The Visit of the Queen of Sheba
(1 Kings 10.1-13)1 The queen of Sheba heard of King Solomon's fame, and she traveled to Jerusalem to test him with difficult questions. 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. 2 He answered them all; there was nothing too difficult for him to explain. 3 The queen of Sheba heard Solomon's wisdom and saw the palace he had built. 4 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 clothing of the servants who waited on him at feasts, and the sacrifices he offered in the Temple. It left her breathless and amazed.
5 She said to the king, “What I heard in my own country about you and your wisdom is true! 6 I did not believe what they told me until I came and saw for myself. I had not heard of even half your wisdom. You are even wiser than people say. 7 How fortunate are those who serve you, who are always in your presence and are privileged to hear your wise sayings! 8 Praise the Lord your God! He has shown how pleased he is with you by making you king, to rule in his name. Because he loves his people Israel and wants to preserve them forever, he has made you their king so that you can maintain law and justice.”
9 She presented to King Solomon the gifts she had brought: almost five tons of gold and a very large amount of spices and jewels. There have never been any other spices as fine as those that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
( 10 The sailors of King Hiram and of King Solomon who brought gold from Ophir also brought juniper wood and jewels. 11 Solomon used the wood to make stairs for the Temple and for his palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. Nothing like that had ever been seen before in the land of Judah.)
12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she asked for. This was in addition to what he gave her in exchange for the gifts she brought to him. Then she and her attendants returned to the land of Sheba.
King Solomon's Wealth
(1 Kings 10.14-25)13 Every year King Solomon received over twenty-five tons of gold, 14 in addition to the taxes paid by the traders and merchants. The kings of Arabia and the governors of the Israelite districts also brought him silver and gold. 15 Solomon made two hundred large shields, each of which was covered with about fifteen pounds of beaten gold, 16 and three hundred smaller shields, each covered with about eight pounds of beaten gold. He had them all placed in the Hall of the Forest of Lebanon.
17 The king also had a large throne made. Part of it was covered with ivory and the rest of it was covered with pure gold. 18 Six steps led up to the throne, and there was a footstool attached to it, covered with gold. There were arms on each side of the throne, and the figure of a lion stood at each side. 19 Twelve figures of lions were on the steps, one at either end of each step. No throne like this had ever existed in any other kingdom.
20 All of King Solomon's drinking cups were made of gold, and all the utensils in the Hall of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. Silver was not considered valuable in Solomon's day. 21 He had a fleet of ocean-going ships sailing with King Hiram's fleet. Every three years his fleet would return, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys.
22 King Solomon was richer and wiser than any other king in the world. 23 They all consulted him, to hear the wisdom that God had given him. 24 Each of them brought Solomon gifts—articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons, spices, horses, and mules. This continued year after year.
25 King Solomon also had four thousand stalls for his chariots and horses, and had twelve thousand cavalry horses. Some of them he kept in Jerusalem and the rest he stationed in various other cities. 26 He was supreme ruler of all the kings in the territory from the Euphrates River to Philistia and the Egyptian border. 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 Solomon imported horses from Musri and from every other country.
Summary of Solomon's Reign
(1 Kings 11.41-43)29 The rest of the history of Solomon from beginning to end is recorded in The History of Nathan the Prophet, in The Prophecy of Ahijah of Shiloh, and in The Visions of Iddo the Prophet, which also deal with the reign of King Jeroboam of Israel. 30 Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years. 31 He died and was buried in David's City, and his son Rehoboam succeeded him as king.
