²⁰ All of Solomon’s cups and glasses were made of gold. And all the dishes^[a] in the building called the “Forest of Lebanon” were made from pure gold. Nothing in the palace was made from silver. There was so much gold that in Solomon’s time people did not think silver was important!

²¹ The king also had cargo ships that went to Tarshish to trade things with other countries. Hiram’s men were on these ships. Every three years the ships would come back with a new load of gold, silver, ivory, and apes and baboons.

²² King Solomon became greater in riches and wisdom than any other king on earth.