17. His throne was made of ivory and covered with pure gold.
18. It had a gold footstool attached to it and arm rests on each side. There was a statue of a lion on each side of the throne,
19. and there were two lion statues on each of the six steps leading up to the throne. No other throne in the world was like Solomon's.
20. Solomon's cups and dishes in Forest Hall were made of pure gold, because silver was almost worthless in those days.
21. Solomon had a lot of seagoing ships. Every three years he sent them out with Hiram's ships to bring back gold, silver, and ivory, as well as monkeys and peacocks.
22. Solomon was the richest and wisest king in the world.
23-24. Year after year, other kings came to hear the wisdom God had given him. And they brought gifts of silver and gold, as well as clothes, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
25. Solomon had four thousand stalls for his horses and chariots, and he owned twelve thousand horses that he kept in Jerusalem and other towns.
26. He ruled all the nations from the River Euphrates in the north to the land of Philistia in the south, as far as the border of Egypt.
27. While Solomon was king, there was silver everywhere in Jerusalem, and cedar was as common as the sycamore trees in the western foothills.
28. Solomon's horses were brought in from other countries, including Musri.
29. Everything else Solomon did while he was king is written in the records of Nathan the prophet, Ahijah the prophet from Shiloh, and Iddo the prophet who wrote about Jeroboam son of Nebat.
30. After Solomon had ruled forty years from Jerusalem,
31. he died and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam then became king.