1 Kings 10:1–13

The Queen of Sheba

^1aNow when the queen of ^bSheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came ^cto test him with difficult questions.

²So she came to Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels ^acarrying spices and very much gold and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart.

³Solomon ¹answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from the king which he did not ²explain to her.

⁴When the queen of Sheba perceived all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built,

⁵the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his waiters and their attire, his cupbearers, and ¹his stairway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her.

⁶Then she said to the king, “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom.

⁷“Nevertheless I did not believe the ¹reports, until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. You exceed in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard.

⁸“How ^ablessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom.

⁹“^aBlessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel; ^bbecause the Lord loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, ^cto do justice and righteousness.”

^10aShe gave the king a hundred and twenty 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.

^11aAlso the ships of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir a very great number of almug trees and precious stones.

^12aThe king made of the almug trees supports for the house of the Lord 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.

¹³King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire which she requested, besides what he gave her according to ¹his royal bounty. Then she turned and went to her own land ²together with her servants.