The Queen of Sheba Seeks Wisdom
10 1 When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, tied to the name of our Father, she came to test him with hard questions. 2 She came to Jerusalem with a very large retinue—camels carrying spices, great quantities of gold, and precious stones. Reaching Solomon, she told him all that was on her heart. 3 Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too obscure for the king to explain to her. 4 When the queen of Sheba saw all Solomon's wisdom and the house he built, 5 the food on his table, his officials seated, his attendants serving in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the house of our Father—it took her breath away. 6 She told the king, "The report I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom was true. 7 I didn't believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Not even half was told me! Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the report I heard. 8 How happy your people! How happy these servants of yours who always stand before you and hear your wisdom! 9 Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you and set you on Israel's throne! Because the LORD loved Israel forever, he made you king to do justice and righteousness. 10 She gave the king about four tons of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again came so many spices as the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.
11 Hiram's fleet, which brought gold from Ophir, also brought great quantities of almug wood and precious stones from Ophir. 12 The king made the almug wood into supports for our Father's house and the king's house, and into lyres and harps for the singers. No such almug wood has come or been seen since.
13 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she wanted, whatever she asked, plus what he gave from his royal bounty. Then she returned to her own land, she and her servants.
Solomon's Splendor, the Father's Gift
14 The weight of gold that came to Solomon in a single year was about twenty-five tons, 15 besides revenue from the traders, the merchants' trade, all the kings of Arabia, and the governors of the land. 16 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold, about fifteen pounds of gold in each. 17 He made three hundred smaller shields of beaten gold, about 3.75 pounds each; the king placed them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. 18 The king also made a large ivory throne and covered it with the finest gold. 19 The throne had six steps and a rounded top behind. Armrests flanked each side of the seat, with two lions standing beside them. 20 Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at each end. Nothing like it was ever made for any kingdom. 21 All King Solomon's drinking vessels were gold, and all in the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. None were silver; in Solomon's days silver counted as nothing. 22 The king had trading ships at sea with Hiram's fleet. Every three years they returned bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and baboons.
23 So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. 24 The whole earth sought Solomon's presence, to hear the wisdom our Father had put in his heart. 25 Year after year each brought his gift: silver and gold objects, robes, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
26 Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen: 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 27 The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and cedar as plentiful as the foothill sycamore-figs. 28 Solomon's horses came from Egypt and Kue; the king's traders bought them from Kue at market price. 29 A chariot was imported from Egypt for six hundred silver shekels, a horse for a hundred fifty; and through these traders the chariots and horses went to all the kings of the Hittites and Aram.
