1 Kings 10:14-29

Modern English Version

Solomon’s Wealth^(A)

¹⁴ Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents^[a] of gold. ¹⁵ In addition, he collected from the merchantmen and the traffic of the spice merchants and from all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country.

¹⁶ King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold made of six hundred shekels^[b] of gold each. ¹⁷ He made three hundred shields of beaten gold with three pounds^[c] of gold in each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

¹⁸ The king also made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with the best gold. ¹⁹ The throne had six steps, and the back of the throne was round, and there were armrests on either side of the seat with two lions standing beside the armrests. ²⁰ Twelve lions stood on the sides of the six steps, and there was no other like it in any kingdom. ²¹ All of King Solomon’s drinking cups were made of gold, and all the cups of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were made of pure gold. None were made of silver, for it was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon. ²² For the king had ships at sea at Tarshish with the ships of Hiram. Every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

²³ So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in terms of riches and wisdom. ²⁴ All the earth came to Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. ²⁵ Everyone brought an annual tribute in the form of presents, silver and gold cups, garments, armor, spices, horses, and mules.

²⁶ Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the cities for chariots and with the king at Jerusalem. ²⁷ The king made silver to be in Jerusalem as plentiful as stones, and he made cedars to be as plentiful as sycamore trees in the valley. ²⁸ Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt along with linen yarn. The king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price. ²⁹ He brought chariots from Egypt at a price of six hundred shekels of silver and a horse for a hundred and fifty.^[d] And he exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram, by their means.