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The Queen of Sheba

^1 (C1)Now when the ^(C1)queen of ^(C2)Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came ^(C3)to test him with difficult questions.² So she came to Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels ^(C1)carrying spices and very much gold and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart.³ Solomon ^(F1)answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from the king which he did not ^(F2)explain to her.⁴ When the queen of Sheba perceived all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built,⁵ the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his waiters and their attire, his cupbearers, and ^(F1)his stairway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her.⁶ Then she said to the king, "It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom.⁷ "Nevertheless I did not believe the ^(F1)reports, until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. You exceed in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard.⁸ "How ^(C1)blessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom.⁹ "^(C1)Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel; ^(C2)because the LORD loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, ^(C3)to do justice and righteousness."^10 (C1)She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and a very great amount of spices and precious stones. Never again did such abundance of spices come in as that which the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.

^11 (C1)Also the ships of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir a very great number of almug trees and precious stones.^12 (C1)The king made of the almug trees supports for the house of the LORD and for the king's house, also lyres and harps for the singers; such almug trees have not come in again nor have they been seen to this day.

¹³ King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire which she requested, besides what he gave her according to ^(F1)his royal bounty. Then she turned and went to her own land ^(F2)together with her servants.

Wealth, Splendor and Wisdom

^14 (C1)Now the weight of gold which came in to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold,¹⁵ besides that from the traders and the ^(F1)wares of the merchants and all the kings of the ^(C1)Arabs and the governors of the country.^16 (C1)King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, ^(F1)using 600 shekels of gold on each large shield.¹⁷ He made ^(C1)300 shields of beaten gold, ^(F1)using three minas of gold on each shield, and ^(C2)the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.¹⁸ Moreover, the king made a great throne of ^(C1)ivory and overlaid it with refined gold.¹⁹ There were six steps to the throne and a round top to the throne at its rear, and ^(F1)arms ^(F2)on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the ^(F1)arms.²⁰ Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for any other kingdom.²¹ All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None was of silver; it was not considered ^(F1)valuable in the days of Solomon.²² For ^(C1)the king had at sea the ships of Tarshish with the ships of Hiram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks.

^23 (C1)So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.²⁴ All the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon, ^(C1)to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart.^25 (C1)They brought every man his gift, articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year.

^26 (C1)Now Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; and he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he ^(F1)stationed them in the ^(C2)chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.^27 (C1)The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the ^(F1)lowland.^28 (C1)Also Solomon's import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king's merchants procured them from Kue for a price.²⁹ A chariot ^(F1)was imported from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver, and a horse for 150; and ^(F2)by the same means they exported them ^(C1)to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of the Arameans.