M'lakhim Alef (1 Ki) 10
10
1When the queen of Sh’va heard what was being said about Shlomo because of the name of Adonai, she came to test him with difficult questions. 2She arrived in Yerushalayim accompanied by a very great retinue, including camels bearing spices and gold in great abundance, and precious stones. When she appeared before Shlomo she spoke with him about everything on her heart, 3and Shlomo answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from the king that he could not explain to her. 4After the queen of Sh’va had seen all Shlomo’s wisdom, the palace he had built, 5the food at his table, the manner of seating his officials, the manner in which his staff served him, how they were dressed, his personal servants and his burnt offering which he offered in the house of Adonai, it left her breathless. 6She said to the king, “What I heard in my own country about your deeds and your wisdom is true, 7but I couldn’t believe the report until I came and saw for myself. Actually, they didn’t tell me even the half of it — your wisdom and prosperity surpass the reports I heard. 8How happy your people must be, how happy these servants of yours who are always here attending you and get to hear your wisdom! 9Blessed be Adonai your God, who took pleasure in you to put you on the throne of Isra’el. Because of Adonai’s eternal love for Isra’el, he has made you king, to administer judgment and justice fairly.” 10Then she gave the king four tons of gold, a huge amount of spices, and precious stones; never again did there arrive such an abundance of spices as those the queen of Sh’va gave to King Shlomo.
11Hiram’s fleet which had brought gold from Ofir now brought in from Ofir a large quantity of sandalwood and precious stones. 12The king used the sandalwood to make columns for the house of Adonai and for the royal palace, and also lyres and lutes for the singers. No sandalwood like it has come or been seen to this day.
13King Shlomo gave the queen of Sh’va everything she wanted, whatever she asked, in addition to the presents he gave her on his own initiative. After this, she returned and went back to her own country, she and her servants.
14The weight of the gold Shlomo received annually came to twenty-two tons of gold, 15besides that which came from sales taxes, customs duties and assessments collected by all the kings of the mixed peoples and by the district governors. 16King Shlomo made 200 large shields of hammered gold; fifteen pounds of gold went into one shield. 17He made 300 more shields of hammered gold, with three-and-three-quarters pounds going into one shield; the king put these in the House of the L’vanon Forest.
18The king also made a large throne of ivory and overlaid it with the finest gold. 19The throne had six steps, a back with a rounded top, arms on either side of the seat, two lions standing beside the arms, 20and twelve more lions standing on each side of the six steps. Nothing like it had ever been made in any kingdom.
21All King Shlomo’s drinking vessels were of gold; and all the utensils in the House of the L’vanon Forest were of pure gold; none was of silver, for in Shlomo’s time it was regarded as having little value. 22The king had a fleet of large “Tarshish” ships along with Hiram’s fleet; once every three years the “Tarshish” fleet came in, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks.
23So King Shlomo surpassed all the kings on earth in both wealth and wisdom. 24All the earth sought to have an audience with Shlomo, in order to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 25Each one brought his present — articles of silver, articles of gold, clothing, armor, spices, horses and mules; and this continued year after year.
26Shlomo amassed chariots and horsemen; he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen; he assigned them to the chariot cities and to the king in Yerushalayim. 27The king made silver in Yerushalayim as common as stones, and he made cedars as abundant as sycamore-fig trees are in the Sh’felah. 28Shlomo’s horses had been brought from Egypt and from Keveh, with the king’s agents having bought them from the dealers in Keveh at the going price. 29A chariot from Egypt cost fifteen pounds of silver shekels and a horse three-and-three quarters pounds [of shekels]; all the kings of the Hittim and the kings of Aram purchased them at these prices through Shlomo’s agents.
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M'lakhim Alef (1 Ki) 10: CJB
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