The Queen of Sheba Visits

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

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

3And Solomon answered her all her questions: there was not anything hid from the king, which he told her not.

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

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

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

7However I believed not the words, until I came, and my eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: your wisdom and prosperity exceeds the fame which I heard.

8Happy are your men, happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you, and that hear your wisdom.

9Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you, to set you on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel forever, therefore he made you king, to execute justice and righteousness.

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

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

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

13And 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.

Solomon's Riches and Fame

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

15Besides that he received of the merchantmen, and of the traffic of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.

16And king Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of gold went to one large shield.

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

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

19The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round at the back: and there were arms on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the arms.

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

21And 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 accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.

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

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

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

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

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

27And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the lowlands, for abundance.

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

29And a chariot was imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty: and so to all the kings of the Hittites, and to the kings of Syria, did they export them by their merchants.