2 Chronicles 9: The Queen of Sheba’s Visit – Clear & Engaging Audio Bible Reading | Solomon’s Wisdom, Wealth, and Splendor

Listen to a clear and engaging audio recording of 2 Chronicles 9 and explore the story of the Queen of Sheba’s visit to King Solomon. Learn about Solomon’s display of wisdom, his immense wealth, and his royal splendor that left the queen breathless. This powerful chapter is filled with historical details and insights that will deepen your understanding of the Bible. Use it for Bible study, personal devotions, or meditation.

2 CHRONICLES 9 (NIV)

1 When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, she came to Jerusalem to
test him with hard questions. Arriving with a very great caravan—with camels
carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones—she came to
Solomon and talked with him about all she had on her mind.

2 Solomon answered
all her questions; nothing was too hard for him to explain to her.

3 When the
queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon, as well as the palace he had built,

4 the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants
in their robes, the cupbearers in their robes and the burnt offerings he made
at the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.

5 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your
achievements and your wisdom is true.

6 But I did not believe what they said
until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of
your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard.

7 How happy
your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before
you and hear your wisdom!

8 Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted
in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God.
Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them
forever, he has made you king over them, to maintain justice and
righteousness.”

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices, and
precious stones. There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba
gave to King Solomon.

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir;
they also brought algumwood and precious stones.

11 The king used the
algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace,
and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. Nothing like them had ever been
seen in Judah.)

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for; he gave
her more than she had brought to him. Then she left and returned with her
retinue to her own country.

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents,

14 not
including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders. Also all the kings
of Arabia and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to
Solomon.

15 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
small shields of hammered gold, with three hundred shekels of gold in each
shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure
gold.

18 The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it.
On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of
them.

19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step.
Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom.

20 All King
Solomon’s goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of
the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because
silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s day.

21 The king had a
fleet of trading ships manned by Hiram’s servants. Once every three years it
returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of
the earth.

23 All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear
the wisdom God had put in his heart.

24 Year after year, everyone who came
brought a gift—articles of silver and gold, and robes, weapons and spices, and
horses and mules.

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve
thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in
Jerusalem.

26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land
of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.

27 The king made silver as
common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in
the foothills.

28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from all other
countries.

29 As for the other events of Solomon’s reign, from beginning to end, are they
not written in the records of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah
the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of
Nebat?

30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

31 Then he
rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father. And
Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king.