9 The queen from the Sheva region had heard all about Shelomoh, and she came to Yerushalem with some hard questions. Her party included a large number of camels carrying lots of spices and gold and valuable gemstones. She came to Shelomoh and discussed everything that was on her mind with him.[ref] 2 Shelomoh responded to all her queries, and there wasn’t any subject that he wasn’t able to speak to. 3 When the queen from Sheva saw Shelomoh’s wisdom, and saw the palace that he’d built 4 and the food at his table, as well as the seating of his servants, his well-dressed ministers standing by, his cup-bearers in their uniforms, and the burnt offerings that he sacrificed at Yahweh’s temple, it took her breath away 5 and she told the king, “Everything I heard in my own country about you and you wisdom was true. 6 I didn’t believe what they reported to me until I saw it with my own eyes, and wow, the reports that I heard didn’t even cover half of the extent of your wisdom! 7 Your men are blessed, and even your servants are blessed to be able to continually stand in front of you and listen to your wisdom. 8 Let your god Yahweh be blessed—the one who delighted in you to place you on his throne as his king. Your god loved Yisrael and wanted to establish them forever, so he’s placed you over them as king—to give justice and do what is right.”

9 Then she gave the king four tonnes of gold, a very large quantity of spices, and valuable gemstones. Nobody before had ever seen such a large amount of spices as what the queen from Sheva gave to King Shelomoh.

10 (Also, King Huram’s servants working together with Shelomoh’s servants brought gold from Ofir, as well as algum wood and valuable gemstones. 11 The king made the algum wood into staircases for Yahweh’s temple and for the king’s palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers. Nothing like that had been seen before in Yehudah.)

12 King Shelomoh gave the queen from Sheba everything she wanted—more than what she’d brought to the king. Then she departed with her servants and went back to her country.