Old Testament

New Testament

1 Kings 10:3-22 Lexham English Bible (LEB)

3. Solomon answered all of her questions; there was not a thing hidden from the king which he could not explain to her.

4. When the queen of Sheba observed all the wisdom of Solomon and the house which he had built,

5. the food of his table, the seat of his servants, the manner of his servants and their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings which he offered in the house of Yahweh, she was breathless.

6. Then she said to the king, “The report which I heard in my land was true concerning your accomplishments and your wisdom.

7. I had not believed the report to be true until I came and my eyes had seen, and behold! The half had not been told to me. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report that I had heard.

8. Happy are your men and happy are these your servants who stand before you continually hearing your wisdom.

9. May Yahweh your God be blessed, who has delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel, because of the love of Yahweh for Israel forever, and he has made you king to execute justice and righteousness.”

10. Then she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, abundant spices, and precious stones. Spices as these did not come again in such abundance as that which the queen of Sheba brought to King Solomon.

11. Moreover, the fleet of ships of Hiram which carried the gold from Ophir also brought from Ophir abundant amounts of almug wood and precious stones.

12. The king made a raised structure for the house of Yahweh and for the house of the king out of the almug wood, as well as lyres and harps for the singers. This much almug wood has not come nor been seen again up to this day.

13. King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all of her desire that she asked, besides that which King Solomon freely offered her. Then she turned and went to her land with her servants.

14. The weight of the gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold,

15. apart from that of the men of the traders and the profits of the traders, and all the kings of the Arabs and the governors of the land.

16. King Solomon made two hundred shields of hammered gold; six hundred measures of gold went up over each shield.

17. Also he made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three minas of gold went up over each of the small shields; and the king put them into the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

18. The king also made a large ivory throne, and he overlaid it with fine gold.

19. Six steps led up to the throne, and there was a circular top to the throne behind it, and armrests were on each side of the seat, with two lions standing beside the armrests.

20. Twelve lions were standing there, six on each of the six steps on either side; nothing like this was made for any of the kingdoms.

21. All of the drinking vessels of King Solomon were gold, and all the vessels for the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver; it was not considered as something valuable in the days of Solomon.

22. For the fleet of Tarshish belonged to the king and was on the sea with the fleet of Hiram; once every three years the fleet of Tarshish used to come carrying gold and silver, ivory, apes, and baboons.

Read complete chapter 1 Kings 10