Hiram had sent Solomon almost five tons of gold.

They sailed to the land of Ophir and brought back to Solomon about sixteen tons of gold.

She presented to King Solomon the gifts she had brought: almost five tons of gold and a very large amount of spices and jewels. The amount of spices she gave him was by far the greatest that he ever received at any time.

Solomon's son Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen from all the territory of Israel as the place where he was to be worshiped. Rehoboam's mother was Naamah from Ammon.

The people of Judah sinned against the LORD and did more to arouse his anger against them than all their ancestors had done.

To replace them, King Rehoboam made bronze shields and entrusted them to the officers responsible for guarding the palace gates.

Solomon used the wood to make stairs for the Temple and for his palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. Nothing like that had ever been seen before in the land of Judah.)

Solomon made two hundred large shields, each of which was covered with about fifteen pounds of beaten gold,

The king also had a large throne made. Part of it was covered with ivory and the rest of it was covered with pure gold.

Twelve figures of lions were on the steps, one at either end of each step. No throne like this had ever existed in any other kingdom.

He had a fleet of ocean-going ships sailing with King Hiram's fleet. Every three years his fleet would return, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys.

I am already eighty years old, and nothing gives me pleasure any more. I can't taste what I eat and drink, and I can't hear the voices of singers. I would only be a burden to Your Majesty.

(SEE 2:64)

King David and the leaders of the Levites chose the following Levite clans to lead the worship services: Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun. They were to proclaim God's messages, accompanied by the music of harps and cymbals. This is the list of persons chosen to lead the worship, with the type of service that each group performed:

All of his sons played cymbals and harps under their father's direction, to accompany the Temple worship. And Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under orders from the king.

Their children run and play like lambs

and dance to the music of harps and flutes.

Praise him with trumpets. Praise him with harps and lyres.

Praise him with cymbals. Praise him with loud cymbals.

You will hear the sound of the trumpets, followed by the playing of oboes, lyres, zithers, and harps; and then all the other instruments will join in. As soon as the music starts, you are to bow down and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.

And so, as soon as they heard the sound of the instruments, the people of all the nations, races, and languages bowed down and worshiped the gold statue which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Now then, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, oboes, lyres, zithers, harps, and all the other instruments, bow down and worship the statue. If you do not, you will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace. Do you think there is any god who can save you?"

You like to compose songs, as David did, and play them on harps.