10When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon's reputation with the Lord, she came to test him with difficult questions.H4436H7614H8085H8088H8010H8034H3068H935H5254H2420 2She brought along a large retinue, camels laden with spices, and lots of gold and precious stones. Upon her arrival, she spoke with Solomon about everything that was on her mind.H935H3389H3966H3515H2428H1581H5375H1314H3966H7227H2091H3368H68H935H8010H1696H3824 3Solomon answered all of her questions. Nothing was hidden from Solomon that he did not explain to her.H8010H5046H1697H1697H5956H4428H5046 4When the queen of Sheba had seen all of Solomon's wisdom for herself, the palace that he had built,H4436H7614H7200H8010H2451H1004H1129 5the food set at his table, his servants who sat with him, his ministers in attendance and how they were dressed, his personal staff and how they were dressed, and even his personal stairway by which he went up to the Lord's temple, she was breathless!H3978H7979H4186H5650H4612H8334H4403H8248H5930H5927H1004H3068H7307 6"Everything I heard about your wisdom and what you have to say is true!" she gasped,H559H4428H571H1697H8085H776H1697H2451 7"but I didn't believe it at first! But then I came here and I've seen it for myself! It's amazing! I wasn't told half of what's really great about your wisdom. You're far better in person than what the reports have said about you!H539H1697H935H5869H7200H2677H5046H2451H2896H3254H8052H8085 8How blessed are your staff! And how blessed are your employees who serve you continuously and get to listen to your wisdom!H835H582H835H5650H5975H8548H6440H8085H2451 9Blessed be the Lord your God, who is delighted with you! He set you in place on the throne of Israel because the Lord loved Israel forever. That's why he made you to be king, so you could carry out justice and implement righteousness."H1288H3068H430H2654H5414H3678H3478H3068H160H3478H5769H7760H4428H6213H4941H6666 10Then she gave the king 9,000 pounds of gold, a vast quantity of spices, and precious stones. No spices ever came again that were comparable to those that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.H5414H4428H3967H6242H3603H2091H1314H3966H7235H3368H68H935H1931H7230H1314H4436H7614H5414H4428H8010 11Hiram's ships that brought gold from Ophir, also brought from Ophir lots of algum wood and precious stones.H590H2438H5375H2091H211H935H211H3966H7235H484H6086H3368H68 12The king used the algum wood to have supports made for the Lord's temple and for the royal palace, as well as lyres and harps for the choir, and nothing like that wood has ever come again or even been seen since right to this day.H4428H6213H484H6086H4552H1004H3068H4428H1004H3658H5035H7891H935H484H6086H7200H3117 13In return, King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she wanted and had requested in addition to what he had given her consistent with his generosity. Afterward, she returned to her own land with her servants.H4428H8010H5414H4436H7614H2656H7592H8010H5414H4428H3027H6437H3212H776H5650 14Solomon received annually about 49,950 pounds of gold,H4948H2091H935H8010H259H8141H8337H3967H8346H8337H3603H2091 15not including revenue from traders, merchants, and from all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land.H582H8446H4536H7402H4428H6153H6346H776 16King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, overlaying each large shield with the gold from 600 gold pieces,H4428H8010H6213H3967H6793H7820H2091H8337H3967H2091H5927H259H6793 17and 300 shields from beaten gold, overlaying each shield with the gold from 300 gold pieces. The king put them in his palace in the Lebanon forest.H7969H3967H4043H7820H2091H7969H4488H2091H5927H259H4043H4428H5414H1004H3293H3844 18The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold.H4428H6213H1419H3678H8127H6823H6338H2091 19Six steps led up to the throne, which had a round canopy fastened to the rear of the throne and armrests on each side of the seat and two lions standing on either side of each armrest.H3678H8337H4609H7218H3678H5696H310H3027H4725H7675H8147H738H5975H681H3027 20Twelve lions were placed on both sides of the six steps leading to the throne, and nothing comparable was made for any other kingdoms.H8147H6240H738H5975H8337H4609H3651H6213H4467 21All of King Solomon's drinking vessels were made of gold, and all the vessels in his palace in the Lebanon forest were made of pure gold. None were of silver, because silver was never considered to be valuable during Solomon's lifetime,H4428H8010H4945H3627H2091H3627H1004H3293H3844H5462H2091H3701H3972H2803H3117H8010 22because the king had ships that sailed to Tarshish accompanied by Hiram's ships. Once every three years ships from Tarshish returned, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.H4428H3220H590H8659H590H2438H259H7969H8141H935H590H8659H5375H2091H3701H8143H6971H8500 23As a result, King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in regards to wealth and wisdom.H4428H8010H1431H4428H776H6239H2451 24All the earth continued to seek audiences with Solomon so they could hear the wise things that God had put in his heart.H776H1245H6440H8010H8085H2451H430H5414H3820 25Everyone kept on bringing gifts on an annual basis, including items made of silver and gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules.H935H376H4503H3627H3701H3627H2091H8008H5402H1314H5483H6505H1697H8141H8141 26Solomon accumulated chariots and cavalry. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 cavalry soldiers. He stationed them in various chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.H8010H622H7393H6571H505H702H3967H7393H8147H6240H505H6571H5148H5892H7393H4428H3389 27The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and made cedar trees as abundant as sycamore trees in the Shephelah.H4428H5414H3701H3389H68H730H5414H8256H8219H7230 28Solomon imported horses from Egypt and Kue, and the king's buyers procured them at market price from Kue.H8010H5483H4161H4714H4723H4428H5503H3947H4723H4242 29A chariot from Egypt cost 600 pieces of silver, and a horse 150 pieces of silver, but then they were exported to all the Hittite kings and to the Aramean kings.1015H4818H5927H3318H4714H8337H3967H3701H5483H3967H2572H4428H2850H4428H758H3318H3027
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