The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon
(1 Kings 10.1-13)1 The Queen of Sheba heard how famous Solomon was, so she went to Jerusalem to test him with difficult questions. 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. 2 He answered every question, no matter how difficult it was.
3-4 The Queen was amazed at Solomon's wisdom. She was breathless when she saw his palace, the food on his table, his officials, all his servants in their uniforms, and the sacrifices he offered at the Lord's temple. 5 She said:
Solomon, in my own country I had heard about your wisdom and all you've done. 6 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 greater than I was told. 7 Your people and officials are lucky to be here where they can listen to the wise things you say.
8 I praise the Lord your God. He is pleased with you and has made you king of Israel. God loves the people of this country and will never desert them, so he has given them a king who will rule fairly and honestly.
9 The Queen of Sheba gave Solomon more than four tons of gold, a large amount of jewels, and the best spices anyone had ever seen.
10-12 In return, Solomon gave her everything she wanted—even more than she had given him. Then she and her officials went back to their own country.
Solomon's Wealth
(1 Kings 10.14-29)Hiram's and Solomon's sailors 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. Nothing like these had ever been made in Judah.
13 Solomon received almost 23 tons of gold each year, 14 not counting what the merchants and traders brought him. The kings of Arabia and the leaders of Israel also gave him gold and silver.
15 Solomon made 200 gold shields that weighed over three kilograms each. 16 He also made 300 smaller gold shields that weighed almost two kilograms, and he put these shields in his palace in Forest Hall.
17 His throne was made of ivory and covered with pure gold. 18 It had a gold footstool attached to it and armrests on each side. There was a statue of a lion on each side of the throne, 19 and there were two lion statues on each of the six steps leading up to the throne. No other throne in the world was like Solomon's.
20 Solomon's cups and dishes in Forest Hall were made of pure gold, because silver was almost worthless in those days.
21 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.
22 Solomon was the richest and wisest king in the world. 23-24 Year after year, other kings came to hear the wisdom God had given him. And they brought gifts of silver and gold, as well as clothes, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
25 Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his horses and chariots, and he owned 12,000 horses that he kept in Jerusalem and other towns.
26 He ruled all the nations from the Euphrates River in the north to the land of Philistia in the south, as far as the border of Egypt.
27 While Solomon was king, there was silver everywhere in Jerusalem, and cedar was as common as the sycamore trees in the western foothills. 28 Solomon's horses were brought in from other countries, including Musri.
Solomon Dies
(1 Kings 11.41-43)29 Everything else Solomon did while he was king is written in the records of Nathan the prophet, Ahijah the prophet from Shiloh, and Iddo the prophet who wrote about Jeroboam son of Nebat. 30 After Solomon had ruled 40 years from Jerusalem, 31 he died and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam then became king.
Šebas ķēniņiene
(1Ķēn 10:1–13)1 Šebas ķēniņiene dzirdēja par Sālamana slavu un ar ļoti lielu karavānu nāca pie Sālamana uz Jeruzālemi pārbaudīt viņu ar mīklām. Kamieļi nesa smaržas, daudz zelta un dārgakmeņu. Viņa runāja ar Sālamanu par visu, ko bija nodomājusi, 2 un Sālamans tai atbildēja, un nebija nekā, kas Sālamanam būtu apslēpts un ko viņš nevarētu atbildēt. 3 Kad Šebas ķēniņiene redzēja visu Sālamana gudrību un viņa uzcelto namu, 4 un ēdienu uz viņa galda, un viņa kalpu pulku, kā tie apkalpo un tērpti, un dzērienu devējus, un viņa sadedzināmo upuri, ko tas upurēja Kunga namā, – viņai aizrāvās elpa! 5 Un viņa sacīja ķēniņam: “Tas, ko es savā zemē esmu dzirdējusi par tevi un tavu gudrību, ir patiesība, 6 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 teikt par tavu gudrību un labumiem! 7 Svētīgi tavi vīri, svētīgi šie tavi kalpi, kas vienmēr stāv tavā priekšā un dzird tavu gudrību! 8 Slavēts lai Kungs, tavs Dievs, kam labs prāts uz tevi, kas iecēlis tevi Israēla tronī, jo tavs Dievs Israēlu mīl mūžīgi, – viņš tevi iecēlis spriest tiesu pēc taisnības!” 9 Un viņa ķēniņam deva simts divdesmit mēru zelta un ļoti daudz smaržu un dārgakmeņu – tādu smaržu, kādas Šebas ķēniņiene deva Sālamanam, vairs nav bijis!
