2nd Dabar-Hayamym (2 Chronicles) — 9

The Queen of Shaba’s Praise of Shalumah 

1 Now when the queen of Shaba heard of the fame of Shalumah, she came to Yahushalam to test Shalumah with hard questions, having a very great retinue, camels that bore spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones; and when she came to Shalumah, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. 

2 So Shalumah answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for Shalumah that he could not explain it to her. 

3 And when the queen of Shaba had seen the wisdom of Shalumah, 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 cupbearers and their apparel, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, 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 Baraked be 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH your  𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, who delighted in you, setting you on His throne to be king for 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH your 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH! Because your 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH has loved Yashar'AL, 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 Shaba gave to King Shalumah.

10 Also, the servants of Hiram and the servants of Shalumah, who brought gold from Uphir, brought algum wood and precious stones. 

11 And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH 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 Yahudah.

12 Now King Shalumah gave to the queen of Shaba 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.

Shalumah’s Great Wealth

13 The weight of gold that came to Shalumah 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 Shalumah. 

15 And King Shalumah 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; three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the 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 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 Shalumah’s drinking vessels were  gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Labanun were pure gold. Not one was silver, for gold was accounted as nothing in the days of Shalumah. 

21 For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram. Once every three years the merchant ships came, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys.

22 So King Shalumah surpassed all the kings of the Arath in riches and wisdom. 

23 And all the kings of the Arath sought the presence of Shalumah to hear his wisdom, which 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH had put in his heart. 

24 Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year.

25 Shalumah had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Yahushalam.

26 So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Mitzraym. 

27 The king made silver as common in Yahushalam as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland. 

28 And they brought horses to Shalumah from Mitzraym and from all lands.

Death of Shalumah 

29 Now the rest of the acts of Shalumah, first and last, are written in the book of Nathan the Nabym, in the prophecy of Ahiyahu the Shilunites, and in the visions of Iddu the seer concerning Yarubuam the son of Nabat?

30 Shalumah reigned in Yahushalam over all Yashar'AL forty years. 

31 Then Shalumah rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of Daud his father. And Rahubuam his son reigned in his place.