2 Chronicles 9:1–12

Visit of the Queen of Sheba

^1aNow when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with difficult questions. She had a very large retinue, with camels carrying spices and a large amount of gold and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was on her heart.

²Solomon ¹answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from Solomon which he did not ²explain to her.

³When the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house which he had built,

⁴the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his ministers and their attire, his cupbearers and their attire, and ¹his stairway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, she was breathless.

⁵Then she said to the king, “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom.

⁶“Nevertheless I did not believe their reports until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You surpass the report that I heard.

⁷“How ¹blessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom.

⁸“Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you, ^asetting you on His throne as king for the Lord your God; ^bbecause your God loved Israel establishing them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness.”

⁹Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold and a very great amount of spices and precious stones; there had never been spice like that which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

¹⁰The servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon ^awho brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum trees and precious stones.

¹¹From the algum trees the king made steps for the house of the Lord and for the king’s palace, and lyres and harps for the singers; and none like that was seen before in the land of Judah.

¹²King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire which she requested besides a return for what she had brought to the king. Then she turned and went to her own land with her servants.