1 Kings 10:14-29 - Solomon's Wealth

¹⁴ Solomon's annual revenue was 666 talents of gold, ¹⁵ not including revenue from traders, merchants, and from all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land.

¹⁶ King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, overlaying each large shield with the gold from 600 gold pieces, ¹⁷ and 300 shields from beaten gold, overlaying each shield with the gold from 300 gold pieces. The king put them in his palace in the Lebanon forest.

¹⁸ The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold. ¹⁹ Six steps led up to the throne, which had a round canopy fastened to the rear of the throne and armrests on each side of the seat and two lions standing on either side of each armrest. ²⁰ Twelve lions were placed on both sides of the six steps leading to the throne, and nothing comparable was made for any other kingdoms.

²¹ All of King Solomon's drinking vessels were made of gold, and all the vessels in his palace in the Lebanon forest were made of pure gold. None were of silver, because silver was never considered to be valuable during Solomon's lifetime, ²² because the king had ships that sailed to Tarshish accompanied by Hiram's ships. Once every three years ships from Tarshish returned, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

²³ As a result, King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in regards to wealth and wisdom. ²⁴ All the earth continued to seek audiences with Solomon so they could hear the wise things that God had put in his heart. ²⁵ Everyone kept on bringing gifts on an annual basis, including items made of silver and gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules.

²⁶ Solomon accumulated chariots and cavalry. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 cavalry soldiers. He stationed them in various chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. ²⁷ The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and made cedar trees as abundant as sycamore trees in the Shephelah. ²⁸ Solomon imported horses from Egypt and Kue, and the king's buyers procured them at market price from Kue. ²⁹ A chariot from Egypt cost 600 pieces of silver, and a horse 150 pieces of silver, but then they were exported to all the Hittite kings and to the Aramean kings.

¹⁴ Solomon amassed both chariots and horsemen: he owned 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, stationing them in armories and with the king in Jerusalem. ¹⁵ The king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and made cedar trees as plentiful as sycamore trees that grow in the Shephelah. ¹⁶ Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue; the king's procurement officials obtained them from Kue at great price. ¹⁷ Chariots were imported from Egypt for 600 shekels each, and horses cost 150 shekels each, and then they exported them to all of the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram.