The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon

101 Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord , she came to test him with difficult questions . 2 So she came to Jerusalem with a very large retinue , with camels carrying spices and very much gold and precious stones . When she came to Solomon , she spoke with him about all that was in her heart . 3 Solomon answered all her questions ; nothing e was hidden from the king which he did not explain to her. 4 When the queen of Sheba perceived all the wisdom of Solomon , the house that he had built , 5 the food of his table , the seating of his servants , the attendance of his waiters and their attire , his cupbearers , and his stairway by which he went up to the house of the Lord , there was no more spirit in her. 6 Then she said to the king , "It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom . 7 "Nevertheless I did not believe the reports , until e I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold , the half was not told me. You exceed in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard . 8 "How blessed are your men , how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom . 9 " Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel ; because the Lord loved Israel forever , therefore He made you king , to do justice and righteousness ." 10 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold , and a very great amount of spices and precious stones . Never again did such abundance of spices come in as that which the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon . 11 Also the ships of Hiram , which brought gold from Ophir , brought in from Ophir a very great number of almug trees and precious stones . 12 The king made of the almug trees supports for the house of the Lord and for the king's house , also lyres and harps for the singers ; such almug trees have not come in again nor have they been seen to this day . 13 King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire which she requested , besides e what he gave her according to his royal bounty . Then she turned and went to her own land together with her servants .

Solomon's Riches and Fame

14 Now the weight of gold which came in to Solomon in one year was 666 e e talents of gold , 15 besides e that from the traders e and the wares of the merchants and all the kings of the Arabs and the governors of the country . 16 King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold , using 600 e shekels of gold on each large shield . 17 He made 300 e shields of beaten gold, using three minas of gold on each shield , and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon . 18 Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with refined gold . 19 There were six steps to the throne and a round top to the throne at its rear , and arms on each side of the seat e , and two lions standing beside the arms . 20 Twelve e lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other ; nothing like it was made for any other kingdom . 21 All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold , and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold . None was of silver ; it was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon . 22 For the king had at sea the ships of Tarshish with the ships of Hiram ; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver , ivory and apes and peacocks . 23 So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom . 24 All the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon , to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart . 25 They brought every man his gift , articles of silver and gold , garments , weapons , spices , horses , and mules , so much year by year .

Solomon's Trade in Horses and Chariots

26 Now Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen ; and he had 1,400 e e chariots and 12,000 e e horsemen , and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem . 27 The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem , and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the lowland . 28 Also Solomon's import of horses was from Egypt and Kue , and the king's merchants procured them from Kue for a price . 29 A chariot was imported e from Egypt for 600 e shekels of silver , and a horse for 150 e ; and by the same means e they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of the Arameans .

Solomon Marries Pharaoh's Daughter

31 Then Solomon formed a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt , and took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her to the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem . 2 The people were still sacrificing on the high places , because there was no house built for the name of the Lord until those days .

Solomon's Prayer for Wisdom

3 Now Solomon loved the Lord , walking in the statutes of his father David , except he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places . 4 The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there , for that was the great high place ; Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar .

5 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night ; and God said , " Ask what you wish me to give you." 6 Then Solomon said , " You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father , according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness , that You have given him a son to sit on his throne , as it is this day . 7 "Now , O Lord my God , You have made Your servant king in place of my father David , yet I am but a little child ; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 " Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen , a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted . 9 "So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil . For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" 10 It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing . 11 God said to him, "Because e you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life , nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies , but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice , 12 behold , I have done according to your words . Behold , I have given you a wise and discerning heart , so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. 13 " I have also given you what you have not asked , both riches and honor , so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days . 14 " If you walk in My ways , keeping My statutes and commandments , as your father David walked , then I will prolong your days ." 15 Then Solomon awoke , and behold , it was a dream . And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord , and offered burnt offerings and made peace offerings , and made a feast for all his servants .

Solomon's Wisdom and Prosperity

16 Then two women who were harlots came to the king and stood before him. 17 The one woman said , "Oh , my lord , this woman and I live in the same house ; and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house . 18 "It happened on the third day after I gave birth , that this woman also gave birth to a child , and we were together . There was no stranger with us in the house , only the two of us in the house . 19 "This woman's son died in the night , because she lay on it. 20 "So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while your maidservant slept , and laid him in her bosom , and laid her dead son in my bosom . 21 "When I rose in the morning to nurse my son , behold , he was dead ; but when I looked at him carefully in the morning , behold , he was not my son , whom I had borne ." 22 Then the other woman said , "No ! For the living one is my son , and the dead one is your son ." But the first woman said , "No ! For the dead one is your son , and the living one is my son ." Thus they spoke before the king . 23 Then the king said , "The one says , 'This is my son who is living , and your son is the dead one'; and the other says , 'No ! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one .' " 24 The king said , "Get me a sword ." So they brought a sword before the king . 25 The king said , "Divide the living child in two , and give half to the one and half to the other ." 26 Then the woman whose child was the living one spoke to the king , for she was deeply e stirred over her son and said , "Oh , my lord , give her the living child , and by no means kill him." But the other said , "He shall be neither e mine nor yours; divide him!" 27 Then the king said , "Give the first woman the living child , and by no means kill him. She is his mother ." 28 When all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had handed down , they feared the king , for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice .