1 AND when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
2 And Solomon told her all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not.
3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,
4 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her.
5 And she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom:
6 Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.
7 Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.
8 Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the Lord thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.
9 And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon.
10 And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones.
11 And the king made of the algum trees terraces to the house of the Lord, and to the king’s palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.
12 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants.
13 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold;
14 Beside that which chapmen and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.
15 And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of beaten gold went to one target.
16 And three hundred shields made he of beaten gold: three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
17 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
18 And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the sitting place, and two lions standing by the stays:
19 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps. There was not the like made in any kingdom.
20 And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was not any thing accounted of in the days of Solomon.
21 For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
22 And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart.
24 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, harness, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.
25 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.
26 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even unto the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.
27 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that are in the low plains in abundance.
28 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands.
29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?
30 And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.
31 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

1And when the Queene of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, shee came to prooue Solomon with hard questions at Ierusalem, with a very great companie, and camels that bare spices, and golde in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, shee communed with him of all that was in her heart.

2And Solomon tolde her all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon, which he told her not.

3And when the Queene of Sheba had seene the wisedome of Solomon, and the house that he had built,

4And the meate of his table, and the sitting of his seruants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparell, his cup-bearers also, and their apparell, and his ascent, by which hee went vp into the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her.

5And she said to the King, It was a true report which I heard in mine owne land, of thine actes, and of thy wisedome:

6Howbeit, I beleeued not their wordes, vntill I came, and mine eyes had seene it: and behold, the one halfe of the greatnesse of thy wisedome was not tolde mee: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.

7Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy seruants, which stand continually before thee, and heare thy wisedome.

8Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be King for the Lord thy God: because thy God loued Israel, to establish them for euer, therefore made hee thee King ouer them, to doe iudgement and iustice.

9And she gaue the king an hundred and twentie talents of gold, and of spices great abundance, & precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the Queene of Sheba gaue King Solomon.

10And the seruants also of Huram, and the seruants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought Algume trees and, precious stones.

11And the king made of the Algume trees, terrises to the house of the Lord, and to the kings palace, and harpes and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seene before in the laud of Iudah.

12And King Solomon gaue to the Queene of Sheba, all her desire, whatsoeuer she asked, besides that which she had brought vnto the king: So she turned, and went away to her owne land, she, and her seruants.

13 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one yeere, was sixe hundred and threescore and sixe talents of gold:

14Besides that which chapmen and merchants brought: and all the kings of Arabia, and gouernours of the countrie, brought gold and siluer to Solomon.

15 And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: sixe hundred shekels of beaten gold went to one target.

16And three hundred shields made he of beaten gold: three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forrest of Lebanon.

17Moreouer the king made a great throne of yuorie, and ouerlaid it with pure gold.

18And there were sixe steps to the throne, with a footstoole of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stayes on each side of the sitting place, and two lyons standing by the stayes.

19And twelue lyons stood there on the one side and on the other, vpon the sixe steps. There was not the like made in any kingdome.

20 And all the drinking vessels of King Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forrest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of siluer; it was not any thing accounted of in the dayes of Solomon.

21For the kings ships went to Tarshish with the seruants of Huram: euerie three yeeres once came the ships of Tarshish bringing golde, and siluer, yuorie, and apes, and peacocks.

22And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisedome.

23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to heare his wisedome, that God had put in his heart.

24And they brought euery man his present, vessels of siluer, and vessels of gold, and raiment, harnesse, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate yeere by yeere.

25 And Solomon had foure thousand stalles for horses, and charets, and twelue thousand horsemen, whom hee bestowed in the charet cities, and with the king at Ierusalem.

26 And hee reigned ouer all the kings, from the riuer, euen vnto the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.

27And the king made siluer in Ierusalem as stones, and cedar trees made he as the Sycomore trees, that are in the low plaines, in abundance.

28And they brought vnto Solomon horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands.

29 Now the rest of the actes of Solomon first and last, are they not written in the booke of Nathan the Prophet, and in the prophesie of Ahiiah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the Seer, against Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat?

30And Solomon reigned in Ierusalem ouer all Israel, fourtie yeeres.

31And Solomon slept with his fathers, and hee was buried in the citie of Dauid his father, and Rehoboam his sonne reigned in his stead.

I == 1st Kings 10:1 ; Matt 12:42 ; Luke 11:31

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X == 1st Kings 10:11 ; 2nd Chr 8:18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXV == 1st Kings 4:26 ; 10:26 ; 2nd Chr 1:14

 

XXVI == Gen 15:18 ; 1st Kings 4:21 ; Ps 72:8

XXVII == 1st Kings 10:27 ; 2nd Chr 1:15

XXVIII == 1st Kings 10:28 ; 2nd Chr 1:16

XXIX == 1st Kings 11:29 , 41 ; 2nd Chr 12:15 ; 13:22

 

 

XXX == 1st Kings 11:42-43

 

1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to proclaim him king.

