The Queen of Sheba Visits Jerusalem

9 When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions.^[a] Accompanied by a large caravan train, including camels carrying an abundance of spices and gold, and precious stones, she came to Solomon and spoke with him about all that was in her heart. ² Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from Solomon which he did not explain to her.

³ When the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built, ⁴ as well as the food on his table, the seating of his courtiers, the service and attire of his attendants, his cupbearers and their attire, and his procession with which he went up to the House of Adonai, it took her breath away.

⁵ She said to the king: “The report that I heard in my own land about your achievements and your wisdom is true. ⁶ But I did not believe their reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. And behold, not even half of the greatness of your wisdom was described to me—you surpass the report that I heard! ⁷ How blessed are your men, how blessed are your courtiers who continually stand in your presence and hear your wisdom. ⁸ Blessed be Adonai your God who delighted in you, setting you on His throne as king before Adonai your God. Because your God loved Israel, establishing them forever, He made you king over them to execute justice and righteousness.”

⁹ Then she gave the king 120 gold talents, large quantities of spices and precious stones. There had never been such quantities of spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. ¹⁰ The servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir also brought algumwood and precious stones. ¹¹ From the sandalwood the king made ramps for the House of Adonai and for the royal palace, and lyres and harps for the singers—nothing like them had ever been seen before in the land of Judah. ¹² King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for—more than what she had brought to the king. Then she with her courtiers, returned, going back to her own land.

Solomon Exceeds All the Earth’s Kings

¹³ Now the weight of gold that Solomon received in one year was 666 gold talents, ¹⁴ besides what the traders and merchants brought and the gold and silver that all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the region brought to Solomon. ¹⁵ King Solomon made 200 shields of beaten gold, 600 shekels of beaten gold for each shield, ¹⁶ and also 300 shields of beaten gold, 300 shekels of gold for each shield. The king put them in the palace of the Lebanon Forest. ¹⁷ Furthermore, the king made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold. ¹⁸ The throne had six steps and a golden footstool attached to it, and arms on each side of the seat. Two lions stood beside the arms ¹⁹ and 12 lions stood on the six steps, one at each end of each step. None like it was ever made for any kingdom. ²⁰ All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the palace of the Lebanon Forest were of pure gold—silver was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon. ²¹ Because the king’s ships sailed to Tarshish with Huram’s servants once every three years, the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks.

²² So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. ²³ And all the kings of the earth sought an audience with Solomon to listen to the wisdom that God had put in his heart. ²⁴ Everyone brought his tribute—vessels of silver, vessels of gold, garments, armor, spices, horses and mules—in the due amount each year.

²⁵ Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horsemen that he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. ²⁶ And he ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, and as far as the border of Egypt. ²⁷ The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars as plentiful as the sycamore trees that are in the foothills. ²⁸ Horses were brought for Solomon from Egypt and from all countries.

Solomon Buried in David’s City

²⁹ Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, the beginning and the end, are they not written in the chronicles of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Jedo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? ³⁰ Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel 40 years. ³¹ Then Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David, and Rehoboam his son became king in his

place.