“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 Kings 10:1-29 AV)
© 2011-2018 Kathy L. McFarland. All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy