1 Kings 10

1 Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions.

2 She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones. And she came to Solomon and spoke to him all that was on her mind.

3 And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for the king to explain.

4 When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built,

5 the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the service and attire of his attendants, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he presented at the house of the LORD, it took her breath away.

6 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words and wisdom is true.

7 But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told to me. Your wisdom and prosperity have far exceeded the report I heard.

8 How blessed are your men! How blessed are these servants of yours who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!

9 Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, He has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness.”

10 Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again were spices in such abundance brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

11 (The fleet of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir also brought from Ophir a great cargo of almug wood and precious stones.

12 The king made the almug wood into steps for the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had such almug wood been brought in, nor has such been seen again to this day.)

13 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired—whatever she asked—besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned to her own country, along with her servants.

14 The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents,

15 not including the revenue from the merchants, traders, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land.

16 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield.

17 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

18 Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.

19 The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest.

20 Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.

21 All King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, because it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.

22 For the king had the ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

23 So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

24 The whole world sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.

25 Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

26 Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses, which he stationed in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem.

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills.

28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue; the royal merchants purchased them from Kue.

29 A chariot could be imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. Likewise, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram.

1 ¶ And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.

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

3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not [any] thing hid from the king, which he told her not.

4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built,

5 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.

6 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.

7 Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen [it]: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.

8 Happy [are] thy men, happy [are] these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, [and] that hear thy wisdom.

9 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.

10 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

11 And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.

12 And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the LORD, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.

13 And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside [that] which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.

14 ¶ Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,

15 Beside [that he had] of the merchantmen, and of the traffick of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.

16 And king Solomon made two hundred targets [of] beaten gold: six hundred [shekels] of gold went to one target.

17 And [he made] three hundred shields [of] beaten gold; three pound of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

18 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold.

19 The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne [was] round behind: and [there were] stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays.

20 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.

21 And 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; none [were of] silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.

22 For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.

24 And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

25 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.

27 And the king made silver [to be] in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he [to be] as the sycomore trees that [are] in the vale, for abundance.

28 And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price.

29 And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred [shekels] of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring [them] out by their means.

1 And when the rumour of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD came before the queen of Arabia, she came to try him with riddles.

2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great company, with camels bearing spices, and much gold and precious stones. And when she was come in unto king Solomon, she spake unto him all that she had undertaken.

3 And Solomon told her all things, and there was nothing hid from the king that he told her not.

4 And when the queen of Arabia saw all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,

5 And the meat for his table, and for his servants' dwelling, and for his servants' service, and for their garments, and for his gifts, and for his burnt offerings, which he offered in the house of the LORD, she could no more abstain from them.

6 And he said unto the king: It is true what I have heard in my country of thy nature and of thy wisdom.

7 And I believed it not, till I came, and saw it with mine own eyes. And, behold, I was not told the half of it. Thou hast more wisdom and good than the rumour that I have heard.

8 Blessed are thy people, and thy servants, which stand always before thee, and hear thy wisdom.

9 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which hath pleased thee to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loveth Israel for ever, and hath made thee king, to execute judgment and justice.

10 And she gave unto the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and very much spices and precious stones. And there came no more so much spices, as the queen of Arabia gave to king Solomon.

11 And the ships of Hiram, which brought gold out of Ophir, brought very much ebony and precious stones.

12 And the king made pillars of ebony in the house of the LORD, and in the king's house, and harps, and psalteries for the singers. And the ebony came no more, neither was it seen unto this day.

13 And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all that she desired and asked, without that he gave her of himself. And she turned, and went into her own land with her servants.

14 And the weight of the gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents,

15 Without that which came from merchants and traders and apothecaries, and from all the kings of Arabia, and from the mighty men of the countries.

16 And king Solomon made two hundred shields of the best gold, and put six hundred pieces of gold for a shield;

17 And three hundred chargers of the best gold, three pounds of gold for every charger. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

18 And the king made a great chair of ivory, and overlaid it with the most precious gold.

19 And the chair had six steps, and the head of the chair was round behind. And there were rests on either side round about the buttocks; and two lions stood by the rests.

20 And twelve lions stood upon the six steps on either side. Such a thing is never done in any kingdom.

21 All the drinking vessels of king Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of gold: for silver was not esteemed in the days of Solomon.

22 For the king's ship that sailed in the sea with Hiram's ship came once in three years, and brought gold, and silver, and ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

23 So king Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the kings of the earth.

24 And all the world desired to see Solomon, that they might hear the wisdom which God had put into his heart.

25 And every man brought him gifts of silver, and of vessels of gold, and of raiment, and of armour, and of spices, and of horses, and of mouths yearly.

26 And Solomon brought chariots and horsemen in abundance, and had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen: and he left them in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

27 And the king made the silver of Jerusalem as much as the stones, and the cedar as much as the wild fig trees of the valley.

28 And they brought Solomon horses out of Egypt, and all manner of merchandise: and the king's merchants bought the same merchandise.

29 And they brought them out of Egypt, a chariot for six hundred pieces of silver, and a horse for an hundred and fifty. And they brought them by their hand unto all the kings of the Hittites, and to the kings of Syria.