1The queen of Sheba heard how famous Solomon was, and how this was linked to the name of the LORD. So she came to test him with hard questions.
2She came to Jerusalem with a very large group of attendants, and with camels carrying spices, a great deal 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 too hidden for the king to explain to her.
4The queen of Sheba saw all Solomon's wisdom, and the house he had built,
5and the food on his table, and how his servants were seated, and how his officials waited on him, and their clothing, and his cupbearers, and the stairway by which he went up to the house of the LORD. There was no more spirit left in her.
6She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own land about your deeds and your wisdom was true."
7But I did not believe the words until I came and saw it with my own eyes. Look, I was not told even half of it. Your wisdom and wealth are greater than the report I heard.
8Happy are your men. Happy are these servants of yours, who stand before you all the time and hear your wisdom.
9"Blessed be the LORD your God, who was pleased with you and set you on the throne of Israel. Because the LORD loved Israel for ever, he made you king, to do what is right and just."
10She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and a very great store of spices, and precious stones. Never again did such a great quantity of spices come as the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
11Hiram's ships, which brought gold from Ophir, also brought from Ophir a great load of almug wood and precious stones.
12From the almug wood the king made pillars for the house of the LORD and for the king's house, and also harps and lyres for the singers. No such almug wood has come or been seen since, 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 riches. Then she turned and went back to her own country, she and her servants.
14The weight of the gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents,
15besides what he received from the traders, and from the business of the spice merchants, and from all the kings of Arabia, and from the governors of the country.
16King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold. Six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield.
17He made three hundred smaller shields of hammered gold. Three pounds of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
18The king also made a great throne of ivory and covered it with the best gold.
19The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round at the back. There were armrests on each side of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests.
20Twelve lions stood there on the six steps, one at each end of every step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any kingdom.
21All king Solomon's drinking cups were of gold, and all the vessels in the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver, for silver counted for nothing in the days of Solomon.
22The king had a fleet of ships of Tharshish at sea along with Hiram's fleet. Once every three years the fleet of Tharshish came in, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks.
23So king Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.
24All the earth wanted to come to Solomon and hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.
25Each one brought his gift: vessels of silver, vessels of gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses and mules. This went on year after year.
26Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen. He had a thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen. He stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.
27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar wood as plentiful as the sycomore trees in the valley.
28Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn. The king's merchants bought the linen yarn at a price.
29A chariot was brought up out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. In the same way they brought them out, through these merchants, for all the kings of the Hittites and for the kings of Syria.