2 Chronicles is the fourteenth book of the Old Testament and the second of the two books of Chronicles. It continues the history of Israel from the reign of Solomon, focusing on the southern kingdom of Judah while largely ignoring the northern kingdom of Israel. The book details the construction and dedication of Solomon's Temple, the division of the kingdom, and the subsequent reigns of the kings of Judah from Rehoboam to Zedekiah. It emphasizes the importance of proper worship, the role of the Temple, and the consequences of faithfulness or idolatry. The book concludes with the fall of Jerusalem, the Babylonian exile, and the decree of Cyrus allowing the Jews to return and rebuild the Temple. It is considered canonical by all major Christian and Jewish traditions.
2 Chronicles
Chapter 9
When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great caravan, and camels that bore spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones. When she had come to Solomon, she talked with him of all that was in her heart.
Solomon told her all her questions; and there was nothing hidden from Solomon which he didn't tell her.
When the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,
and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their clothing, his cup bearers also and their clothing, and his ascent by which he went up into the house of Yahweh; there was no more spirit in her.
She said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts, and of your wisdom.
However I didn't believe their words, until I came, and my eyes had seen it; and behold, the half of the greatness of your wisdom wasn't told me. You exceed the fame that I heard.
Happy are your men, and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you, and hear your wisdom.
Blessed be Yahweh your God, who delighted in you, to set you on his throne, to be king for Yahweh your God: because your God loved Israel, to establish them forever, therefore he made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness.
She gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, and spices in great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
The servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum trees and precious stones.
The king made of the algum trees terraces for the house of Yahweh, and for the king's house, and harps and stringed instruments for the singers. There were none like these seen before in the land of Judah.
King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, besides that which she had brought to the king. So she turned, and went to her own land, she and her servants.
Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold,
besides that which the traders and merchants brought. All the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.
King Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold; six hundred [shekels] of beaten gold went to one buckler.
[he made] three hundred shields of beaten gold; three hundred [shekels] of gold went to one shield. The king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
There were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the stays.
Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps. There was nothing like it made in any kingdom.
All king Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. Silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.
For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; once every three years came the ships of Tarshish, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
They each brought his tribute, vessels of silver, vessels of gold, clothing, armor, spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.
Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he stationed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.
He ruled over all the kings from the River even to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.
The king made silver to be as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars to be as common as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland.
They brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands.
Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, aren't they written in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat?
Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.
Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father; and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.