10 1 The Queen of Sheba cometh to hear the wisdom of Solomon. 18 His royal throne. 23 His power and magnificence.

And the (A)Queen of [a]Sheba hearing the fame of Solomon (concerning the Name of the Lord) came to prove him with hard questions.

And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, and camels that bare sweet odors, and gold exceeding much, and precious stones: and she came to Solomon, and communed with him of all that was in her heart.

And Solomon declared unto her all her questions: nothing was hid from the king, which he expounded not unto her.

Then the Queen of Sheba saw all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house that he had built,

And the [b]meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the order of his ministers, and their apparel, and his drinking vessels, and his burnt offerings, that he offered in the house of the Lord, and [c]she was greatly astonied.

And she said unto the King, It was a true word that I heard in mine own land of thy sayings, and of thy wisdom.

Howbeit I believed not this report, till I came, and had seen it with mine eyes: but lo, the one half was not told me: for thou hast more wisdom and prosperity, than I have heard by report.

Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand ever before thee, and hear thy [d]wisdom.

Blessed be the Lord thy God, which [e]loved thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel, because the Lord loved Israel forever, and made thee king to do [f]equity and righteousness.

10 And she gave the king sixscore talents of gold, and of sweet odors exceeding much, and precious stones. There came no more such abundance of sweet odors, as the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

11 The navy also of Hiram (that carried gold from Ophir) brought likewise great plenty of (B)Almuggim trees from Ophir, and precious stones.

12 And the king made of the Almuggim trees pillars for the house of the Lord, and for the king’s palace, and made harps and psalteries for singers. There came no more such Almuggim trees, nor were any more seen unto this day.

13 And King Solomon gave unto the Queen of Sheba, whatsoever she would ask, besides that, which Solomon gave her of his [g]kingly liberality: so she returned and went to her own country, both she and her servants.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 10:1 Josephus saith, that she was Queen of Ethiopia, and that Sheba was the name of the chief city of Meroe, which is an island of Nile.
  2. 1 Kings 10:5 That is, the whole order, and trade of his house.
  3. 1 Kings 10:5 Hebrew, there was no more spirit in her.
  4. 1 Kings 10:8 But much more happy are they, which hear the wisdom of God revealed in his word.
  5. 1 Kings 10:9 It is a chief sign of God’s favor, when godly and wise rulers sit in the throne of justice.
  6. 1 Kings 10:9 This is the cause, why Kings are appointed.
  7. 1 Kings 10:13 Hebrew, by the hand of the King.

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