1 Kings 10:11-22

11(The fleet of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir also brought from Ophir a great cargo of almug1 wood and precious stones. 12The king made the almug wood into steps for the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had such almug wood been brought in, nor has such been seen again to this day.)

13King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired—whatever she asked—besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned to her own country, along with her servants.

14The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents,2 15not including the revenue from the merchants, traders, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land.

16King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold3 went into each shield. 17He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three minas of gold4 went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

18Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. 19The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest. 20Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.

21All King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, because it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon. 22For the king had the ships of Tarshish5 at sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.6