2 Chronicles 9:13-28

Living Bible

^13-14 Solomon received a quarter of a billion dollars worth of gold each year from the kings of Arabia and many other lands that paid annual tribute to him. In addition, there was a trade balance from the exports of his merchants. ¹⁵ He used some of the gold to make 200 large shields, each worth $100,000, ¹⁶ and 300 smaller shields, each worth $50,000. The king placed these in the Forest of Lebanon Room in his palace. ¹⁷ He also made a huge ivory throne overlaid with pure gold. ¹⁸ It had six gold steps and a footstool of gold; also gold armrests, each flanked by a gold lion. ¹⁹ Gold lions also stood at each side of each step. No other throne in all the world could be compared with it! ²⁰ All of King Solomon’s cups were solid gold, as were all the furnishings in the Forest of Lebanon Room. Silver was too cheap to count for much in those days!

²¹ Every three years the king sent his ships to Tarshish, using sailors supplied by King Hiram, to bring back gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

²² So King Solomon was richer and wiser than any other king in all the earth. ²³ Kings from every nation came to visit him and to hear the wisdom God had put into his heart. ²⁴ Each brought him annual tribute of silver and gold bowls, clothing, armor, spices, horses, and mules.

²⁵ In addition, Solomon had 4,000 stalls of horses and chariots, and 12,000 cavalrymen stationed in the chariot cities as well as in Jerusalem to protect the king. ²⁶ He ruled over all kings and kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and as far away as the border of Egypt. ²⁷ He made silver become as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones in the road! And cedar was used as though it were common sycamore. ²⁸ Horses were brought to him from Egypt and other countries.