2 When Jeroboam, son of Nebat, heard of this in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon, he returned from Egypt.

3 Jeroboam was summoned to the assembly, and he and all Israel said to Rehoboam:

4 "Your father laid a heavy yoke upon us. If you now lighten the harsh service and the heavy yoke that your father imposed on us, we will serve you."

5 "In three days," he answered them, "come back to me." When the people had departed,

6 King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had been in the service of his father during Solomon's lifetime, asking, "What answer do you advise me to give this people?"

7 They replied, "If you will deal kindly with this people and give in to them, acceding to their request, they will be your servants forever."

8 But he ignored the advice the elders had given him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were in his service.

9 He said to them, "What answer do you advise me to give this people, who have asked me to lighten the yoke my father imposed on them?"

10 The young men who had grown up with him replied: "This is the answer you should give to this people who have said to you, 'Your father laid a heavy yoke upon us, but do you lighten our yoke'; this you should say to them: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's body.

11 Whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will make it heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!'"

12 On the third day, Jeroboam and all the people came back to King Rehoboam as he had instructed them to do.

13 Ignoring the advice the elders had given him, the king gave them a harsh answer,

14 speaking to them according to the advice of the young men: "My father laid a heavy yoke on you, but I will make it heavier. My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions."

15 The king would not listen to the people, for this turn of events was divinely ordained to fulfill the prophecy the LORD had uttered to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, through Ahijah the Shilonite.

16 When all Israel saw that the king would not listen to them, the people answered the king. "What share have we in David? We have no heritage in the son of Jesse. Everyone to your tents, O Israel! Now look to your own house, David!" So all Israel went off to their tents.

17 Rehoboam, therefore, reigned over only those Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.

18 King Rehoboam then sent out Hadoram, who was superintendent of the forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. Rehoboam himself managed to mount his chariot and flee to Jerusalem.

19 Thus Israel has been in rebellion against David's house to this day.

v 1-12 Comparing with Matt. 12:42, “south land and uttermost”, Sheba is modern day Yemen in Arabia, 1200 miles from Jerusalem, but she probably heard of him via his fleet to Ophir. Her ancestry would trace back to Sheba son of Joktan, son of the patriarch Eber, line of Shem, Gen. 10:28. Their kingdom was called the kingdom of Sheba for centuries. The Queen no doubt followed the camel caravan route along the gulf to get to Jerusalem. She wanted to test Solomon with questions and riddles, and received a perfect answer for everything.
After seeing all these things, we would say she was “flabbergasted”.
She had been skeptical of the stories she had heard, but found out they were all an understatement. Solomon’s people were all happy at first, but she did not see the conscripted laborers or those who were becoming burdened down with taxes.
Even though probably a pagan, she acknowledged that Solomon was made king, not just for his own pleasure, but because God loved Israel. She was probaboy converted. The ascent by which Solomon went up, 2 Chronicles 9:14, was by way of he altar for sin offeeing. 
It is common yet today for visiting monarchs to bring gifts to their host. These gifts and the camel train of verse 2 indicate her own wealth. Her gift of gold was some four and one half tons (?), so imagine the size of the camel caravan.
These statements may indicate the two leaders developed a trading agreement. Almug wood is tight grain, strong, beautiful, black outside, red inside. He made harps, psaltries and pillars from it  (Also terraces, 2 Chr. 9:11.)
There was an exchange of gifts before she returned home. God said not to multiply gold, but Solomon imported about 25 tons (?) annually. This didn’t include other merchandise or taxes.
The targets or bucklers were small round shields. They and the large shields of gold would have been for parade use only.
The inlaid ivory arm chair like throne was overlaid with gold, but not covering the ivory.  It was an extravagance of less comfort than a pine bench. Perhaps the lions were to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. Silver became common as stones, and insignificant to the large amount of gold. The “pets” probably ran loose.
All who came to hear Solomon’s wisdom contributed to his wealth.
Solomon amassed horses and chariots, giving Israel an advantage over enemies, but God wanted them to rely on him, so He forbade it in Deut. 17:16. Horse buying for profitable resale became another one of his pursuits. He paid Egypt 15 pounds of silver for a chariot and three and three quarter pounds for a horse. .(Books of Nathan, Ahijah, and Iddo no longer exist)  The Bible records no more. It is sad that with all the blessings and wisdom to do right, Solomon threw it away for the lusts of the flesh. No wonder he wrote Ecclesiastes. Rehoboam followed.