10 Arī Hūrāma un Sālamana kalpi no Ofīras atveda zeltu, koraļļkoku un dārgakmeņus. 11 Ķēniņš taisīja koraļļkoka apmales Kunga namam un ķēniņa namam, kā arī liras un arfas dziedātājiem – Jūdas zemē tādas nekad agrāk nebija redzētas!
12 Ķēniņš Sālamans deva Šebas ķēniņienei visu, ko viņa vēlējās un lūdza, – vairāk par to, ko viņa bija devusi ķēniņam. Tad viņa kopā ar saviem kalpiem devās atpakaļ un gāja uz savu zemi.
Bagātība un varenība
(1Ķēn 10:14–292L 1:14–17)13 Sālamanam ik gadu ienāca seši simti sešdesmit seši mēri zelta, 14 arī no tirgoņiem un lieltirdzniecības, un visiem Arābijas ķēniņiem un zemes pārvaldniekiem Sālamanam ienāca zelts un sudrabs. 15 Ķēniņš Sālamans darināja divi simti lielu vairogu no kalta zelta – katra vairoga kalšanai izlietoja seši simti gabalus zelta. 16 Darināja arī trīs simti mazu vairogu no kalta zelta – katru vairogu no trīs simti gabaliem zelta, un ķēniņš tos novietoja Lebanona koka namā.
17 Ķēniņš darināja lielu ziloņkaula troni un pārklāja to ar tīru zeltu. 18 Tronim bija seši pakāpieni un zelta kājsols, troņa sānos roku atbalsti, un blakus balstiem bija divas lauvas. 19 Malās uz katra pakāpiena bija lauvas – kopā divpadsmit. Tāds nekad nevienā valstī nebija darināts! 20 Visi ķēniņa Sālamana dzērienu trauki bija no zelta, visi trauki Lebanona koka namā bija no tīra zelta – sudraba nebija, jo Sālamana dienās to neturēja vērtē, 21 jo ķēniņa kuģi kopā ar Hūrāma kalpiem devās uz Taršīšu – reizi trijos gados Taršīšas kuģi veda zeltu, sudrabu, ziloņkaulu, mērkaķus un pāvus. 22 Ķēniņš Sālamans kļuva varenāks par visu zemju ķēniņiem – gan bagātībā, gan gudrībā! 23 Visi zemes ķēniņi vēlējās sastapt Sālamanu, lai dzirdētu viņa gudrību, ko Dievs viņam bija devis. 24 Viņi nāca katrs ar savu dāvanu – sudraba un zelta lietām, tērpiem, ieročiem un smaržām, zirgiem un mūļiem, un tā gadu no gada.
25 Sālamanam bija četri tūkstoši steliņģu zirgiem un ratiem un divpadsmit tūkstoši jātnieku. Tos viņš izvietoja kararatu pilsētās un pie sevis Jeruzālemē. 26 Viņš valdīja pār visām valstīm no Eifrātas un filistiešu zemes līdz Ēģiptes robežām. 27 Ķēniņš Jeruzālemē savāca tik daudz sudraba kā akmeņu un tik daudz ciedru kā mežavīģes ielejā! 28 Zirgus Sālamans ieveda gan no Ēģiptes, gan citām zemēm.
Sālamana nāve
(1Ķēn 11:41–43)29 Un visi pārējie Sālamana darbi no pirmā līdz pēdējam – vai tad par tiem nav rakstījuši Laiku grāmatā pravietis Nātāns, Ahija no Šīlo un redzētājs Ido redzējumos par Jārobāmu, Nebāta dēlu!? 30 Ķēniņš Sālamans Jeruzālemē valdīja četrdesmit gadus pār visu Israēlu. 31 Sālamans apgūlās pie tēviem, un viņu apbedīja viņa tēva Dāvida pilsētā. Pēc tam sāka valdīt viņa dēls Rehabeāms.
