The Queen of Sheba

1Now the queen of Sheba heard the report about Solomon concerning the name of Yahweh. So she came to test him with riddles. 2She came to Jerusalem with a very glorious retinue, with camels carrying spices and very much gold and precious stones. And she came to Solomon and spoke to him about all that was in her heart. 3And Solomon declared to her the answer to all her matters; there was not a matter which was hidden from the king which he did not declare to her. 4Then the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 5the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the disposition of his attendants and their attire, his cupbearers, and [†]his stairway by which he went up to the house of Yahweh, so that there was no more spirit in her. 6Then she said to the king, “The word is true which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. 7Nevertheless I did not believe those words, until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not declared to me. You exceed, in wisdom and prosperity, the report which I heard. 8How blessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom. 9Blessed be Yahweh your God who delighted in you, to set you on the throne of Israel; because Yahweh loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.” 10Then she gave the king [†]120 talents of gold and a very great amount of spices and precious stones. Never again did such abundance of spices come in as that which the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.

11Also, the ships of Hiram, which carried gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir a very great number of almug trees and precious stones. 12And the king made of the almug trees supports for the house of Yahweh and for the king’s house, also lyres and harps for the singers; such almug trees have not come in again nor have they been seen to this day.

13Thus King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire which she asked, besides what he gave her according to [†]his royal bounty. Then she turned and went to her own land, she and her servants.

Solomon’s Riches and Wisdom

14Now the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, 15besides that from the traders and the [†]wares of the merchants and all the kings of the Arabs and the governors of the country. 16And King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, [†]using 600 shekels of gold on each large shield. 17And he made 300 shields of beaten gold, [†]using [†]three minas of gold on each shield, and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. 18Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with refined gold. 19There were six steps to the throne and a round top to the throne at its rear, and [†]arms [†]on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the [†]arms. 20Twelve lions were also standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for all the other kingdoms. 21Now 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. None was of silver; it was not considered [†]valuable in the days of Solomon. 22For the king had at sea the ships of Tarshish with the ships of Hiram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came carrying gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks.

23So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. 24And all the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. 25And they brought every man his present, articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses, and mules, a set amount year by year.

26And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen. And he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen and [†]stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 27The king also made silver as plentiful as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the [†]Shephelah. 28Solomon’s import of horses was from Egypt and Kue; the king’s merchants procured them from Kue for a price. 29And a chariot [†]was imported from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver, and a horse for 150; and [†]by the same means they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram.