¹⁴ Solomon gathered together chariots and horses. He had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, and he put them in designated cities and with the king in Jerusalem. ¹⁵ The king made silver and gold in Jerusalem as abundant as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore trees in the lowlands of the Shephelah. ¹⁶ The horses of Solomon were imported from Egypt and Kue, and the traders of the king would take them from Kue for a price. ¹⁷ They imported chariots from Egypt for six hundred shekels^[a] of silver and a horse for one hundred and fifty pieces.^[b] And they imported from these places to all the kings of the Hittites and Arameans.

The Splendor of Solomon^(A)

¹³ The weight of gold that came to Solomon every year was six hundred and sixty-six talents^[a] of gold. ¹⁴ In addition to what the explorers and merchants brought in, all the kings of Arabia and governors of the land brought in gold and silver to Solomon.

¹⁵ King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold, and six hundred gold pieces^[b] were used for each large shield. ¹⁶ And he made three hundred shields of hammered gold; three hundred gold pieces^[c] were used for each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

¹⁷ And the king made a great throne of ivory, and he covered it with fine gold. ¹⁸ And there were six steps and a gold footstool attached to the throne, and on each side at the place of the seat were armrests with two lions standing beside the armrests. ¹⁹ So twelve lions stood there on the six steps, one on each side, and there was nothing like this in any kingdom. ²⁰ Even all the drinking vessels of King Solomon were gold, and all the vessels in the House of the Forest of Lebanon were fine gold. And silver was not thought to be valuable in the days of Solomon. ²¹ The ships of Solomon went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram. Once every three years the ships of Tarshish returned carrying gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

²² So King Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth in wealth and wisdom. ²³ All the kings of the earth sought out an audience before Solomon to hear his wisdom that God gave to his mind. ²⁴ Every year each man brought his own tribute, vessels of silver and gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules.

²⁵ Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horses, and he put them in designated cities and with him in Jerusalem. ²⁶ He ruled over all the kings from the River^[d] to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. ²⁷ So the king made silver in Jerusalem as abundant as stones and cedar as plentiful as sycamore trees in the lowlands of the Shephelah. ²⁸ The horses of Solomon were imported from Egypt and from all other lands.