The Queen of Sheba
1 1Now when
2the queen of
3Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came
4to test him with hard questions.
2
She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels
5bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind.
3
And Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king that he could not explain to her.
4
And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built,
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the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more breath in her.
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And she said to the king, “The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom,
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but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report that I heard.
8
6Happy are your men! Happy are your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!
9
7Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel!
8Because the Lord loved Israel forever, he has made you king,
9that you may execute justice and righteousness. ”
10
10Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices and precious stones. Never again came such an abundance of spices as these that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
11
Moreover,
11the fleet of Hiram, which brought
12gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir a very great amount of almug wood and precious stones.
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And the king made of the almug wood supports for the house of the Lord and for the king’s house, also lyres and harps for the singers. No such almug wood has come or been seen to this day.
13
And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked besides what was given her by the bounty of King Solomon. So she turned and went back to her own land with her servants.
Solomon’s Great Wealth
14 13Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold,
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besides that which came from the explorers and from the business of the merchants, and from all the kings of the west and from the governors of the land.
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King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold; 600 shekels of gold went into each shield.
17
And he made 300
14shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in
15the House of the Forest of Lebanon.