2. He answered them all; there was nothing too difficult for him to explain.
3. The queen of Sheba heard Solomon's wisdom and saw the palace he had built.
4. She saw the food that was served at his table, the living quarters for his officials, the organization of his palace staff and the uniforms they wore, the clothing of the servants who waited on him at feasts, and the sacrifices he offered in the Temple. It left her breathless and amazed.
5. She said to the king, “What I heard in my own country about you and your wisdom is true!
6. I did not believe what they told me until I came and saw for myself. I had not heard of even half your wisdom. You are even wiser than people say.
7. How fortunate are those who serve you, who are always in your presence and are privileged to hear your wise sayings!
8. Praise the Lord your God! He has shown how pleased he is with you by making you king, to rule in his name. Because he loves his people Israel and wants to preserve them for ever, he has made you their king so that you can maintain law and justice.”
9. She presented to King Solomon the gifts she had brought: more than four tonnes of gold and a very large amount of spices and jewels. There have never been any other spices as fine as those that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
10. (The men of King Hiram and of King Solomon who brought gold from Ophir also brought juniper wood and jewels.
11. Solomon used the wood to make stairs for the Temple and for his palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. Nothing like that had ever been seen before in the land of Judah.)
12. King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she asked for. This was in addition to what he gave her in exchange for the gifts she brought to him. Then she and her attendants returned to the land of Sheba.
13. Every year King Solomon received almost 23 tonnes of gold,
14. in addition to the taxes paid by the traders and merchants. The kings of Arabia and the governors of the Israelite districts also brought him silver and gold.
15. Solomon made 200 large shields, each of which was covered with about seven kilogrammes of beaten gold,
16. and 300 smaller shields, each covered with about three kilogrammes of beaten gold. He had them all placed in the Hall of the Forest of Lebanon.
17. The king also had a large throne made. Part of it was covered with ivory and the rest of it was covered with pure gold.
18. Six steps led up to the throne, and there was a footstool attached to it, covered with gold. There were arms on each side of the throne, and the figure of a lion stood at each side.