After Solomon finished building the Lord’s house and his own house, the Lord came to Solomon again and showed Himself to Solomon.

He told Solomon, I have heard and will answer your prayer that you made for this house.

I have set it apart to Myself for Me to stay there forever.

My eyes and My heart will always be on it.

If you walk before Me and do My ways like your father David did then I will make this kingdom of yours last forever.

But if you turn away from me and bow down to other gods and do what they say then I will cut off Israel out of this good land that I have given them.

Bad things will happen to them. And this house you have built for Me will be ruined so badly that people will hiss at it as they pass by.

They will say, Why has the Lord done this to this land and this house?

And they will answer, Because they turned away from the Lord their God who brought them out of Egypt and bowed down to the bad ones. That’s why the Lord brought all this bad on them.

Three times a year Solomon had big parties for the Lord at the house that he had built for the Lord.

And Solomon sent ships out on the sea with Hiram, his father’s friend. The ships went to other countries and brought back much gold to king Solomon.

The Queen of Sheba came from a far country to visit king Solomon and ask him hard questions about the Lord God.

She brought many camels that carried heavy loads of gold, spices, and beautiful jewel stones.

When she talked with Solomon he told her all the answers to her questions and they ate together.

She saw all his wisdom and the house that he built and how he worshipped the Lord and ruled Israel and she was very amazed.

She told Solomon, I heard about your greatness in my country but didn’t believe it. But now that I have seen, I know that I wasn’t told even half of your greatness.

Happy are your people and those who serve you and hear your wisdom. Much happiness be to the Lord your God who delighted in you and put you on the throne of Israel.

Because the Lord loves Israel forever and made you a wise king to do what is right and good for the people.

The Queen of Sheba gave Solomon 120 huge bags of gold and many bags of spices and diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, and sapphires.

Good and precious things were brought to Solomon from all over the world. So much gold was brought to him that he made shields of gold.

The king also made great big throne of ivory and covered it with the best gold.There were six steps going up to the throne with 12 lions. Two sitting on each end of each step.

And his household and guests drank from cups made of gold.

The Lord God made King Solomon so great that all the earth came to see Solomon and hear the wisdom that God put in his heart.