, and valuable stones. There wasn't any spice like the one she gave to King Solomon.

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

*Huram's workers and Solomon's workers got gold from Ophir and brought back algum trees and valuable stones.

11 And the king made of the algum trees terraces 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.

*The king built platforms from special trees for the LORD's house and his own palace, as well as musical instruments for singers. No one had ever seen anything like it in Judah before.

12 And king 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.

*King Solomon granted the queen of Sheba everything she wanted, more than what she initially gave to the king. Then, she left with her servants to return to her homeland.

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

*In one year, Solomon received 666 talents of gold.

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

*Next to what the traders and businesspeople carried, and all the Arabian kings and local rulers gave gold and silver to Solomon.

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

*King Solomon created 200 gold bullseyes. Each bullseye required 600 units of gold, making them very valuable.

16 And three 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.

*He made 300 gold shields, with each shield costing 300 gold shekels. The king placed them in a special storage in the cedar forest called Lebanon.

17 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.

*The king also made an enormous ivory throne and covered it completely 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 stays:

*There were 6 steps leading to the throne, and a golden footrest attached to it. The steps and footrest were secured to the throne with supports on both sides. Two lions stood next to these supports.

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

*Twelve lions were standing on one side and six on the other, on the steps. This was unique and not found in any other kingdom.

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

*All of King Solomon's cups were made of gold, as were all the items in the special building made from trees of Lebanon forest. There were no silver items; in Solomon's time, silver wasn't valued at all.

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

*The king's ships sailed to Tarshish with Huram's workers. Every three years, Tarshish ships arrived, bringing gold, silver, ivory, monkeys, and colorful birds.

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

*King Solomon had more wealth and smarts than any other kings.

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

*All the world's kings came to see Solomon because he was very wise, and God had given him this wisdom in his heart.

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

*They all gave gifts each year, including silver and gold containers, clothes, protective gear, fragrant plants, horses, and mules.

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

*Solomon had 4,000 horse and chariot spaces and 12,000 horse riders. He placed them in chariot towns and with the king in Jerusalem.

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

*He ruled over all the other kings, starting from a certain river and extending to the land of the Philistines and up to the edge of Egypt.

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

*The king turned silver into common stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedar trees like the many sycamore trees found in the lowlands.

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

*They brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and other countries.

29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

*The rest of Solomon's actions, found both at the beginning and end, can be seen in the book by Nathan the prophet, as well as the prophecies of Ahijah from Shiloh and Iddo the seer's visions about Jeroboam, son of Nebat.

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

*Solomon ruled in Jerusalem as king over Israel for forty years.

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

*Solomon passed away and was buried in his dad's city; his son Rehoboam took over as king after him.

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