Immerse: Kingdoms Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 209
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SAMUEL–KINGS
197
She exclaimed to the king, “Everything I heard in my country about
your achievements and wisdom is true! I didn’t believe what was said until
I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half
of it! Your wisdom and prosperity are far beyond what I was told. How
happy your people must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand
here day after day, listening to your wisdom! Praise the Lord your God,
who delights in you and has placed you on the throne of Israel. Because
of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so you can rule
with justice and righteousness.”
Then she gave the king a gift of 9,000 pounds 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.
(In addition, Hiram’s ships brought gold from Ophir, and they also
brought rich cargoes of red sandalwood and precious jewels. The king
used the sandalwood to make railings for the Temple of the Lord and
the royal palace, and to construct lyres and harps for the musicians. Never
before or since has there been such a supply of sandalwood.)
King 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.
Each year Solomon received about 25 tons of gold. This did not include
the additional revenue he received from merchants and traders, all the
kings of Arabia, and the governors of the land.
King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold, each weighing
more than fifteen pounds. He also made 300 smaller shields of hammered
gold, each weighing nearly four pounds. The king placed these shields in
the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.
Then the king made a huge throne, decorated with ivory and overlaid
with fine gold. The throne had six steps and a rounded back. There were
armrests on both sides of the seat, and the figure of a lion stood on each
side of the throne. There were also twelve other lions, one standing on
each end of the six steps. No other throne in all the world could be compared with it!
All 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!
The 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.
So King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on earth.
People from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom