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.
