﻿2 Chronicles.
Chapter 9.
When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with riddles. She came with a very great retinue and camels carrying spices, abundant gold, and precious stones. She came to Solomon and spoke with him about all that was in her heart. 
Solomon answered all her questions. Nothing was hidden from Solomon that he could not explain to her. 
When the queen of Sheba saw Solomon's wisdom, the house he had built, 
the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his ministers and their clothing, his cupbearers and their clothing, and the ascent by which he went up to the house of the LORD, she was left breathless. 
She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own land about your affairs and your wisdom was true. 
But I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes. Not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told to me! You surpass the report I heard. 
Happy are your men, and happy are these servants of yours who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom! 
Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king for the LORD your God! Because your God loves Israel and would establish it forever, he has made you king over them to carry out justice and righteousness.” 
She gave the king about nine thousand pounds of gold, a very great abundance of spices, and precious stones. There had never been spices like those the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon. 
The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir also brought algum timber and precious stones. 
The king used the algum timber to make walkways for the house of the LORD and the king's palace, and lyres and harps for the singers. Nothing like them had been seen before in the land of Judah. 
King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for, apart from what she had brought to the king. Then she turned and went back to her own land with her servants. 
The weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was about twenty-five tons, 
besides what the traders and merchants brought. All the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land brought gold and silver to Solomon. 
King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold, using a little over fifteen pounds of hammered gold for each shield. 
He also made three hundred smaller shields of hammered gold, using a little over seven and a half pounds of gold for each shield. The king placed them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. 
The king made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold. 
The throne had six steps and a gold footstool, which were attached to it. There were armrests on either side of the seat, with two lions standing beside the armrests. 
Twelve lions stood on the six steps, on either side. Nothing like it had been made in any kingdom. 
All King Solomon's drinking vessels were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Silver was considered of no value in Solomon's days. 
For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with Huram's servants. Once every three years the ships of Tarshish came, carrying gold, silver, ivory, monkeys, and peacocks. 
King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. 
All the kings of the earth sought Solomon's presence to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. 
Each brought his gift: objects of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules, year after year. 
Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. He stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 
He ruled over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. 
The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees in the lowlands. 
Horses were imported for Solomon from Egypt and from all lands. 
The rest of Solomon's acts, from first to last, are they not written in the records of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat? 
Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years. 
Then Solomon lay down with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father. His son Rehoboam reigned in his place. 
