1When the Queen of Sheba heard about Solomon’s fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with difficult questions. She arrived with a very large caravan, including camels carrying spices, a great amount of gold, and precious stones. When she met Solomon, she talked with him about everything on her mind.
2Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing hidden from Solomon that he didn't tell her.
3When the Queen of Sheba saw Solomon’s wisdom, the palace he had built,
4the food on his table, the way his officials sat, the service of his staff, their uniforms, his cupbearers and their uniforms, and the ramp he used to go up to Yahweh’s house, she was completely overwhelmed.
5She said to the king, “The reports I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom were true.
6However, I didn’t believe what they said until I came and saw it with my own eyes. And look, I wasn't even told half of your great wisdom. You are far greater than the fame I heard about!
7Your men are fortunate, and your servants are fortunate, since they are always with you and hear your wisdom.
8Praise Yahweh your God, who was pleased with you and placed you on his throne to be king for Yahweh your God. Because your God loved Israel and wanted to establish them forever, he made you king over them to administer justice and fairness.”
9She gave the king four thousand five hundred pounds of gold, a huge amount of spices, and precious stones. There had never been such spices as the Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
10Huram’s servants and Solomon’s servants, who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum trees and precious stones.
11The king used the algum wood to make terraces for Yahweh's temple and for the royal palace, and to make harps and other stringed instruments for the singers. Nothing like them had ever been seen before in Judah.
12King Solomon gave the Queen of Sheba everything she wanted and asked for, in addition to what she had brought to the king. Then she and her servants left and returned to her own country.
13The gold Solomon received in one year weighed 666 talents of gold (about 25 tons),
14not including what the traders and merchants brought. All the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country also brought gold and silver to Solomon.
15King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold, with 600 shekels of hammered gold (about 15 pounds) in each shield.
16He also made three hundred smaller shields of hammered gold, with 300 shekels of gold (about 7.5 pounds) in each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.
17The king also made a large throne of ivory and covered it with pure gold.
18The throne had six steps, with a gold footstool attached to it, and armrests on either side of the seat. Two lions stood beside the armrests.
19Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one on each end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom.
20All of King Solomon’s drinking cups were made of gold, and all the vessels in the House of the Forest of Lebanon were made of pure gold. Silver was not considered valuable during Solomon’s reign.
21This was because the king had ships that sailed to Tarshish with Huram’s servants. Every three years, the ships of Tarshish would return, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
22So King Solomon was richer and wiser than all the other kings on earth.
23All the kings of the earth wanted to see Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.
24Each one would bring tribute every year: silver vessels, gold vessels, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
25Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. He stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.
26Solomon ruled over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt.
27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamore trees in the lowlands.
28They brought Solomon horses from Egypt and from all other lands.
29Now, the rest of Solomon’s actions, from beginning to end, are they not recorded in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat?
30Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.
31Solomon died and was buried in the city of his father David; and his son Rehoboam became king in his place.