1 Kings 10

1When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame in connection with the name of Yahweh, she came to test him with hard questions.

2She came to Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels carrying spices, a great quantity of gold, and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she talked with him about everything that was on her mind.

3Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from the king that he could not explain to her.

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

5the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attendance of his servants and their clothing, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he offered at the house of Yahweh, she was left breathless.

6She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom was true,

7but I did not believe the reports until I came and saw it with my own eyes. Not even half was told to me! Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report I heard.

8How happy your men must be! How happy these servants of yours who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom!

9Blessed be Yahweh your God, who delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because of Yahweh’s everlasting love for Israel, he has made you king, to do justice and righteousness.”

10Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again did such an abundance of spices arrive as the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.

11Hiram’s fleet, which brought gold from Ophir, also brought from Ophir a great quantity of almug wood and precious stones.

12The king used the almug wood to make supports for the house of Yahweh and for the royal palace, and lyres and harps for the singers. No such almug wood has come or been seen to this day.

13King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she desired, whatever she asked, besides what he gave her out of his royal generosity. Then she turned and went back to her own land, she and her servants.

14The weight of the gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold,

15besides what came from the traders and from the business of the merchants, and from all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land.

16King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each large shield.

17He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

18The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with the finest gold.

19The throne had six steps, and the back of the throne had a rounded top. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with two lions standing beside the armrests.

20Twelve lions stood there on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any kingdom.

21All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. None were silver; silver was not considered worth anything in Solomon’s days.

22For the king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea along with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years the fleet of Tarshish would come carrying gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

23So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

24The whole world sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.

25Year after year, each of them brought a gift: articles of silver and articles of gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

26Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore-fig trees in the lowland.

28Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue; the king’s traders acquired them from Kue at the going price.

29A chariot could be imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for 150. In the same way they exported them through the king’s traders to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.