We bestowed knowledge on David and Solomon and they both said, "Praise be to God who has exalted us above many of His believing servants." 15 And Sulaiman inherited from Daud. And he said: O mankind! Verily we have been taught the diction of birds, and we have been vcuchsafed of everything; and verily this is grace manifest. 16 And [one day] there were assembled before Solomon his hosts of invisible beings, and of men, and of birds; and then they were led forth in orderly ranks, 17 (Solomon was once on the move with them) until when they reached a valley of ants one of the ants said: "O ants, get into your holes, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you (under their feet) without even knowing." 18 So he smiled, wondering at her word, and said: My Lord! grant me that I should be grateful for Thy favor which Thou hast bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I should do good such as Thou art pleased with, and make me enter, by Thy mercy, into Thy servants, the good ones. 19 He reviewed the birds and said: 'Why is it that I do not see the hoopoe here? Or is he among the absent? 20 Surely I shall torment him with a severe torment, or I shall slaughter him, unless he bringeth unto me a warranty manifest. 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 "I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given all things that could be possessed by any ruler of the earth, and she has a great throne. 23 I found her and her people prostrating to the sun instead of Allah, and Satan has made their deeds pleasing to them and averted them from [His] way, so they are not guided, 24 So that they adore not Allah who bringeth forth the hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knoweth that which ye conceal and that which ye make known. 25 Allah; there is no Allah save Him, the Lord of the Tremendous Throne. ۩ 26 ۞ He said: We will see whether you have told the truth or whether you are of the liars: 27 Go thou with this epistle of mine, and cast it down unto them, and turn aside from them, and see how they return. 28 She (the Queen of Sheba) said: 'O Council, look, an honorable letter has been dropped to me. 29 Lo! it is from Solomon, and lo! it is: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful; 30 “That ‘Do not wish eminence above me, and present yourselves humbly to me, with submission.’” 31