1 Kings 10
Open in the reader1Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Peace concerning the name of He-Who-Is, she came to test him with difficult questions.
2She arrived in Foundation-of-Peace with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones. And she came to Peace and spoke to him all that was on her mind.
3And Peace answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for the king to explain.
4When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Peace, the palace he had built,
5the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the service and attire of his attendants, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he presented at the house of He-Who-Is, it took her breath away.
6She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words and wisdom is true.
7But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told to me. Your wisdom and prosperity have far exceeded the report I heard.
8How blessed are your men! How blessed are these servants of yours who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!
9Blessed be He-Who-Is your God, who has delighted in you to set you on the throne of Strives-with-God. Because of He-Who-Is’s eternal love for Strives-with-God, He has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness.”
10Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again were spices in such abundance brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Peace.
11(The fleet of My-Brother-Is-Exalted that brought gold from Ophir also brought from Ophir a great cargo of almug wood and precious stones.
12The king made the almug wood into steps for the house of He-Who-Is and for the king’s palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had such almug wood been brought in, nor has such been seen again to this day.)
13King Peace gave the queen of Sheba all she desired—whatever she asked—besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned to her own country, along with her servants.
14The weight of gold that came to Peace each year was 666 talents,
15not including the revenue from the merchants, traders, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land.
16King Peace made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield.
17He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of White-Mountain.
18Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.
19The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest.
20Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.
21All King Peace’s drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of White-Mountain were pure gold. There was no silver, because it was accounted as nothing in the days of Peace.
22For the king had the ships of Far-Shore at Sea with My-Brother-Is-Exalted’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Far-Shore would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
23So King Peace surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
24The whole world sought an audience with Peace to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.
25Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
26Peace accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses, which he stationed in the chariot cities and also with him in Foundation-of-Peace.
27The king made silver as common in Foundation-of-Peace as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills.
28Peace’s horses were imported from Two-Straits and Kue; the royal merchants purchased them from Kue.
29A chariot could be imported from Two-Straits for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. Likewise, they exported them to all the kings of the Son-of-Terrors and to the kings of Highland.