5. the food on his table, the servants’ quarters, the function and dress of his attendants, his cupbearers, and the entirely burned offerings that he offered at the Lord’s temple, it took her breath away.
6. "The report I heard about your deeds and wisdom when I was still at home is true," she said to the king.
7. "I didn’t believe it until I came and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, the half of it wasn’t even told to me! You have far more wisdom and wealth than I was told.
8. Your people and these servants who continually serve you and get to listen to your wisdom are truly happy!
9. Bless the Lord your God because he was pleased to place you on Israel’s throne. Because the Lord loved Israel with an eternal love, the Lord made you king to uphold justice and righteousness."
10. The queen gave the king one hundred twenty kikkars of gold, a great quantity of spice, and precious stones. Never again has so much spice come to Israel as when the queen of Sheba gave this gift to King Solomon.
11. Hiram’s fleet went to Ophir and brought back gold, much almug wood, and precious stones.
12. The king used the almug wood to make parapets for the Lord’s temple and for the royal palace as well as lyres and harps for the musicians. To this day, that much almug wood hasn’t come into or been seen in Israel.
13. King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she wanted and all that she had asked for, in addition to what he had already given her from his own personal funds. Then she and her servants returned to her homeland.
14. Solomon received an annual income of six hundred sixty-six kikkars of gold,
15. not including income from the traders, the merchants and their profits, all the Arabian kings, and the officials of the land.
16. King Solomon made two hundred body-sized shields of hammered gold, using fifteen pounds of gold in each shield,
17. and three hundred small shields of hammered gold, using sixty ounces of gold in each shield. The king placed these in the Forest of Lebanon Palace.
18. The king also made a large ivory throne and covered it with pure gold.
19. Six steps led up to the throne, and the back of the throne was rounded at the top. Two lions stood beside the armrests on both sides of the throne.