The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon
(2 Chronicles 9.1-12)1 The Queen of Sheba heard how famous Solomon was, so she went to Jerusalem to test him with difficult questions. 2 She took along several of her officials, and she loaded her camels with gifts of spices, jewels, and gold. When she arrived, she and Solomon talked about everything she could think of. 3 He answered every question, no matter how difficult it was.
4-5 The Queen was amazed at Solomon's wisdom. She was breathless when she saw his palace, the food on his table, his officials, his servants in their uniforms, the people who served his food, and the sacrifices he offered at the Lord's temple. 6 She said:
Solomon, in my own country I had heard about your wisdom and all you've done. 7 But I didn't believe it until I saw it with my own eyes! And there's so much I didn't hear about. You are wiser and richer than I was told. 8 Your wives and officials are lucky to be here where they can listen to the wise things you say.
9 I praise the Lord your God. He is pleased with you and has made you king of Israel. The Lord has always loved Israel, so he has given them a king who will rule fairly and honestly.
10 The Queen of Sheba gave Solomon more than four tons of gold, many jewels, and more spices than anyone had ever brought into Israel.
11-13 In return, Solomon gave her the gifts he would have given any other ruler, but he also gave her everything else she wanted. Then she and her officials went back to their own country.
Solomon's Wealth
(2 Chronicles 9.13-28)King Hiram's ships brought gold, juniper wood, and jewels from the country of Ophir. Solomon used the wood to make steps for the temple and palace, and harps and other stringed instruments for the musicians. It was the best juniper wood anyone in Israel had ever seen.
14 Solomon received almost 23 tons of gold a year. 15 The merchants and traders, as well as the kings of Arabia and rulers from Israel, also gave him gold.
16 Solomon made 200 gold shields and used almost seven kilograms of gold for each one. 17 He also made 300 smaller gold shields, using almost two kilograms for each one, and he put the shields in his palace in Forest Hall.
18 His throne was made of ivory and covered with pure gold. 19-20 The back of the throne was rounded at the top, and it had armrests on each side. There was a statue of a lion on both sides of the throne, and there was a statue of a lion at both ends of each of the six steps leading up to the throne. No other throne in the world was like Solomon's.
21 Since silver was almost worthless in those days, everything was made of gold, even the cups and dishes used in Forest Hall.
22 Solomon had a lot of seagoing ships. Every three years he sent them out with Hiram's ships to bring back gold, silver, and ivory, as well as monkeys and peacocks.
23 He was the richest and wisest king in the world. 24 People from every nation wanted to hear the wisdom God had given him. 25 Year after year people came and brought gifts of silver and gold, as well as clothes, weapons, spices, horses, or mules.
26 Solomon had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses that he kept in Jerusalem and other towns.
27 While he was king, there was silver everywhere in Jerusalem, and cedar was as common as ordinary sycamore trees in the foothills.
28-29 Solomon's merchants bought his horses and chariots in the regions of Musri and Kue. They paid 600 pieces of silver for a chariot and 150 pieces of silver for a horse. They also sold horses and chariots to the Hittite and Syrian kings.
