2 Chronicles

Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions, having a very great retinue, with camels that bore spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart.

So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for Solomon that he could not explain it to her.

And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built,

the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers and their apparel, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her.

Then she said to the king: "It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom.

However I did not believe their words until I came and my eyes had seen it; and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You exceed the fame of which I heard."

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

Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you, setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God! Because your God has loved Israel, to establish them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do judgement and justice."

Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great abundance, and precious stones; there never was any spice such as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

Also the servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, brought algum wood and precious stones.

And the king made walkways of the algum wood for the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, also harps and stringed instruments for singers; and there were none such as these seen before in the land of Judah.

Now King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, besides what she had brought to the king. So she turned and went to her own land, she and her servants.

The weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,

besides what the travelling merchants and traders brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.

And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of beaten gold went into each shield.

He also made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

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

There were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne; there were armrests on either side of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests.

Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom.

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. Not one was of silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.

For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

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

Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, armour, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year.

Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.

He reigned over all the kings from the River Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, and as far as the border of Egypt.

The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowlands.

And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands.

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

Then Solomon rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.