The Queen of Sheba’s Praise of Solomon

9 Now awhen the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions, having a very great retinue, camels that bore spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. 2 So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for Solomon that he could not explain it to her. 3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 4 the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his bcupbearers and their apparel, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her.

5 Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. 6 However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You exceed the fame of which I heard. 7 Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! 8 Blessed be the Lord your God, who delighted in you, setting you on His throne to be king for the Lord your God! Because your God has cloved Israel, to establish them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness.”

9 And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great abundance, and precious stones; there never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10 Also, the servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon, dwho brought gold from Ophir, brought 1algum wood and precious stones. 11 And the king made walkways of the 2algum wood for the house of the Lord and for the king’s house, also harps and stringed instruments for singers; and there were none such as these seen before in the land of Judah.

12 Now King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, much more than she had brought to the king. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.

Solomon’s Great Wealth

13 eThe weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, 14 besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15 And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield. 16 He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold; 3three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the fHouse of the Forest of Lebanon.

17 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. 18 The throne had six steps, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne; there were 4armrests on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests. 19 Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom.

20 All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon. 21 For the king’s ships went to gTarshish with the servants of 5Hiram. Once every three years the 6merchant ships came, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and 7monkeys.

22 So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. 23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put it in his heart. 24 Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, harmor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year.

25 Solomon ihad four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.

26 jSo he reigned over all the kings kfrom 8the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. 27 lThe king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees mas abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland. 28 nAnd they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands.

Death of Solomon

29 oNow the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of pAhijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of qIddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? 30 rSolomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31 Then Solomon 9rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.