1 Kings 10:1-29, NLT
1 Kings 10
Visit of the Queen of Sheba
1When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, which brought honor to the name of the Lord,*10:1 Or which was due to the name of the Lord. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. she came to test him with hard questions.
6She exclaimed to the king, “Everything I heard in my country about your achievements*10:6 Hebrew your words. and wisdom is true!
10Then she gave the king a gift of 9,000 pounds*10:10 Hebrew 120 talents [4,000 kilograms]. of gold, great quantities of spices, and precious jewels. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
11(In addition, Hiram’s ships brought gold from Ophir, and they also brought rich cargoes of red sandalwood*10:11 Hebrew almug wood; also in 10:12. and precious jewels.
13King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba whatever she asked for, besides all the customary gifts he had so generously given. Then she and all her attendants returned to their own land.
Solomon’s Wealth and Splendor
14Each year Solomon received about 25 tons*10:14 Hebrew 666 talents [23 metric tons]. of gold.
16King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold, each weighing more than fifteen pounds.*10:16 Hebrew 600 [shekels] of gold [6.8 kilograms].
18Then the king made a huge throne, decorated with ivory and overlaid with fine gold.
21All of King Solomon’s drinking cups were solid gold, as were all the utensils in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. They were not made of silver, for silver was considered worthless in Solomon’s day!
22The king had a fleet of trading ships of Tarshish that sailed with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years the ships returned, loaded with gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.*10:22 Or and baboons.
23So King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on earth.
26Solomon built up a huge force of chariots and horses.*10:26 Or charioteers; also in 10:26b. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He stationed some of them in the chariot cities and some near him in Jerusalem.