1 When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning
the name of Yahweh, she came to prove him with hard questions. 2 She came
to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bore spices, and very
much gold, and precious stones; and when she was come to Solomon, she talked
with him of all that was in her heart. 3 Solomon told her all her
questions: there was not anything hidden from the king which he didn’t tell
her. 4 When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, and the
house that he had built, 5 and the food of his table, and the sitting of
his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their clothing, and
his cup bearers, and his ascent by which he went up to the house of Yahweh;
there was no more spirit in her. 6 She said to the king, It was a true
report that I heard in my own land of your acts, and of your wisdom.
7 However I didn’t believe the words, until I came, and my eyes had seen
it: and, behold, the half was not told me; your wisdom and prosperity exceed
the fame which I heard. 8 Happy are your men, happy are these your
servants, who stand continually before you, and who hear your wisdom.
9 Blessed be Yahweh your God, who delighted in you, to set you on the
throne of Israel: because Yahweh loved Israel forever, therefore made he you
king, to do justice and righteousness. 10 She gave the king one hundred
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 The navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from
Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees and precious stones.
12 The king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of Yahweh, and
for the king’s house, harps also and psalteries for the singers: there came
no such almug trees, nor were seen, to this day. 13 King Solomon gave to
the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, besides that which
Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned, and went to her own
land, she and her servants. 14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon
in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold, 15 besides that
which the traders brought, and the traffic of the merchants, and
of all the kings of the mixed people, and of the governors of the country.
16 King Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold; six hundred
shekels of gold went to one buckler. 17 he made three
hundred shields of beaten gold; three minas 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 finest gold.
19 There were six steps to the throne, and the top of the throne was round
behind; and there were stays on either side by the place of the seat, and two
lions standing beside the stays. 20 Twelve lions stood there on the one
side and on the other on the six steps: there was nothing like it made in any
kingdom. 21 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 Tarshish with the navy of Hiram: once every three
years came the navy of Tarshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes,
and peacocks. 23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in
riches and in wisdom. 24 All the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to
hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 25 They brought every man
his tribute, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and clothing, and armor,
and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year. 26 Solomon gathered
together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred
chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he bestowed in the chariot
cities, and with the king at Jerusalem. 27 The king made silver to be in
Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are
in the lowland, for abundance. 28 The horses which Solomon had were
brought out of Egypt; and the king’s merchants received them in droves, each
drove at a price. 29 A chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six
hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for one hundred fifty; and so
for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring
them out by their means.
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