Sayings of King Lemuel

31 The sayings^(A) of King Lemuel—an inspired utterance his mother taught him.

Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character

Solomon’s Daily Provisions

²⁰ The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand^(A) on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy.^{(B) 21} And Solomon ruled^(C) over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River^(D) to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.^(E) These countries brought tribute^(F) and were Solomon’s subjects all his life.

²² Solomon’s daily provisions^(G) were thirty cors^[a] of the finest flour and sixty cors^[b] of meal, ²³ ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed cattle and a hundred sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks and choice fowl.^{(H) 24} For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah^(I) to Gaza, and had peace^(J) on all sides. ²⁵ During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba,^(K) lived in safety,^(L) everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree.^(M)

²⁶ Solomon had four^[c] thousand stalls for chariot horses,^(N) and twelve thousand horses.^[d]

²⁷ The district governors,^(O) each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon and all who came to the king’s table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking. ²⁸ They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses.

Solomon’s Splendor^(A)

¹⁴ The weight of the gold^(B) that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents,^{[a] 15} not including the revenues from merchants and traders and from all the Arabian kings and the governors of the territories.

¹⁶ King Solomon made two hundred large shields^(C) of hammered gold; six hundred shekels^[b] of gold went into each shield. ¹⁷ He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three minas^[c] of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.^(D)

¹⁸ Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with fine gold. ¹⁹ The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. ²⁰ Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom. ²¹ All King Solomon’s goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold.^(E) Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s days. ²² The king had a fleet of trading ships^[d](F) at sea along with the ships^(G) of Hiram. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.

²³ King Solomon was greater in riches^(H) and wisdom^(I) than all the other kings of the earth. ²⁴ The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom^(J) God had put in his heart. ²⁵ Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift^(K)—articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.

²⁶ Solomon accumulated chariots and horses;^(L) he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses,^[e] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. ²⁷ The king made silver as common^(M) in Jerusalem as stones,^(N) and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig^(O) trees in the foothills. ²⁸ Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue^[f]—the royal merchants purchased them from Kue at the current price. ²⁹ They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty.^[g] They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites^(P) and of the Arameans.

²² King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.^{(A) 23} All the kings^(B) of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. ²⁴ Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift^(C)—articles of silver and gold, and robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.

²⁵ Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots,^(D) and twelve thousand horses,^[a] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. ²⁶ He ruled^(E) over all the kings from the Euphrates River^(F) to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.^{(G) 27} The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. ²⁸ Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries.

¹⁴ Solomon accumulated chariots^(A) and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses,^[a] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. ¹⁵ The king made silver and gold^(B) as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. ¹⁶ Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue^[b]—the royal merchants purchased them from Kue at the current price. ¹⁷ They imported a chariot^(C) from Egypt for six hundred shekels^[c] of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty.^[d] They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans.