1 Kings 10

The Queen of Sheba

10The queen of Sheba ^lheard about Solomon’s fame ^mconnected with the name of Yahweh and came to test him with difficult questions. ⁿ²She came to Jerusalem with a very large entourage, with camels bearing ^ospices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones. ^pShe came to Solomon and spoke to him about everything that was on her mind. ³So Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for the king to explain to her. ⁴When the queen of Sheba observed all of Solomon’s wisdom, the palace he had built, ^q5the food at his table, ^rhis servants’ residence, his attendants’ service and their attire, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he offered at the Lord’s temple, it took her breath away.

⁶She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words and about your wisdom is true. ⁷But I didn’t believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, I was not even told half. Your wisdom and prosperity far exceed the report I heard. ^s8How happy are your men. ^tHow happy are these servants of yours, who always stand in your presence hearing your wisdom. ^u9May Yahweh your God be praised! He delighted in you and put you on the throne of Israel, ^vbecause of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel. ^wHe has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness.” ^x

¹⁰Then she gave the king four and a half tons ^yof gold, ^za great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again did such a quantity of spices arrive as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

¹¹In addition, Hiram’s fleet that carried gold from Ophir brought from Ophir a large quantity of almug ^awood and precious stones. ^b12The king made the almug wood into steps for the Lord’s temple and the king’s palace and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had such almug wood come, and the like has not been seen again even to this very day.

¹³King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba her every desire—whatever she asked—besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she, along with her servants, returned to her own country. ^c

Solomon’s Wealth

¹⁴The weight ^dof gold that came to Solomon annually was 25 tons, ^e15besides what came from merchants, ^ftraders’ merchandise, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land. ^g

¹⁶King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold; 15 pounds ^hof gold went into each shield. ¹⁷He made 300 small shields of hammered gold; about four pounds ⁱof gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. ^j

¹⁸The king also made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with fine gold. ¹⁹The throne had six steps; there was a rounded top at the back of the throne, armrests on either side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests. ²⁰Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps, one at each end. Nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom.

²¹All of King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon ^kwere pure gold. ^lThere was no silver, since it was considered as nothing in Solomon’s time, ²²for the king had ships of Tarshish ^mat sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. ^no

²³King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the world in riches and in wisdom. ^p24The whole world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart. ^q25Every man would bring his annual tribute: items ^rof silver and gold, clothing, weapons, ^sspices, and horses and mules. ^t

²⁶Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen ^uand stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. ^v27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, ^wand he made cedar ^xas abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills. ²⁸Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue. ^yThe king’s traders bought them from Kue at the going price. ^z29A chariot was imported from Egypt for 15 pounds ^aof silver, and a horse for about four pounds. ^bIn the same way, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram through their agents. ^c