And when _the messenger_ came _with the gift, and with him his attendants_, unto Solomon, he [Solomon] said, Do ye aid me with wealth? But what God hath given me (_namely the gift of prophecy and the kingdom_) is better than what He hath given you, _of worldly goods_; yet ye rejoice in your gift, _because ye glory in the showy things of this world_. Return unto them _with the gift that thou hast brought_; for we will surely come unto them with forces with which they have not power [to contend], and we will surely drive them out from it, (_that is, from their country, Seba, which was named after the father of their tribe_,) abject and contemptible, _if they come not unto us submitting. And when the messenger returned unto her with the gift, she placed her throne within seven doors, within her palace, and her palace was within seven palaces; and she closed the doors, and set guards to them, and prepared to go unto Solomon, that she might see what he would command her to do. She departed with twelve thousand kings, each king having with him many thousands, and proceeded until she came as near to him as a league’s distance; when he knew of her_ [approach,] he said, O nobles, which of you will bring unto me her throne before they come unto me submitting? An ´efreet, of the jinn, answered, I will bring it unto thee before thou shalt arise from thy place _wherein thou sittest to judge from morning until mid-day_; for I am able to do it, [and] trustworthy _with respect to the jewels that it compriseth and other matters. Solomon said, I desire it more speedily._ [And thereupon] he with whom was knowledge of the _revealed_ scripture (_namely_ [his Wezeer] _Áṣaf the son of Barkhiya, who was a just person, acquainted with the most great name of God, which ensured an answer to him who invoked thereby_[318]) said, I will bring it unto thee before thy glance can be withdrawn _from any object. And he said unto him, Look at the sky. So he looked at it; then he withdrew his glance, and found it placed before him: for during his look towards the sky, Áṣaf prayed, by the most great name, that God would bring it; and it so happened, the throne passing under the ground until it came up before the throne of Solomon._ And when he saw it firmly placed before him, he said, This is of the favour of my Lord, that He may try me, whether I shall be thankful or whether I shall be unthankful. And he who is thankful is thankful for _the sake of_ his own soul, _which will have the reward of his thankfulness_; and [as to] him who is ungrateful, my Lord is independent [and] bountiful.