She said: "Ye chiefs! advise me in (this) my affair: no affair have I decided except in your presence." 32 They said: "We are strong and are given to vehement fighting. But the decision is yours. Therefore, consider what you would like to command." 33 She said: 'When kings enter a village, they ruin it and humiliate its nobles. And this they will do. 34 I will send a gift and we shall see what response the Messengers will bring." 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 Go back to them: we shall most certainly come upon them with forces which they will never be able to withstand, and shall most certainly cause them to be driven from their lands, disgraced and humbled!" 37 He said, 'O Council, which one of you will bring me her throne, before they come to me in surrender?' 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 But he who had knowledge of the Book, said: 'I will bring it to you before your glance comes back to you' And when he saw it set before him, he (Solomon) said: 'This is a favor from my Lord that He might test me whether I am thankful or ungrateful. Whosoever gives thanks gives thanks only for his (own soul's) good, but he who is ungrateful, truly my Lord is Rich and Generous' 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 So, when she came, it was said, 'Is thy throne like this?' She said, 'It seems the same.' 'And we were given the knowledge before her, and we were in surrender, 42 She was (in fact) turned away by what she worshipped other than God, for she came of an unbelieving 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