And We verily gave knowledge unto David and Solomon, and they said: Praise be to Allah, Who hath preferred us above many of His believing slaves! 15 And Solomon was David's heir, and he said, 'Men, we have been taught the speech of the birds, and we have been given of everything; surely this is indeed the manifest bounty.' 16 Solomon's hosts of jinn and men and birds, were all gathered together in his presence and were ranged in battle order, 17 At length, when they came to a (lowly) valley of ants, one of the ants said: "O ye ants, get into your habitations, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you (under foot) without knowing it." 18 And (Solomon) smiled, laughing at her speech, and said: My Lord, arouse me to be thankful for Thy favour wherewith Thou hast favoured me and my parents, and to do good that shall be pleasing unto Thee, and include me in (the number of) Thy righteous slaves. 19 And [one day] he looked in vain for [a particular one of] the birds; and so he said: How is it that I do not see the hoopoe? Or could he be among the absent? 20 I shall certainly punish him severely or slaughter him unless he has a good reason for his absence." 21 He was not long in coming, and said: 'I know what you do not know. I come to you from Sheba with certain news. 22 Surely I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given abundance and she has a mighty throne: 23 And I found her and her people adoring the sun instead of God; and Satan has made these doings of theirs seem goodly to them, and [thus] has barred them from the path [of God,] so that they cannot find the right way: 24 To worship God who brings to light what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and is cognisant of what you hide and what you disclose. 25 Allah, there is no god except He, the Lord of the Mighty Throne' ۩ 26 ۞ Said he, 'Now We will see whether thou hast spoken truly, or whether thou art amongst those that lie. 27 Take my letter, and drop it to them. Then turn aside and see what they shall return' 28 She said: O chiefs! verily there hath been cast unto me an honourable epistle. 29 It is from Solomon, and it is "In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. 30 Saying: exalt not yourselves against me, and come unto me submissive. 31