1 Kings, Chapter 10:
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Verses from 1 Kings, Chapter 10 of the book of 1 Kings in the Bible.
The visit of the Queen of Sheba
- 1. The queen of Sheba heard about Solomon's fame caused by the name of the Lord, and came to Jerusalem to test him with difficult questions.
- 2. Upon arriving, with a large entourage, carrying camels loaded with spices, an abundant quantity of gold and precious stones, she asked Solomon all the questions she had in mind.
- 3. Solomon answered all the questions; none of them were so difficult that he couldn't answer them.
- 4. When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built,
- 5. the food on her table, the accommodation of her officers, the service of her servants and cupbearers, and her burnt offerings in the temple of the Lord, she was amazed.
- 6. Then she said to the king: “The fame I have heard in my country about your achievements and your wisdom is true.
- 7. I didn't believe the words until I came and saw it with my own eyes. The truth is that they didn't even tell me the half of it; you far surpass everything I have heard, both in wisdom and in riches.
- 8. How happy are your servants, who always stand before you and listen to your wisdom!
- 9. Blessed be the Lord your God, who took pleasure in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s everlasting love for Israel, he made him king, to rule with justice and righteousness.”
- 10. Then she gave King Solomon one hundred and twenty talents of gold, a large quantity of spices and precious stones. Never again did so much spice come as the Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
- 11. (Hiram also sent ships to Ophir, and Solomon's servants, together with Hiram's servants, brought from there four hundred and fifty talents of gold, which were given to King Solomon.)
- 12. King Solomon used the gold of Ophir to make the stairs of the temple of the Lord and the stairs of the royal palace, as well as harps and lutes for the musicians. Never before had so much juniper wood been brought as that which Solomon brought from Ophir.
- 13. King Solomon gave the Queen of Sheba everything she desired and asked for, in addition to what he had already given her for his royal generosity. Then she returned with her servants to her own country.
Solomon's splendor
- 14. The amount of gold that Solomon received annually was twenty-three tons,
- 15. in addition to the taxes paid by merchants, by traders who brought goods, by the kings of Arabia and by the governors of the country.
- 16. King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold, using seven kilograms of gold in each shield.
- 17. He also made three hundred small shields of beaten gold, using almost two kilograms of gold in each shield. The king placed them in the Forest Palace of Lebanon.
- 18. Furthermore, the king made a great throne of ivory overlaid with pure gold.
- 19. The throne had six steps, with a rounded back at the back. On both sides of the seat were arms, with a lion next to each arm.
- 20. Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at each end. No similar throne had ever been made in any other kingdom.
- 21. All of King Solomon's cups were of gold, and the entire Palace of the Forest of Lebanon and its utensils were of pure gold. Silver was worthless during Solomon's reign,
- 22. for the king had a fleet of ships that sailed with Hiram's ships. Every three years, the fleet returned bringing gold, silver, ivory, monkeys and peacocks.
- 23. King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
- 24. All the people of the earth sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had placed in his heart.
- 25. Year after year, each one brought his tribute: silver and gold utensils, clothes, weapons, spices, horses and mules.
- 26. Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in garrisons and also in Jerusalem, near him.
- 27. The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars as numerous as the fig trees of the Shephelah.
- 28. Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and Kedar; the king's traders acquired them in Kedar for a fixed price.
- 29. A chariot imported from Egypt cost six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse cost one hundred and fifty shekels. They exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Syria.
