MELAKIM 1-10

1 And the sovereigness of Sheḇa heard of the report of Shelomoh concerning the Name of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, and came to try him with hard questions.

2 And she came to Yerushalayim with a very great company, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones. And she came to Shelomoh, and she spoke with him about all that was in her heart.

3 And Shelomoh answered all her questions. There was no matter hidden from the sovereign that he did not make known to her.

4 And the sovereigness of Sheḇa saw all the wisdom of Shelomoh, and the house that he had built,

5 and the food on his table, and the seating of his servants, and the service of his waiters and their attire, and his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings which he offered in the House of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, and there was no more spirit in her.

6 Then she said to the sovereign, “The word I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom was true.

7 “But I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes. And see, I have not been told the half! Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the report which I heard.

8 “Baruḵ are your men and baruḵ are these your servants, who stand continually before you, who are hearing your wisdom!

9 “Baruḵ be 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 your Elohim, who delighted in you, to put you on the throne of Yisra’ĕl! Because 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 has loved Yisra’ĕl forever, therefore He made you sovereign, to do right-ruling and righteousness.”

10 And she gave the sovereign one hundred and twenty kiḵars of gold, and very many spices, and precious stones. Never again did so many spices come as the sovereigness of Sheḇa gave to Sovereign Shelomoh.

11 And also, the ships of Ḥiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought almug wood, a great many, and precious stones from Ophir.

12 And the sovereign made steps of the almug wood for the House of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 and for the sovereign’s house, also lyres and harps for singers. No such almug wood has come or been seen to this day.

13 And Sovereign Shelomoh gave the sovereigness of Sheḇa all she desired, whatever she asked, besides what he gave her according to the hand of Sovereign Shelomoh. And she turned and went to her land, she and her servants.

14 And the weight of gold that came to Shelomoh yearly was six hundred and sixty-six kiḵars of gold,

15 besides that from men of travel, and the profit from traders, and from all the sovereigns of Araḇia, and from the governors of the land.

16 And Sovereign Shelomoh made two hundred large shields of beaten gold – six hundred pieces of gold went into each shield;

17 and three hundred shields of beaten gold – three minas of gold went into each shield. And the sovereign put them in the House of the Forest of Leḇanon.

18 And the sovereign made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with refined gold.

19 The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round at the back, and there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests.

20 And twelve lions were standing there, one on each side of the six steps. The like of it was never made in any reign.

21 And all the drinking vessels of Sovereign Shelomoh were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Leḇanon were of refined gold – not of silver, for this was reckoned of little value in the days of Shelomoh.

22 For the sovereign had ships of Tarshish at sea with the fleet of Ḥiram. Once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and baboons.

23 And Sovereign Shelomoh was greater than any of the sovereigns of the earth in riches and wisdom.

24 And all the earth sought the presence of Shelomoh to hear his wisdom, which Elohim had put in his heart.

25 And they were each bringing his present: objects of silver and objects of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

26 And Shelomoh gathered chariots and horsemen, and he had one thousand four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the sovereign in Yerushalayim.

27 And the sovereign made silver as common in Yerushalayim as stones, and he made cedars as plenty as the sycamores which are in the low country.

28 And Shelomoh had horses brought out from Mitsrayim and Quĕh; the sovereign’s merchants brought them from Quĕh at a price.

29 And a chariot came up and went out from Mitsrayim for six hundred pieces of silver, and a horse one hundred and fifty. And so, by their hand, they brought them out to all the sovereigns of the Ḥittites, and the sovereigns of Aram.