¹¹ The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. Nothing like them had ever been seen in Judah.)

¹⁵ King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels^[a] of hammered gold went into each shield. ¹⁶ He also made three hundred small shields^(A) of hammered gold, with three hundred shekels^[b] of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.^(B)

¹⁷ Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory^(C) and overlaid with pure gold. ¹⁸ The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. ¹⁹ 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. ²⁰ All King Solomon’s goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s day. ²¹ The king had a fleet of trading ships^[c] manned by Hiram’s^[d] servants. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.