Solomon’s Wealth^(A)

¹³ Every year King Solomon received ·about fifty thousand pounds [^L666 talents] of gold. ¹⁴ Besides that, he also received gold from traders and merchants. All the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon.

¹⁵ King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold, each of which contained ·about seven and one-half pounds [^Lsix hundred shekels] of hammered gold. ¹⁶ He also made three hundred smaller shields of hammered gold, each of which contained ·about four pounds [^Lthree hundred shekels] of gold. The king put them in the ·Palace [^Lhouse] of the Forest of Lebanon [1 Kin. 7:2; 10:17, 21].

¹⁷ The king built a large throne of ivory and ·covered [overlaid] it with pure gold. ¹⁸ The throne had six steps on it and an attached gold footstool. There were armrests on both sides of the ·chair [seat], and each armrest had a lion beside it. ¹⁹ Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any other kingdom. ²⁰ All of Solomon’s drinking cups, as well as the ·dishes [vessels; utensils] in the ·Palace [^Lhouse] of the Forest of Lebanon, were made of pure gold. In Solomon’s time ·people did not think silver was valuable [silver was considered worthless].

²¹ King Solomon had many ships that ·he sent out to trade [^Lwent to Tarshish; ^Cin present-day Spain, hence a large, seagoing trading ship], with ·Hiram’s [or Huram’s; 2:3] men as the crews. Every three years the ships returned, bringing back gold, silver, ivory, apes, and ·baboons [or peacocks].

²² King Solomon had more riches and wisdom than all the other kings on earth. ²³ All the kings of the earth ·wanted to see [sought audience with; came to consult] Solomon and listen to the wisdom God had given him. ²⁴ Year after year everyone who came brought gifts of silver and gold, ·clothes [robes], weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

²⁵ Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and he had twelve thousand ·horses [or horsemen; cavalry]. He kept some in ·special cities for the chariots [chariot cities], and others he kept with him in Jerusalem. ²⁶ Solomon ·ruled [reigned] over all the ·kingdoms [^Lkings] from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt [1 Kin. 4:20–21]. ²⁷ In Jerusalem the king made silver as common as stones and cedar trees as plentiful as the ·fig [sycamore-fig] trees ·on the western hills [^Lin the Shephelah]. ²⁸ Solomon imported horses from Egypt and all other countries.

²¹ Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought Solomon ·the payments he demanded [tribute], and they ·were under his control [served him] all his life.

Solomon’s Wealth^(A)

¹⁴ ·Every [or In one] year King Solomon received ·about fifty thousand pounds [^L666 talents] of gold. ¹⁵ Besides that, he also received gold from the traders and merchants, as well as from the kings of Arabia and governors of the ·land [territories; provinces].

¹⁶ King Solomon made two hundred large shields of ·hammered [beaten] gold, each of which contained ·about seven and one-half pounds [^Lsix hundred shekels] of gold. ¹⁷ He also made three hundred smaller shields of ·hammered [beaten] gold, each of which contained ·about four pounds [^Lthree minas] of gold. The king put them in the ·Palace [^LHouse] of the Forest of Lebanon.

¹⁸ The king built a large throne ·of [decorated with] ivory and covered it with fine gold. ¹⁹ The throne had six steps on it, and its back was round at the top. There were armrests on both sides of the chair, and each armrest had a lion beside it. ²⁰ Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any other kingdom. ²¹ All of Solomon’s drinking ·cups [goblets; vessels], as well as the ·dishes [utensils; vessels] in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon, were made of pure gold. Nothing was made from silver, because silver was ·not valuable [considered worthless/nothing] in Solomon’s time.

²² King Solomon also had ·many trading ships [^La fleet of ships of Tarshish] at sea, along with Hiram’s ships. Every three years the ·ships [^Lfleet of Tarshish] returned, bringing back gold, silver, ivory, apes, and ·baboons [or peacocks].

²³ So Solomon had more riches and wisdom than all the other kings on earth. ²⁴ ·People everywhere wanted [The whole earth sought] to see King Solomon and listen to the wisdom God had ·given him [^Lput into his heart/mind]. ²⁵ Every ·year [or one of] those who came brought gifts of silver and gold, ·clothes [robes; garments], weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

²⁶ Solomon had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand ·horses [or horsemen; charioteers]. He ·kept [stationed] some in special cities for the chariots, and others he kept with him in Jerusalem. ²⁷ In Jerusalem Solomon made silver as common as stones and cedar trees as ·common [plentiful] as the ·fig [sycamore] trees on the ·western hills [or lowlands]. ²⁸ He imported horses from Egypt and ·Kue [Cilicia]. His traders bought them in Kue. ²⁹ A chariot from Egypt cost ·about fifteen pounds [^Lsix hundred shekels] of silver, and a horse cost ·nearly four pounds [^L150 pieces] of silver. Solomon’s traders also ·sold [exported] horses and chariots to all the kings of the Hittites and the Arameans.