The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon
1
When 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.
2
Arriving 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.
3
Solomon answered all her questions;
nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her.
4
When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built,
5
the 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.
6
She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your
achievements and your wisdom is true.
7
But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with m own eyes.
Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have
far exceeded the report I heard.
8
How happy your mrn must be! How happy your officias,
who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!
9
Praise be to the ORD 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."
10
And she gave the king 120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices,
and precious stones. Never aghain were so many spices brought in
as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
11
(Hiram's ships brought gold from Ophir; and from there they brought
great cargoes of lmugwood and precious stones.
12
The king used the almugwood to make supports for the temple of the LORD
and for the royal palace, and to mke harps and lyres for the musicans.
So much almugwood has never been imported or seen since that day.)
13
King 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.
Solomon's Splendor
14
The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents,
15
not including the revenues from merchants and traders and from
all the Arabian kings and the governors of the land.
16
King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold;
six hunred bekas of gold went into each shield.
17
He 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.
18
Then the king made a great throne inlaid with ivory and overlaid with fine gold.
19
The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top.
On both sides of the seat were aemrests, with a lion standing
beside each them.
20
Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step.
Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom.
21
All King Solomon's goblets were gold, and all the household articles
in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold.
Nothing was mde of silver, because silver was considered of little value
in Solomon's days.
22
The king had a fleet of trading ships at sea along with tje ships from Hiram.
Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory,
and apes and baboons.
23
King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.
24
The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom
God had put in his heart.
25
Year after year,everyone who came brought a gift - articles of silver and gold,
robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.
26
Solomon 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.
27
The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones,
and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills.
28
Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue -
the royal merchants purchased from Kue.
29
They 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.
