Top of Page
Page Style
the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his close association with the Name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions. 2 She arrived in Jerusalem with a large retinue, with camels carrying spices, a large quantity of gold, and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was on her mind. 3 Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her. 4 When the queen of Sheba witnessed all Solomon’s wisdom, the palace he had built, 5 the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attendance of his servants and their attire, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he offered at the House of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.
6 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own land about your achievements and wisdom is true. 7 But I did not believe the reports until I had come and seen it with my own eyes. Indeed, the half was not told me; your wisdom and prosperity far exceed the report I heard. 8 How happy are your men! How happy are these your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom. 9 Blessed be the Lord your God who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel. It’s because of the Lord’s everlasting love for Israel that he has made you king, to carry out justice and righteousness.” 10 Then she presented the king with a hundred and twenty talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again did such a vast quantity of spices arrive as those which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
11 Moreover, Hiram’s ships, which carried gold from Ophir, also brought great quantities of almug wood and precious stones from Ophir. 12 The king used the almug wood to make supports for the House of the Lord and for the king’s palace, and also lyres and harps for the singers. Such a quantity of almug wood has never been imported or seen to this day.
13 King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired and everything she asked for, besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she departed with her servants and returned to her own country.
14 The weight of gold that Solomon received each year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, 15 besides that which came from the merchants and traders, and from all the Arabian kings and the governors of the land.
16 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. 17 He also made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. 18 The king also made a large throne of ivory and overlaid it with fine gold. 19 The throne had six steps. The top of the throne was rounded at the back, and the seat had armrests on both sides with two lions standing beside the armrests. 20 Twelve lions were standing on the six steps, one on each side of the steps. Nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom. 21 All King Solomon’s drinking cups were of gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of the Lebanon were of pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, for it was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon. 22 The king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with the fleet of the ships of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet of the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
23 So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. 24 All the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom that God had put in his heart. 25 Each person who came would bring him a gift year by year: gold and silver objects, articles of clothing, weapons, spices, and horses and mules.
26 Solomon accumulated chariots and horses. He had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept n the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. 27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as plentiful as sycamore trees in the Judean foothills. 28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue—the king’s merchants purchased them from Kew. 29 A chariot was imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty shekels. In the same way they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram.