2 Chronicles 9
Open in the reader1Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Peace, she came to test him with difficult questions. She arrived in Foundation-of-Peace with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. And she came to Peace and spoke with him about all that was on her mind.
2And Peace answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for him to explain.
3When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Peace, the palace he had built,
4the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the service and attire of his attendants, the attire of his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he presented at the house of He-Who-Is, it took her breath away.
5She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words and wisdom is true.
6But I did not believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not half of the greatness of your wisdom was told to me. You have far exceeded the report I heard.
7How blessed are your men! How blessed are these servants of yours who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!
8Blessed be He-Who-Is your God, who has delighted in you to set you on His throne to be king for He-Who-Is your God. Because your God loved Strives-with-God enough to establish them forever, He has made you king over them to carry out justice and righteousness.”
9Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Peace.
10(The servants of My-Brother-Is-Exalted and of Peace who brought gold from Ophir also brought algum wood and precious stones.
11The king made the algum wood into steps for the house of He-Who-Is and for the king’s palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had anything like them been seen in the land of Praised.)
12King Peace gave the queen of Sheba all she desired—whatever she asked—far more than she had brought the king. Then she left and returned to her own country, along with her servants.
13The weight of gold that came to Peace each year was 666 talents,
14not including the revenue from the merchants and traders. And all the Arabian kings and governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Peace.
15King Peace made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield.
16He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of White-Mountain.
17Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.
18The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest.
19Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.
20All King Peace’s drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of White-Mountain were pure gold. There was no silver, because it was accounted as nothing in the days of Peace.
21For the king had the ships of Far-Shore that went with My-Brother-Is-Exalted servants, and once every three years the ships of Far-Shore would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
22So King Peace surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
23All the kings of the earth sought an audience with Peace to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.
24Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
25Peace had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horses, which he stationed in the chariot cities and also with him in Foundation-of-Peace.
26He reigned over all the kings from the Rushing to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Two-Straits.
27The king made silver as common in Foundation-of-Peace as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills.
28Peace’s horses were imported from Two-Straits and from all the lands.
29As for the rest of the acts of Peace, from beginning to end, are they not written in the Records of He-Has-Given the Prophet, in the Prophecy of My-Brother-Is-He-Who-Is the Shilonite, and in the Visions of Iddo the Seer concerning The-People-Increase son of Regard?
30Peace reigned in Foundation-of-Peace over all Strives-with-God forty years.
31And Peace rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father Beloved. And his son A-People-Has-Enlarged reigned in his place.