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Solomon’s Great Wealth

13 The weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold,(A) 14 besides that which the traders and merchants brought, and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold; six hundred shekels[a] of beaten gold went into each large shield. 16 He made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three hundred shekels[b] of gold went into each shield, and the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. 17 The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold. 18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold, which were attached to the throne, and on each side of the seat were arm rests and two lions standing beside the arm rests,(B) 19 while twelve lions were standing, one on each end of a step on the six steps. The like of it was never made in any kingdom.(C) 20 All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon. 21 For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.[c](D)

22 Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.(E) 23 All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind. 24 Every one of them brought a present, objects of silver and gold, garments, weaponry, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year. 25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.(F) 26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the territory of Egypt.(G) 27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone and cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah.(H) 28 Horses were imported for Solomon from Egypt and from all lands.(I)

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Footnotes

  1. 9.15 Heb lacks shekels
  2. 9.16 Heb lacks shekels
  3. 9.21 Or baboons

Solomon’s Wealth and Splendor

13 Each year Solomon received about 25 tons[a] of gold. 14 This did not include the additional revenue he received from merchants and traders. All the kings of Arabia and the governors of the provinces also brought gold and silver to Solomon.

15 King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold, each weighing more than 15 pounds.[b] 16 He also made 300 smaller shields of hammered gold, each weighing more than 7 1⁄2 pounds.[c] The king placed these shields in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.

17 Then the king made a huge throne, decorated with ivory and overlaid with pure gold. 18 The throne had six steps, with a footstool of gold. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, and the figure of a lion stood on each side of the throne. 19 There were also twelve other lions, one standing on each end of the six steps. No other throne in all the world could be compared with it!

20 All of King Solomon’s drinking cups were solid gold, as were all the utensils in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. They were not made of silver, for silver was considered worthless in Solomon’s day!

21 The king had a fleet of trading ships of Tarshish manned by the sailors sent by Hiram.[d] Once every three years the ships returned, loaded with gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.[e]

22 So King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on earth. 23 Kings from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had given him. 24 Year after year everyone who visited brought him gifts of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

25 Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his horses and chariots, and he had 12,000 horses.[f] He stationed some of them in the chariot cities, and some near him in Jerusalem. 26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River[g] in the north to the land of the Philistines and the border of Egypt in the south. 27 The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. And valuable cedar timber was as common as the sycamore-fig trees that grow in the foothills of Judah.[h] 28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt[i] and many other countries.

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Footnotes

  1. 9:13 Hebrew 666 talents [23 metric tons].
  2. 9:15 Hebrew 600 [shekels] of hammered gold [6.8 kilograms].
  3. 9:16 Hebrew 300 [shekels] of gold [3.4 kilograms].
  4. 9:21a Hebrew Huram, a variant spelling of Hiram.
  5. 9:21b Or and baboons.
  6. 9:25 Or 12,000 charioteers.
  7. 9:26 Hebrew the river.
  8. 9:27 Hebrew the Shephelah.
  9. 9:28 Possibly Muzur, a district near Cilicia.