She said: O chiefs! give me advice respecting my affair: I never decide an affair until you are in my presence. 32 They said, "We are men of strength and of great military might, but the command is yours, so see what you will command." 33 She said: "Surely when kings enter a city they destroy it and despoil the honour of its nobility. So will they do (to us). 34 Hence, behold, I am going to send a gift to those [people,] and await whatever [answer] the envoys bring back." 35 So when (the envoy) came unto Solomon, (the King) said: What! Would ye help me with wealth? But that which Allah hath given me is better than that which He hath given you. Nay it is ye (and not I) who exult in your gift. 36 Go back unto them. Then surely we shall come unto them with hosts which they cannot withstand, and we shall drive them forth therefrom abased and they shall be humbled. 37 He said (to his own men): "Ye chiefs! which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?" 38 A giant from the jinns said: I shall bring it unto thee ere thou arisest from thy place; verily I am strong for it and trusty. 39 Said one who had knowledge from the Scripture, "I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you." And when [Solomon] saw it placed before him, he said, "This is from the favor of my Lord to test me whether I will be grateful or ungrateful. And whoever is grateful - his gratitude is only for [the benefit of] himself. And whoever is ungrateful - then indeed, my Lord is Free of need and Generous." 40 Said Sulaiman, “Disguise her throne in front of her so that we may see whether she finds the way* or becomes of those who remain unknowing.” (*Recognises her throne.) 41 And so, as soon as she arrived, she was asked: "Is thy throne like this?" She answered: "It is as though it were the same!" [And Solomon said to his nobles: "She has arrived at the truth without any help from us,] although it is we who have been given [divine] knowledge before her, and have [long ago] surrendered ourselves unto God! 42 She was (in fact) turned away by what she worshipped other than God, for she came of an unbelieving people. 43 It was said to her, “Enter the hall”; and when she saw it she thought it was a pool and bared her shins*; said Sulaiman, “This is only a smooth hall, affixed with glass”; she said, “My Lord, I have indeed wronged myself, and I now submit myself along with Sulaiman to Allah, the Lord Of The Creation.” (* In order to cross it) 44