1 Kad Sābas ķēniņiene dzirdēja par Salamana slavu, tad viņa devās ceļā, lai pārbaudītu Salamanu ar mīklām, - uz Jeruzālemi ar varen lielu pavadoņu pulku un ar kamieļiem, kuri nesa dārgas zāles un ļoti daudz zelta un dārgakmeņu. Un, kad viņa bija atnākusi pie Salamana, tad viņa ar to runāja par itin visu, kas bija uz sirds. 2 Un Salamans atbildēja uz visiem viņas jautājumiem, un Salamanam nebija nekā apslēpta, ko viņš tai nebūtu izskaidrojis. 3 Kad Sābas ķēniņiene redzēja Salamana gudrību un to namu, ko viņš bija uzcēlis, 4 un viņa galda ēdienus un viņa kalpu dzīvokļus, viņa virsnieku stāju un viņu apģērbu, viņa dzērienu pasniedzējus un viņu apģērbu, un arī viņa dedzināmos upurus, kurus viņš upurēja Tā Kunga namā, tad viņai aiz izbrīna aizrāvās elpa. 5 Un viņa sacīja ķēniņam: "Patiess ir tas vārds, ko es esmu savā zemē dzirdējusi gan par taviem darbiem, gan par tavu gudrību. 6 Bet es citu vārdiem tikmēr negribēju ticēt, tiekāms es pati nācu un apskatīju savām acīm; un redzi, man nebija ne puse pateikta no visas tavas lielās gudrības; tev ir daudz vairāk nekā tikai tā slava, par ko es dzirdēju. 7 Svētīgi ir tavi vīri, un svētīgi ir tavi kalpotāji, kuri vienmēr stāv tavā priekšā un dzird tavu gudrību! 8 Slavēts lai ir Tas Kungs, tavs Dievs, kuram ir labpaticies tevi sēdināt uz Sava troņa par ķēniņu Tam Kungam, tavam Dievam! Tāpēc, ka tavs Dievs Israēlu mīl, gribēdams to uzturēt mūžīgi laimīgu, Viņš tevi ir iecēlis viņiem par ķēniņu, lai tu darītu tiesu un taisnību." 9 Un viņa deva ķēniņam simts divdesmit talentus zelta un balzamu lielā vairumā, un dārgakmeņus; un tur nebija tāda balzama kā šī, ko Sābas ķēniņiene dāvināja ķēniņam Salamanam. 10 Un arī Hūrāma kalpi un Salamana kalpi, kas bija atveduši zeltu no Ofīras, atveda sarkankokus un dārgakmeņus. 11 Un ķēniņš uztaisīja no sarkankoka kāpnes Tā Kunga namā, arī ķēniņa namā, tāpat cītaras un arfas dziedātājiem; tādi dāvinājumi nekad iepriekš nebija redzēti Jūdas zemē. 12 Un ķēniņš Salamans deva Sābas ķēniņienei visu, kas viņai patika un ko viņa no tā lūdza; vēl vairāk nekā viņa pati bija ķēniņam atvedusi. Un viņa griezās atpakaļ ar saviem pavadoņiem un gāja uz savu zemi. 13 Un zelta svars, kas Salamanam ik gadus ienāca, bija seši simti sešdesmit seši talenti zelta, 14 neskaitot to, kas ienāca no tirgotājiem un veikalniekiem; bez tam vēl visi Arābijas ķēniņi un zemes pārvaldnieki nesa Salamanam gan zeltu, gan sudrabu. 15 Un ķēniņš Salamans lika darināt divi simti vairogu no kalta zelta, seši simti zelta seķeļu viņš deva katram vairogam, 16 un trīs simti mazu vairogu no kalta zelta, un viņš deva trīs simti zelta seķeļus katram mazajam vairogam; un ķēniņš tos novietoja Libanona ciedru namā. 17 Un ķēniņš darināja lielu troni no ziloņkaula, un to viņš pārvilka ar tīru zeltu. 18 Šim tronim bija seši pakāpieni, un tronim apakšā bija piestiprināts zelta kāju soliņš; abās pusēs sēdeklim atradās atbalsti rokām, un tiem līdzās stāvēja divi lauvas. 19 Bez tam divpadsmit lauvas stāvēja uz sešiem troņa pakāpieniem abās pusēs; nekas tāds vēl nekad nevienā ķēniņa valstī nebija darināts. 20 Un visi ķēniņa dzeramie trauki bija no zelta; tāpat arī visi trauki Libanona ciedru namā bija no tīra zelta, un sudrabu Salamana laikā neturēja ne par ko, 21 jo ķēniņa kuģi ar Hūrāma kalpiem devās uz Taršišu, un reizi pa trijiem gadiem kuģis no Taršišas griezās atpakaļ un atveda zeltu un sudrabu, ziloņkaulu, mērkaķus un pāvus. 22 Un tā ķēniņš Salamans kļuva visvarenākais visu pasaules ķēniņu vidū bagātībā un gudrībā. 23 Un visi ķēniņi virs zemes centās Salamanu redzēt, lai dzirdētu viņa gudrību, ko Dievs bija licis viņa sirdī. 24 Un viņi ikviens atnesa savas dāvanas - sudraba rīkus un zelta traukus, un drānas, ieročus, mirres un balzamu, zirgus un mūļus, un tā tas notika gadu no gada. 25 Un Salamanam bija četri tūkstoši pajūgu, zirgu un ratu, un divpadsmit tūkstoši jātnieku, un viņš tos novietoja kara ratu pilsētās un paturēja arī savā tuvumā Jeruzālemē. 26 Un viņš valdīja pār visiem ķēniņiem no lielās upes līdz filistiešu zemei un līdz Ēģiptes robežām. 27 Un darīja ķēniņš, ka sudraba Jeruzālemē bija tik daudz kā akmeņu un ciedru koku kā vīģes koku ielejās. 28 Un ļaudis veda Salamanam zirgus no Ēģiptes un no visām pārējām zemēm. 29 Pārējie Salamana laika notikumi, gan sākotnējie, gan beidzamie - tie visi ir uzrakstīti pravieša Nātāna laiku grāmatā, arī silonieša Ahijas pravietojumos un redzētāja Jedija redzējumos par Jerobeāmu, Nebata dēlu. 30 Un Salamans valdīja Jeruzālemē pār Israēlu četrdesmit gadus. 31 Un Salamans gūlās pie saviem tēviem, un viņš tika apglabāts sava tēva Dāvida pilsētā, un viņa dēls Rehabeāms kļuva ķēniņš viņa vietā.
