2 Chronicles 9

The Queen of Sheba

1 Now a when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions, having a very great retinue, camels that bore spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. 2 So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for Solomon that he could not explain it to her. 3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 4 the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his b cupbearers and their apparel, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her.

5 Then she said to the king: "It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. 6 "However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You exceed the fame of which I heard. 7 "Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! 8 "Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you, setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God! Because your God has c loved Israel, to establish them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness." 9 And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great abundance, and precious stones; there never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10 Also, the servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon, d who brought gold from Ophir, brought 1 algum wood and precious stones. 11 And the king made walkways of the 2 algum wood for the house of the LORD and for the king's house, also harps and stringed instruments for singers; and there were none such as these seen before in the land of Judah.

12 Now King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, much more than she had brought to the king. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.

Solomon's Wealth

13 e The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, 14 besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15 And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield. 16 He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold; 3 three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the f House of the Forest of Lebanon. 17 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. 18 The throne had six steps, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne; there were 4 armrests on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests. 19 Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom. 20 All King Solomon's drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon. 21 For the king's ships went to g Tarshish with the servants of 5 Hiram. Once every three years the 6 merchant ships came, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and 7 monkeys.

22 So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. 23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 24 Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, h armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year. 25 Solomon i had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. 26 j So he reigned over all the kings k from 8 the River 9 to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. 27 l The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees m as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland. 28 n And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands.

Solomon's Death

29 o Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of p Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of q Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? 30 r Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31 Then Solomon 10 rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.

  1. Cross References
    1 Kings 10:1
    Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions.
    Psalms 72:10
    The kings of Tarshish and of the isles Will bring presents; The kings of Sheba and Seba Will offer gifts.
    Matthew 12:42
    The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.
    Luke 11:31
    The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.
  2. Cross References
    Nehemiah 1:11
    O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man." For I was the king's cupbearer.
  3. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 7:8
    But because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
    2 Chronicles 2:11
    Then Hiram king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon: Because the LORD loves His people, He has made you king over them.
    Psalms 44:3
    For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, Nor did their own arm save them; But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, Because You favored them.
  4. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 8:18
    And Hiram sent him ships by the hand of his servants, and servants who knew the sea. They went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and acquired four hundred and fifty talents of gold from there, and brought it to King Solomon.
  5. Cross References
    1 Kings 10:14 - 29
    The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold.
  6. Cross References
    1 Kings 7:2
    He also built the House of the Forest of Lebanon; its length was one hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits, with four rows of cedar pillars, and cedar beams on the pillars.
  7. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 20:36
    And he allied himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion Geber.
    2 Chronicles 20:37
    But Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works." Then the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.
    Psalms 72:10
    The kings of Tarshish and of the isles Will bring presents; The kings of Sheba and Seba Will offer gifts.
  8. Cross References
    1 Kings 20:11
    So the king of Israel answered and said, "Tell him, 'Let not the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off.'
  9. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 17:16
    "But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, 'You shall not return that way again.'
    1 Kings 4:26
    Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.
    1 Kings 10:26
    And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.
    2 Chronicles 1:14
    And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.
    Isaiah 2:7
    Their land is also full of silver and gold, And there is no end to their treasures; Their land is also full of horses, And there is no end to their chariots.
  10. Cross References
    1 Kings 4:21
    So Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
  11. Cross References
    Genesis 15:18
    On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates -
    Psalms 72:8
    He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.
  12. Cross References
    1 Kings 10:27
    The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland.
  13. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 1:15 - 17
    Also the king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland.
  14. Cross References
    1 Kings 10:28
    Also Solomon had horses imported from Egypt and Ke-veh'; the king's merchants bought them in Ke-veh' at the current price.
    2 Chronicles 1:16
    And Solomon had horses imported from Egypt and Ke-veh'; the king's merchants bought them in Ke-veh' at the current price.
  15. Cross References
    1 Kings 11:41
    Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?
  16. Cross References
    1 Kings 11:29
    Now it happened at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the way; and he had clothed himself with a new garment, and the two were alone in the field.
  17. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 12:15
    The acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.
    2 Chronicles 13:22
    Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways, and his sayings are written in the annals of the prophet Iddo.
  18. Cross References
    1 Kings 4:21
    So Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
    1 Kings 11:42
    And the period that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.
    1 Kings 11:43
    Then Solomon rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.
    1 Chronicles 29:28
    So he died in a good old age, full of days and riches and honor; and Solomon his son reigned in his place.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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