3 Kingdoms 10

1Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions.

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2She came to Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels that bore spices, a great deal of gold, and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about everything in her heart.

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3So Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing so difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her.

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4When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house he built,

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5Solomon's food, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers, and the burnt offering he offered in the house of the Lord, she was completely amazed.

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6Then she said to King Solomon, 'The report I heard in my land about your words and your wisdom was true.

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7However, I did not believe those who told me until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed, half of what I see was not told me. You added to the good thing I heard in my land.

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8Happy are your wives, and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom.

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9Blessed be the Lord your God, who delights in you, setting you on the throne of Israel. For the Lord so loved Israel as to make it stand forever. Therefore He made you king over them, to make judgment and do righteousness.'

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10Then she gave Solomon one hundred twenty talents of gold, spices, and precious stones in great quantity. There was never again such abundance of spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

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11The ships of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir also brought great quantities of uncut timber and precious stones.

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12The king made supports from the uncut timber for the house of the Lord and for the king's house, as well as harps and stringed instruments for the singers. There never again came such uncut timber, nor has the like been seen to this day.

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13Now King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she desired, whatever she asked, besides all he had given her by the hand of King Solomon. Then she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.

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14The weight of gold that came to Solomon in a year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold,

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15in addition to that from traveling merchants, from the income of traders, from all the kings of Arabia, and from the governors of the country.

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16Solomon made three hundred spears of hammered gold, with three hundred shekels of gold in each spear.

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17He also made three hundred weapons of hammered gold, with three minas of gold that went into each weapon. The king kept them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

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18Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory, overlaid with pure gold,

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19with six upward steps to the throne and busts of calves' heads encircling the back. On each side of the seat were armrests with two lions standing on the side of the armrests.

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20Standing, one on each side of the six steps, were twelve lions. Nothing like this was made for any other kingdom.

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21All the drinking utensils of King Solomon were gold, as were the tubs for bathing. All the furniture of the house of the forest of Lebanon was completely overlaid with gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon,

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22for a ship of Tarshish, a merchant ship of the king's stationed at sea with the fleet of Hiram, came once every three years, bringing gold, silver, and chiseled stones.

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23This is the outcome of the trading by which king Solomon built up the house of the Lord, the house of the king, the wall of Jerusalem, and the citadel; to fortify the City of David, Hazor and Megiddo, Gezer, Beth Horon the upper, Jethermath, and all the cities of the horsemen and the chariots. Solomon purposed to build the fortifications in Jerusalem and in all the land, so none of the people should rule over him—

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24the people left behind from the Cherethites, the Amorites, the Perezzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Jebusites and the Girgashites. These were the ones, and their children, not belonging to the children of Israel, that Israel was unable to utterly destroy from the land. Solomon made them pay tribute to this day.

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25Solomon did not deliver any of the sons of Israel to this work; instead, these were men of war, his servants, and those in charge of his chariots and horses.

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26So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and discernment.

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27Now the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear the wisdom God put in his heart.

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28Everyone brought presents: golden vessels, garments, oil of myrrh, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year.

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29Solomon had four thousand female horses for chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

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30Thus he was the leader of all the kings from the river as far as the land of the Philistines and as far as the borders of Egypt.

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31The king made gold and silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores in the lowland.

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32The importation of Solomon's horses was from Egypt and Tekoa, and the merchants of the king purchased them at market price.

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33Now a chariot imported from Egypt cost one hundred shekels of silver, and a horse cost fifty. Thus it was that all the chariots and horses exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria came by way of the sea.

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