AND, INDEED, We granted [true] knowledge unto David and Solomon [as well]; and both were wont to say: All praise is due to God, who has [thus] favoured us above many of His believing servants!" 15 And [in this insight] Solomon was [truly] David's heir; and he would say: "O you people! We have been taught the speech of birds, and have been given [in abundance] of all [good] things: this, behold, is indeed a manifest favour [from God]!" 16 And there were gathered unto Sulaiman his hosts of jinns and mankind and birds, and they were set in bands. 17 Till, when they came to the valley of the ants, one of the ants said: "O ants! Enter your dwellings, lest Sulaiman (Solomon) and his hosts crush you, while they perceive not." 18 So he smiled, amused at her speech, and said: my Lord! arouse me that I should be thankful for Thy favour wherewith Thou hast favoured me and my parents, and that I should work righteously pleasing Thee, and out of Thy mercy enter me among Thine righteous bondmen. 19 (Solomon) inspected the birds and said, "How is it that I cannot see the hoopoe. Is he absent? 20 I shall certainly punish him severely or slaughter him unless he has a good reason for his absence." 21 But he tarried not long, and said, 'I have comprehended that which thou hast not comprehended, and I have come from Sheba to thee with a sure tiding. 22 Surely I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given abundance and she has a mighty throne: 23 I found that she and her people worship the sun in place of God, for Satan has made their deeds look attractive to them and has turned them away from the Path, so they do not find the way 24 “Why do they not prostrate to Allah, Who brings forth the things hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows all what you hide and all what you disclose?” 25 God: there is no god but He, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.' ۩ 26 ۞ Sulaiman said: we shall see now whether thou hast spoken the truth or whether thou art of the liars. 27 “Go with this letter of mine and drop it upon them – then move aside from them and see what they answer in return.” 28 (The Queen said): "O nobles, a venerable letter has been delivered to me. 29 It is from Solomon. It reads, "In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, 30 do not exalt yourselves above me, but come to me in all submission." 31