aNow when the queen of Sheba
heard
of the fame
of Solomon
, she came
to Jerusalem
to test
Solomon
with difficult
questions
. She had a very
large
retinue
, with camels
carrying
spices
and a large
amount
of gold
and precious
stones
; and when she came
to Solomon
, she spoke
with him about all
that was on her heart
.
Solomon 1answered
all
her questions
; nothing
was hidden
from Solomon
which
he did not 2explain
to her.
When the queen of Sheba
had seen
the wisdom
of Solomon
, the house
which
he had built
,
the food at his table
, the seating
of his servants
, the attendance
of his ministers
and their attire
, his cupbearers
and their attire
, and 1his stairway
by which
he went
up to the house
of the LORD
, she was breathless
.
Then she said to the king
, "It was a true
report
which
I heard
in my own land
about
your words
and your wisdom
.
"Nevertheless I did not believe their reports
until
I came
and my eyes
had seen
it. And behold
, the half
of the greatness
of your wisdom
was not told
me. You surpass
the report
that I heard
.
"How 1blessed are your men
, how 1blessed
are these
your servants
who stand
before
you continually
and hear
your wisdom
.
"Blessed be the LORD
your God
who
delighted
in you, asetting
you on His throne
as king
for the LORD
your God
; bbecause your God
loved
Israel
establishing
them forever
, therefore He made
you king
over
them, to do
justice
and righteousness
."
Then she gave the king
one hundred
and twenty
talents
of gold
and a very
great
amount of spices
and precious
stones
; there had
never
been
spice
like that which
the queen
of Sheba
gave
to King
Solomon
.
The servants of Huram
and the servants
of Solomon
awho
brought
gold
from Ophir
, also
brought
algum
trees
and precious
stones
.
From the algum trees
the king
made
steps
for the house
of the LORD
and for the king's
palace
, and lyres
and harps
for the singers
; and none
like that was seen
before
in the land
of Judah
.
King Solomon
gave
to the queen
of Sheba
all
her desire
which
she requested
besides
a return for what
she had brought
to the king
. Then she turned
and went
to her own land
with her servants
.
aNow the weight of gold
which
came
to Solomon
in one
year
was 666
talents
of gold
,
besides that which the traders
and merchants
brought
; and all
athe kings
of Arabia
and the governors
of the country
brought
gold
and silver
to Solomon
.
King Solomon
made
200
large
shields
of beaten
gold
, 1using
600
shekels of beaten
gold
on each
large
shield
.
He made 300 shields
of beaten
gold
, 1using
three
hundred
shekels of gold
on each
shield
, and 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
and a footstool
in gold
attached
to the throne
, and 1arms
2on each
side
of the seat
, and two
lions
standing
beside
the 1arms
.
Twelve lions
were standing
there
on the six
steps
on the one
side
and on the other
; nothing
like
it was made
for any
other 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 not considered
1valuable
in the days
of Solomon
.
aFor the king had ships
which went
to Tarshish
with the servants
of Huram
; once
every three
years
the ships
of Tarshish
came
bringing
gold
and silver
, ivory
and apes
and peacocks
.
aSo King Solomon
became
greater
than
all
the kings
of the earth
in riches
and wisdom
.
And all the kings
of the earth
were seeking
the presence
of Solomon
, to hear
his wisdom
which
God
had put
in his heart
.
aThey brought every
man
his gift
, articles
of silver
and gold
, garments
, weapons
, spices
, horses
and mules
, so
much
year
by year
.
Now Solomon had
a4,000
stalls
for horses
and chariots
and 12,000
horsemen
, and he stationed
them in the chariot
cities
and with the king
in Jerusalem
.
aHe was the ruler over all
the kings
from the Euphrates
River
even to the land
of the Philistines
, and as far
as the border
of Egypt
.
aThe king made
silver
as common as stones
in Jerusalem
, and he made
cedars
as plentiful
as sycamore
trees
that are in the 1lowland
.
aAnd they were bringing horses
for Solomon
from Egypt
and from all
countries
.
aNow the rest of the acts
of Solomon
, from first
to last
, bare they not written
in the 1records
of Nathan
the prophet
, and in the prophecy
of Ahijah
the Shilonite
, and in the visions
of 2Iddo
the seer
concerning
Jeroboam
the son
of Nebat
?
aSolomon reigned
forty
years
in Jerusalem
over
all
Israel
.
And Solomon slept
with his fathers
and was buried
in athe city
of his father
David
; and his son
Rehoboam
reigned
in his place
.