She said: 'O Council, let me hear your counsel, concerning my affairs, for I am not used to deciding an affair until you bear me witness' 32 They answered: "We are endowed with power and with mighty prowess in war - but the command is thine; consider, then, what thou wouldst command." 33 She said: Surely the kings, when they enter a town, ruin it and make the noblest of its people to be low, and thus they (always) do; 34 So verily I am going to send a present unto them, and see with what answer the envoys come back. 35 Now when (the embassy) came to Solomon, he said: "Will ye give me abundance in wealth? But that which Allah has given me is better than that which He has given you! Nay it is ye who rejoice in your gift! 36 Return thou to them; we shall assuredly come against them with hosts they have not power to resist, and we shall expel them from there, abased and utterly humbled.' 37 He said: O chiefs! which of you can bring to me her throne before they come to me in submission? 38 One audacious among the jinn said: I will bring it to you before you rise up from your place; and most surely I am strong (and) trusty for it. 39 And he who had some knowledge of the Book said: "I will bring it before the twinkling of your eye." When Solomon saw the throne placed firmly beside him, he cried out: "This is by the grace of my Lord so that He may test me whether I give thanks for (His Bounty) or act with ingratitude. Whoever is grateful is so to his own good; and whoever is ungrateful, let him know that my Lord is Immensely Resourceful, Most Bountiful." 40 [And] he continued: Alter her throne so that she may not know it as hers: let us see whether she allows herself to be guided [to the truth] or remains one of those who will not be guided." 41 When the Queen arrived, she was asked: "Is your throne like this one?" She said: "It seems as if it is the same. We had already come to know this and we had submitted ourselves." 42 And that which she was worshipping other than Allah had averted her [from submission to Him]. Indeed, she was from a disbelieving people." 43 [After a while] she was told: "Enter this court!" - but when she saw it, she thought that it was a fathomless expanse of water, and she bared her legs. Said he: "Behold, it is [but] a court smoothly paved with glass!" Cried she: "O my Sustainer! I have been sinning against myself thy worshipping aught but Thee]: but [now] I have surrendered myself, with Solomon, unto the Sustainer of all the worlds!" 44