The Queen of Sheba Visits King Solomon |
1 Kings 10:1-29 1 Kings [in Smaller Chunks] |
When the Queen of Sheba heard of [Solomon’s] fame [related] to the Name of the Lord, she came to [challenge] him with hard questions. She came to Jerusalem with a very [long caravan,] with: camels [carrying] spices & [lots of] gold & precious [gems.] |
When she [came] to Solomon, she [talked] with him [about everything] in her heart. Solomon [answered] all her questions & there was [nothing too difficult for] the king [to tell her.] |
And when the Queen of Sheba [saw] all: Solomon’s wisdom & the [palace] he built, the [food on] his table, his [servant’s table settings,] the attendance of his ministers & their [clothing,] his cup bearers, & [Solomon’s] ascent [to go] up to the [Lord’s] house, there wasn’t [any] spirit [left] in her. |
She said to king [Solomon,] It was a true report that I heard in [my] land [about] your [actions] & wisdom. [But] I [didn’t believe what was said,] until I came & had seen it [with my own] eyes. [See,] 1/2 [of it] wasn’t [even] told [to] me. Your wisdom, prosperity exceeds the fame which I heard. |
Your men & your servants are happy, [who] stand before you continually & hear your wisdom. Blessed be the Lord your God, [Who] delights in you, to [put] you on the throne of Israel, because the Lord loved Israel forever. |
Therefore, He made you king to [provide] judgment & justice. And the Queen of Sheba gave king [Solomon:] 120 talents of gold, a [large variety] of [rare] spices in abundance & precious [gems.] There [has never come] such [an] abundance of spices as these, that the Queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon. |
The navy & also [from] Hiram, brought gold from Ophir & a great [amount]. Of almug trees & precious [gems] from Ophir. And king [Solomon used] the almug trees to [make] pillars [columns] for the [Lord’s] house & also for [Solomon’s palace,] harps & [lyres] for the singers. There haven’t [ever been] seen [that many] almug trees to this day. |
King Solomon gave the Queen of Sheba all [she] desired & [whatever] she asked [for, in addition to] all the royal bounty Solomon gave her. So, she & her servants [returned] to her own country. |
Now, the weight of [the] gold that came to Solomon in 1 year was 666 talents of gold [vCalc.com says the current U.S. value of that amount of gold is: $1,358,277,003.] [Plus, the money Solomon got from merchants] & [traders] of spices & all the kings of Arabia & the governors of the country. |
And king Solomon made 200 [large shields] of [hammered] gold & 600 shekels of gold went [into making each shield.] He [also,] made 300 [smaller] shields of [hammered] gold & 3 [pounds] of gold went [into making 1] shield. |
And the king put them in the [Palace] of the Forest of Lebanon. [Also,] the king made a [big] ivory throne & overlaid it with the best gold. The throne had 6 steps & the throne [had a rounded back.] |
There were [armrests] on either side of the [seat] & 2 lion [statues, 1] by [each of] the [armrests.] And 12 lions stood there on the one side & the other upon the 6 steps. |
There wasn’t anything like [this] made in any kingdom. And all king Solomon’s drinking vessels were [made] of gold. All the vessels of the [Palace] of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold & [not] silver. Nothing [was like it] in the days of Solomon. |
For king [Solomon] had a navy of [Tarshish] [a.k.a Tharshish] at sea with [Hiram’s] navy. The navy of [Tarshish] came once [every] 3 years, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes & peacocks. |
So, king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth [in] riches & wisdom. All the earth sought to hear [Solomon’s] wisdom, which God had put in his heart. Every man brought [presents of:] silver vessels, gold vessels, [clothing,] armor, spices, horses & mules, a [particular] rate year by year. |
And Solomon gathered together 1,400 chariots & 12,000 horsemen, whom he [kept] in the chariot cities & with the king [in] Jerusalem. And king [Solomon] made made silver [abundant & as common as the] stones in Jerusalem. |
He made Cedar [trees abundant & as common as the] Sycamore trees in the [valley.] And Solomon had horses brought [from] Egypt & linen yarn. The king’s merchants & received the linen yarn [for] a price. |
And a chariot [was imported from] Egypt for 600 shekels of silver, and a horse for 150 [shekels of silver.] So, [they exported them out] for all the kings of the Hittites & for the kings of Syria, [who could afford them.] |