18. King Solomon also built a large throne with ivory decorations. It was covered with pure gold.
19. There were six steps leading up to the throne. The back of the throne was round at the top. There were armrests on both sides of the throne, and there were lions in the sides of the throne under the armrests.
20. There were also two lions on each of the six steps, one at each end. There was nothing like it in any other kingdom.
21. All of Solomon’s cups and glasses were made of gold, and all the dishes in the building called the Forest of Lebanon were made from pure gold. Nothing in the palace was made from silver. There was so much gold that in Solomon’s time people did not think silver was important.
22. The king also had many cargo ships that he sent out to trade things with other countries. These were Hiram’s ships. Every three years the ships would come back with a new load of gold, silver, ivory, and apes and baboons.
23. King Solomon became greater in riches and wisdom than any other king on earth.
24. People everywhere wanted to see King Solomon and listen to the great wisdom that God had given him.
25. Every year people came to see the king and brought gifts made from gold and silver, clothes, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
26. Solomon had a great number of chariots and horses. He had 1400 chariots and 12,000 horse soldiers. He built special cities for these chariots. So the chariots were kept in these cities. King Solomon also kept some of the chariots with him in Jerusalem.
27. The king made Israel very rich. In the city of Jerusalem, silver was as common as rocks and cedar wood was as common as the many fig trees growing on the hills.
28. Solomon brought horses from Egypt and Kue. His traders bought them in Kue and brought them to Israel.
29. A chariot from Egypt cost about 15 pounds of silver, and a horse cost almost 4 pounds of silver. Solomon sold horses and chariots to the kings of the Hittites and the Arameans.