16. King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield.
17. He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three minas of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.
18. Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with fine gold.
19. The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them.
20. Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom.
21. All King Solomon’s goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s days.
22. The king had a fleet of trading ships at sea along with the ships of Hiram. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.
23. King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.