1 Kings 10:14-29

Evangelical Heritage Version

Solomon’s Wealth and Glory

¹⁴ The weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents,^{[a] 15} not counting what he collected from merchants and traders and from all the Arabian kings and the governors of the land.

¹⁶ King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold. He put seven and a half pounds^[b] of gold into each large shield. ¹⁷ He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold. He put almost four pounds^[c] of gold into each small shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

¹⁸ The king made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with fine gold.^{[d] 19} There were six steps to the throne. The throne had a rounded back and armrests on either side of the seat. Two lions were standing beside the armrests. ²⁰ Twelve lions were standing on the steps, one on each end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any kingdom.

²¹ All of Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all of the utensils in the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold.^[e] No silver was used, because it was considered of little value in Solomon’s days, ²² because Solomon’s merchant fleet^[f] was at sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the fleet returned, carrying gold and silver, ivory, monkeys, and peacocks.^[g]

²³ King Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth in wealth and wisdom. ²⁴ The whole world sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom which God put in his heart. ²⁵ They each brought gifts: articles of gold and silver, clothing, scents,^[h] spices, horses and mules, year after year.

²⁶ Solomon accumulated chariots and charioteers until he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand charioteers. He stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. ²⁷ The king made silver as plentiful as stone in Jerusalem and cedar wood as abundant as sycamore trees in the Shephelah.^{[i] 28} Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue.^[j] The king’s dealers bought them from Kue for the market price. ²⁹ A chariot could be imported from Egypt for six hundred silver shekels and a horse for one hundred fifty. In this same way they were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.