1 Kings 10

The Queen of Sheba

11Now when the 2queen of 3Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon in relation to the name of the Lord, she came 4to test him with riddles. 2So she came to Jerusalem with a very large entourage, with camels 5carrying balsam oil and a very large quantity of gold and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she spoke to him about everything that was in her heart. 3And Solomon 6answered all her questions; nothing was concealed from the king which he did not explain to her. 4When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, 5and the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their attire, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings which he offered at the house of the Lord, 7she was breathless. 6Then she said to the king, “It was a true 8story that I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. 7But I did not believe the 9stories until I came and my own eyes saw it all. And behold, the half of it was not reported to me. You have exceeded in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard. 810Blessed are your men, and blessed are these servants of yours who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom! 911Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you to put you on the throne of Israel; 12because the Lord loves Israel forever, He made you king, 13to do justice and righteousness.” 10Then 14she gave the king 15120 talents of gold, and a very large amount of balsam oil and precious stones. Never again did such a large quantity of balsam oil come in as that which the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.

1116And the ships of Hiram as well, which brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir a very great number of almug trees and precious stones. 1217The king made from the almug trees supports for the house of the Lord and for the king’s house, and lyres and harps for the singers; such almug trees have not come in again, nor have they been seen to this day.

13And King Solomon granted the queen of Sheba everything she desired, whatever she requested, besides what he gave her in proportion to 18his royal bounty. Then she 19departed and went to her own land 20together with her servants.

Wealth, Splendor, and Wisdom

1421Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 22666 talents of gold, 15besides that from the traders, and the 23wares of the merchants and all the kings of the 24Arabs and the governors of the country. 1625King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold, 26using six hundred shekels of gold on each large shield. 17And he made 27three hundred small shields of beaten gold, 28using 29three minas of gold on each shield; and 30the king put them in the house of the timber of Lebanon. 18Moreover, the king made a large throne of 31ivory and overlaid it with fine gold. 19There were six steps to the throne and a round top to the throne at its back, and 32armrests 33on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the 34armrests. 20Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for 35any other kingdom. 21Now all King Solomon’s drinking utensils were of gold, and all the utensils of the house of the timber of Lebanon were of pure gold. None was of silver; it was not considered as amounting to anything in the days of Solomon. 22For 36the king had the ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s ships; once every three years the ships of Tarshish would come carrying gold and silver, ivory, monkeys, and peacocks.

2337So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in wealth and wisdom. 24And all the earth was seeking the 38attention of Solomon, 39to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 25And 40they were bringing, everyone, 41a gift: articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, balsam oil, horses, and mules, so much year by year.

2642Now Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; and he had 1,400 chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, and he 43stationed them in the 44chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 2745And the king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the 46lowland. 2847Also Solomon’s import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king’s merchants acquired them from Kue for a price. 29A chariot 48was imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for 150; and 49by the same means they exported them 50to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of the Arameans.