The queen of Sheva heard of Shlomo’s reputation in the Name of Adonoy; and she came to test him with riddles.

She came to Yerushalayim with a huge entourage, camels carrying spices and gold in great quantities, and with precious stones. She came to Shlomo and spoke to him all that was in her heart.

And Shlomo told [answered] her all her words [questions]; there was nothing concealed from the king that he did not tell her.

The queen of Sheva saw all the wisdom of Shlomo, and the house that he had built.

[She saw] the quality of food served at his table, the seating arrangement of his ministers, the position of his servants and their attire, the [quality and quantity of] his beverages, and his elevated ramp by which he would go up to the Beis Hamikdosh of Adonoy; and she was left breathless.

And she said to the king, “It was true what I heard in my land about your words and your wisdom.

But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes, and behold, not even a half was told to me. You have exceeded in wisdom and goodness that report that I had heard.

Fortunate are your men, fortunate are these, your servants, who stand before you at all times, who listen to your wisdom.

Blessed be Adonoy, your God, Who desired you to place you on the throne of Yisroel; because of Adonoy’s eternal love for Yisroel He appointed you king to do justice and righteousness.

She gave the king one hundred and twenty measures of gold, and huge amounts of spices and precious stones. There never again came spices in such huge amounts as the queen of Sheva gave to Shlomo ha Melech.

The ships of Chirom also that brought gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir huge amounts of coral and precious stones.

The king made the coral into a pathway to the Beis Hamikdosh of Adonoy and for the house of the king; he also made harps and lyres for the singers. Never before had such coral appeared, and such has never been seen to this day.

And Shlomo ha Melech gave to the queen of Sheva all that she desired, all that she asked for; aside from what he gave her in keeping with the generosity of Shlomo haMelech. She turned, and went back to her land she and all her servants.

The weight of the gold that came to Shlomo in one year was six hundred and sixty six measures of gold.

This was in addition to the gold that came from traveling merchants, and from the commerce of spice dealers, and all the subordinate kings and the governors of the land.

And Shlomo ha Melech made two hundred [full] shields of soft gold; six hundred measures [dinar] of gold went into one [full] shield.

[He also made] three hundred [regular] shields of soft gold, three hundred maneh of gold went into one shield; and the king placed them in the House of the forest of Lebanon.

And the king made a huge throne of ivory, and overlaided it with pure glittering gold.

There were six steps [leading up] to the throne. The top of the throne was round from behind, and there were arm-rests on each side at the place of the seat; there were two lions standing beside the arm-rests.

There were twelve lions standing there on the six steps, [two] on each side. Nothing like this was ever made for any kingdom.

All the drinking cups of Shlomo ha Melech were made of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were made of pure gold; none of them were made of silver, as [silver] was not considered of value in the days of Shlomo.

For the king had ships of Tarshish at sea, with the ships of Chirom [as well]; [and] once in three years the ships of Tarshish would come carrying gold, silver, ivory, monkeys and peacocks.

Shlomo ha Melech became greater than all the kings of the earth in wealth and in wisdom.

And the whole world sought the presence of Shlomo, to listen to the wisdom that Adonoy instilled in his heart.

They brought, each one of them, his gift, vessels of silver, vessels of gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses and mules; year after year.

Shlomo amassed chariots and cavalry. He possessed fourteen hundred chariots, and twelve thousand cavalry men. He placed them in the cities of chariots and with the king in Yerushalayim.

The king made the silver [as worthless] as stones in Yerushalayim; and the cedars [as common] as sycamores that are found in abundance in the lowland.

The source of the horses that Shlomo possessed was from Egypt and from a privileged cartel. The royal traders bought [horses] from the cartel at the marked price.

A chariot would be exported from Egypt for six hundred silver pieces and a single horse for one hundred fifty. In this manner [the horses of] all the kings of Hittite and Aram were exported through them.