Solomon’s Accomplishments

15 This is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon conscripted to build the house of Yahweh and his house, the Millo, the walls of Jerusalem, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. 16 Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, had gone up and captured Gezer and burnt it with fire. He had also killed the Canaanites who were living in the city and had given it as a dowry to his daughter, the wife of Solomon. 17 Solomon rebuilt Gezer and Lower Beth-Horon, 18 as well as Baalath and Tamar in the wilderness in the land; 19 and he also built all of the storage cities which were Solomon’s, the cities for the chariots, the cities for the cavalry, and all of Solomon’s desire that he wantede to build in Jerusalem and in Lebanon and in all the land of his dominion.

20 All of the people who were remaining from the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites who were not of the ⌊Israelites⌋,f 21 their children who remained after them in the land, whom the ⌊Israelites⌋g were not able to completely destroy, Solomon conscripted them for forced labor, until this very day. 22 But from the ⌊Israelites⌋h Solomon did not make a slave, but they were the men of war, his officers, his commanders, his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and his cavalry. 23 These were the commanders of the overseers who were over the work for Solomon, five hundred and fifty, ruling over the people doing the work.

24 As soon as the daughter of Pharaoh went up from the city of David to her house which hei built for her, then he built the Millo.

25 Solomon sacrificed three times a year: burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar that he had built to Yahweh, and he offered incense with it before Yahweh; and so he completed the house.

26 King Solomon also built a fleet of ships at Ezion-Geber which is near Elath on the shore of the ⌊Red Sea⌋j in the land of Edom. 27 Hiram sent his servants with the fleet of ships, ⌊sailors⌋k who knew the sea, with the servants of Solomon. 28 They went to Ophir and imported from there four hundred and twenty talents of gold, and they brought it to King Solomon.

The Visit of the Queen of Sheba

10 Now the queen of Sheba had heard of the fame of Solomon regarding the name of Yahweh, and she came to test him with hard questions. 2 So she came to Jerusalem with very great wealth; with camels carrying spices, very much gold, and precious stones. She came to Solomon, and she spoke to him all that was on her heart. 3 ⌊Solomon answered all of her questions⌋;a there was not a thing hidden from the king which he could not explain to her. 4 When the queen of Sheba observed all the wisdom of Solomon and the house which he had built, 5 the food of his table, the seat of his servants, the ⌊manner⌋b of his servants and their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings which he offered in the house of Yahweh, ⌊she was breathless⌋.c 6 Then she said to the king, “The report which I heard in my land was true concerning your accomplishments and your wisdom. 7 I had not believed the report to be true until I came and my eyes had seen, and behold! The half had not been told to me. ⌊Your wisdom and prosperity surpass⌋d the report that I had heard. 8 Happy are your men and happy are these your servants who stand before you continually hearing your wisdom. 9 May Yahweh your God be blessed, who has delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel, because of the love of Yahweh for Israel forever, and he has made you king to execute justice and righteousness.” 10 Then she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, abundant spices, and precious stones. Spices as these did not come again in such abundance as that which the queen of Sheba brought to King Solomon.

11 Moreover, the fleet of ships of Hiram which carried the gold from Ophir also brought from Ophir abundant amounts of almug wood and precious stones. 12 The king made a raised structure for the house of Yahweh and for the house of the king out of the almug wood, as well as lyres and harps for the singers. This much almug wood has not come nor been seen again up to this day. 13 King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all of her desire that she asked, besides that which ⌊King Solomon freely offered her⌋.e Then she turned and went to her land with her servants.