Šebas ķēniņiene
(2L 9:1–12)1 Kad Šebas ķēniņiene dzirdēja, ka Sālamans kļuvis slavens Kunga vārda dēļ, viņa nāca to pārbaudīt ar mīklām. 2 Viņa nāca uz Jeruzālemi ar ļoti lielu karavānu. Kamieļi nesa smaržvielas, ļoti daudz zelta un dārgakmeņu. Viņa nāca pie Sālamana un teica tam visu, ko bija iecerējusi. 3 Sālamans atbildēja uz visiem viņas jautājumiem, nebija nekā, kas ķēniņam būtu apslēpts un ko viņš tai neatbildētu. 4 Kad Šebas ķēniņiene redzēja visu Sālamana gudrību un viņa uzcelto namu, 5 un ēdienu uz viņa galda, un viņa kalpu pulku, kā tie apkalpo un ir tērpti, un dzērienu devējus, un viņa sadedzināmo upuri, ko viņš upurēja Kunga namā, – viņai aizrāvās elpa! 6 Un viņa sacīja ķēniņam: “Tas, ko es savā zemē esmu dzirdējusi par tevi un tavu gudrību, ir patiesība, 7 bet es neticēju valodām, līdz atnācu un ieraudzīju savām acīm. Redzi, tas, ko es līdz šim esmu dzirdējusi, nav pat puse no tā, ko var pateikt par tavu gudrību un labumiem! 8 Svētīgi tavi vīri, svētīgi šie tavi kalpi, kas vienmēr stāv tavā priekšā un dzird tavu gudrību! 9 Svētīts lai Kungs, tavs Dievs, kam labs prāts uz tevi, kas iecēlis tevi Israēla tronī, jo Kungs Israēlu mīl mūžīgi, – viņš tevi iecēlis spriest tiesu pēc taisnības!” 10 Un ķēniņam deva simts divdesmit talantus zelta un ļoti daudz smaržu un dārgakmeņu, neviens vairs nekad ķēniņam Sālamanam neatveda tik daudz smaržu kā Šebas ķēniņiene. 11 Un arī Hīrāma kuģi atveda zeltu no Ofīras, ieveda no Ofīras ļoti daudz koraļļkoka un dārgakmeņu. 12 Un ķēniņš taisīja koraļļkoka balstu Kunga namam un ķēniņa namam, kā arī liras un arfas dziedātājiem, tādus koraļļkokus vairs nekad neieveda, un tādi nav redzēti līdz šai dienai.
13 Ķēniņš Sālamans deva Šebas ķēniņienei visu, ko viņa gribēja un lūdza, vēl līdzās tam, ko ķēniņš Sālamans viņai jau bija devis. Un viņa devās atpakaļ un gāja ar saviem kalpiem uz savu zemi.
Bagātība un varenība
(2L 9:13–28)14 Zelta svars, ko Sālamanam ik gadu atveda, bija seši simti sešdesmit seši talanti zelta, 15 turklāt vēl no tirgoņiem un preču tirdzniecības, kā arī no visiem Arābas ķēniņiem un zemes pārvaldniekiem. 16 Ķēniņš Sālamans darināja divsimt kalta zelta vairogu, katru vairogu no sešsimt gabaliem zelta, 17 un trīssimt mazu vairogu no kalta zelta, katru no trīs minām , un ķēniņš tos novietoja Lebanona koka namā.
18 Un ķēniņš darināja lielu ziloņkaula troni un pārklāja to ar tīru zeltu. 19 Tronim bija seši pakāpieni, tā augšgals bija apaļš , sānos roku balsti, un pie balstiem stāvēja divas lauvas. 20 Uz sešiem pakāpieniem abās pusēs stāvēja divpadsmit lauvas – tādas nebija darinātas nevienā ķēniņvalstī!
21 Visi ķēniņa Sālamana dzērienu kausi bija no zelta, un visi trauki Lebanona koka namā bija no tīra zelta, sudraba nebija, jo Sālamana dienās to augstu nevērtēja. 22 Kopā ar Hīrāma kuģiem ķēniņam jūrās bija tāljūras kuģi , reizi trīs gados tāljūras kuģi atgriezās, vezdami zeltu un sudrabu, ziloņkaulu, mērkaķus un pāvus. 23 Ķēniņš Sālamans bija bagātākais un gudrākais starp visiem zemes ķēniņiem. 24 Visa pasaule vēlējās redzēt Sālamanu un dzirdēt viņa gudrību, ko Dievs viņam licis sirdī. 25 Viņi nāca katrs ar savu dāvanu – sudraba un zelta mantām, tērpiem, ieročiem, smaržām, zirgiem un mūļiem – un tā gadu no gada.
26 Sālamanam piederēja kararati un jātnieki, viņam bija tūkstotis un četri simti kararatu un divpadsmit tūkstoši jātnieku, un viņš tos izvietoja kararatu pilsētās un pie sevis Jeruzālemē. 27 Jeruzālemē ķēniņš savāca tik daudz sudraba kā akmeņu un ciedru tik daudz kā mežavīģes ielejā! 28 Zirgus Sālamanam ieveda no Ēģiptes un Keves. Ķēniņa tirgotāji tos pirka Kevē, 29 un no Ēģiptes tie veda kararatus par seši simti sudraba gabaliem un zirgus par simts piecdesmit. Ar viņu starpniecību tos nogādāja visiem hetiešiem un aramiešu ķēniņiem.
