Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
“And when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she came to prove him with hard questions. And she gave the king of gold and of spices a very great store, and precious stones.”—Kings x.
Uttermost parts of the earth
Had heard the wondrous fame
Of Solomon’s most mighty acts,—
The greatness of his name.
Thence came the Queen of Sheba down
With camels bearing gold,
And precious stones, and spices sweet,—
Their worth has ne’er been told.
Arabian spices—such a store
Was never seen again
Within the Holy Land as then
The queen brought in her train.
Communing with King Solomon
Of what was in her heart,
With questions hard she led the king
His wisdom to impart.
Then said the queen, “In mine own land
Of thy great name I heard,
The wisdom and prosperity
God had on thee conferred.
“The fame of thy most mighty acts
So filled me with surprise
That I resolved to venture down
And see with mine own eyes,
“And bring a present from the East,—
Spices, and gems, and gold;
O king! I heard a true report,
Yet half has ne’er been told.
“Thrice happy are thy men, great king,
And these thy servants, too,
Who wait before thee all the day,
And see what thou dost do.
“And blessed be the Lord thy God,
Who takes delight in thee;
Because the Lord loved Israel well,
Thy wisdom now they see.
“Then of his royal bounty he
Gave what the queen liked best,
And thus King Solomon dismissed
His pleased and grateful guest.