10When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relation to the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions.H4436H7614H8085H8088H8010H8034H3068H935H5254H24202Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan—with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones—she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind.H935H3389H3966H3515H2428H1581H5375H1314H3966H7227H2091H3368H68H935H8010H1696H38243Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her.H8010H5046H1697H1697H5956H4428H50464When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built,H4436H7614H7200H8010H2451H1004H11295the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the LORD, she was overwhelmed.H3978H7979H4186H5650H4612H8334H4403H8248H5930H5927H1004H3068H73076She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true.H559H4428H571H1697H8085H776H1697H24517But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard.H539H1697H935H5869H7200H2677H5046H2451H2896H3254H8052H80858How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!H835H582H835H5650H5975H8548H6440H8085H24519Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD'S eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness."H1288H3068H430H2654H5414H3678H3478H3068H160H3478H5769H7760H4428H6213H4941H666610And she gave the king 120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.H5414H4428H3967H6242H3603H2091H1314H3966H7235H3368H68H935H1931H7230H1314H4436H7614H5414H4428H801011(Hiram's ships brought gold from Ophir; and from there they brought great cargoes of almugwood and precious stones.H590H2438H5375H2091H211H935H211H3966H7235H484H6086H3368H6812The king used the almugwood to make supports for the temple of the LORD and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. So much almugwood has never been imported or seen since that day.)H4428H6213H484H6086H4552H1004H3068H4428H1004H3658H5035H7891H935H484H6086H7200H311713King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for, besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country.H4428H8010H5414H4436H7614H2656H7592H8010H5414H4428H3027H6437H3212H776H5650
Solomon’s Splendor
14The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents,H4948H2091H935H8010H259H8141H8337H3967H8346H8337H3603H209115not including the revenues from merchants and traders and from all the Arabian kings and the governors of the land.H582H8446H4536H7402H4428H6153H6346H77616King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred bekas of gold went into each shield.H4428H8010H6213H3967H6793H7820H2091H8337H3967H2091H5927H259H679317He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three minas of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.H7969H3967H4043H7820H2091H7969H4488H2091H5927H259H4043H4428H5414H1004H3293H384418Then the king made a great throne inlaid with ivory and overlaid with fine gold.H4428H6213H1419H3678H8127H6823H6338H209119The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them.H3678H8337H4609H7218H3678H5696H310H3027H4725H7675H8147H738H5975H681H302720Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom.H8147H6240H738H5975H8337H4609H3651H6213H446721All King Solomon's goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon's days.H4428H8010H4945H3627H2091H3627H1004H3293H3844H5462H2091H3701H3972H2803H3117H801022The king had a fleet of trading ships at sea along with the ships of Hiram. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.H4428H3220H590H8659H590H2438H259H7969H8141H935H590H8659H5375H2091H3701H8143H6971H850023King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.H4428H8010H1431H4428H776H6239H245124The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.H776H1245H6440H8010H8085H2451H430H5414H382025Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift—articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.H935H376H4503H3627H3701H3627H2091H8008H5402H1314H5483H6505H1697H8141H814126Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem.H8010H622H7393H6571H505H702H3967H7393H8147H6240H505H6571H5148H5892H7393H4428H338927The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills.H4428H5414H3701H3389H68H730H5414H8256H8219H723028Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue—the royal merchants purchased them from Kue.H8010H5483H4161H4714H4723H4428H5503H3947H4723H424229They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans.H4818H5927H3318H4714H8337H3967H3701H5483H3967H2572H4428H2850H4428H758H3318H3027