The Visit of the Queen of Sheba
(2 Chronicles 9.1-12)1 The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, and she traveled to Jerusalem to test him with difficult questions. 2 She brought with her a large group of attendants, as well as camels loaded with spices, jewels, and a large amount of gold. When she and Solomon met, she asked him all the questions that she could think of. 3 He answered them all; there was nothing too difficult for him to explain. 4 The queen of Sheba heard Solomon's wisdom and saw the palace he had built. 5 She saw the food that was served at his table, the living quarters for his officials, the organization of his palace staff and the uniforms they wore, the servants who waited on him at feasts, and the sacrifices he offered in the Temple. It left her breathless and amazed. 6 She said to King Solomon, “What I heard in my own country about you and your wisdom is true! 7 But I couldn't believe it until I had come and seen it all for myself. But I didn't hear even half of it; your wisdom and wealth are much greater than what I was told. 8 How fortunate are your wives! And how fortunate your servants, who are always in your presence and are privileged to hear your wise sayings! 9 Praise the Lord your God! He has shown how pleased he is with you by making you king of Israel. Because his love for Israel is eternal, he has made you their king so that you can maintain law and justice.”
10 She presented to King Solomon the gifts she had brought: almost five tons of gold and a very large amount of spices and jewels. The amount of spices she gave him was by far the greatest that he ever received at any time.
( 11 Hiram's fleet, which had brought gold from Ophir, also brought from there a large amount of juniper wood and jewels. 12 Solomon used the wood to build railings in the Temple and the palace, and also to make harps and lyres for the musicians. It was the finest juniper wood ever imported into Israel; none like it has ever been seen again.)
13 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she asked for, besides all the other customary gifts that he had generously given her. Then she and her attendants returned to the land of Sheba.
King Solomon's Wealth
(2 Chronicles 9.13-29)14 Every year King Solomon received over twenty-five tons of gold, 15 in addition to the taxes paid by merchants, the profits from trade, and tribute paid by the Arabian kings and the governors of the Israelite districts.
16 Solomon made two hundred large shields and had each one overlaid with almost fifteen pounds of gold. 17 He also made three hundred smaller shields, overlaying each one of them with nearly four pounds of gold. He had all these shields placed in the Hall of the Forest of Lebanon.
18 He also had a large throne made. Part of it was covered with ivory and the rest of it was covered with the finest gold. 19-20 The throne had six steps leading up to it, with the figure of a lion at each end of every step, a total of twelve lions. At the back of the throne was the figure of a bull's head, and beside each of the two armrests was the figure of a lion. No throne like this had ever existed in any other kingdom.
21 All of Solomon's drinking cups were made of gold, and all the utensils in the Hall of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. No silver was used, since it was not considered valuable in Solomon's day. 22 He had a fleet of ocean-going ships sailing with Hiram's fleet. Every three years his fleet would return, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys.
23 King Solomon was richer and wiser than any other king, 24 and the whole world wanted to come and listen to the wisdom that God had given him. 25 Everyone who came brought him a gift—articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons, spices, horses, and mules. This continued year after year.
26 Solomon built up a force of fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand cavalry horses. Some of them he kept in Jerusalem and the rest he stationed in various other cities. 27 During his reign silver was as common in Jerusalem as stone, and cedar was as plentiful as ordinary sycamore in the foothills of Judah. 28 The king's agents controlled the export of horses from Musri and Cilicia, 29 and the export of chariots from Egypt. They supplied the Hittite and Syrian kings with horses and chariots, selling chariots for 600 pieces of silver each and horses for 150 each.
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.
