19Twelve lions stood on six steps, one on each side. Nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom. 20All King Solomon's cups were gold, and all the utensils for the hall [named] the Forest of Lebanon were fine gold. (Silver wasn't considered valuable in Solomon's time.) 21The king had ships going to Tarshish with Huram's sailors. Once every three years the Tarshish ships would bring gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys. 22In wealth and wisdom King Solomon was greater than all the [other] kings of the world. 23All the kings of the world wanted to listen to the wisdom that God gave Solomon. 24So everyone who came brought him gifts: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules. This happened year after year. 25Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 war horses. He stationed [some] in chariot cities and [others] with himself in Jerusalem. 26He ruled all the kings from the Euphrates River to the country of the Philistines and as far as the Egyptian border. 27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as plentiful as fig trees in the foothills. 28Horses were imported for Solomon from Egypt and from all other countries. 29Aren't the rest of Solomon's acts from first to last written in the records of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah from Shiloh, and in Iddo the seer's visions about Jeroboam (son of Nebat)? 30Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for 40 years. 31Solomon lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. His son Rehoboam succeeded him as king.
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