8. Your men and officers are very lucky! In always serving you, they are able to hear your wisdom!
9. Praise the Lord your God! He was pleased to make you king of Israel. The Lord has constant love for Israel. So he made you king to keep justice and to rule fairly.”
10. Then the queen of Sheba gave the king about 9,000 pounds of gold. She also gave him many spices and jewels. No one since that time has brought more spices into Israel than the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.
11. (Hiram’s ships brought gold from Ophir. They also brought from there very much juniper wood and jewels.
12. Solomon used the juniper wood to build supports for the Temple of the Lord and the palace. He also used it to make harps and lyres for the musicians. Such fine juniper wood has not been brought in or seen since that time.)
13. King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba many gifts. He gave her gifts that a king would give to another ruler. Then he gave her whatever else she wanted and asked for. After this, she and her servants went back to her own country.
14. Every year King Solomon received about 50,000 pounds of gold.
15. Besides that he also received gold from the traders and merchants. And he received gold from the kings of Arabia and governors of the land.
16. King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold. Each shield contained about seven and one-half pounds of gold.
17. He also made 300 smaller shields of hammered gold. They each contained about three and three-fourths pounds of gold. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.
18. Then King Solomon built a large throne of ivory. And he covered it with pure gold.