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 said, 'We possess force and we possess great might. The affair rests with thee; so consider what thou wilt command.' 33 She said, “Indeed the kings, when they enter a township, destroy it and disgrace its honourable people; and this is what they do.” 34 I will send a gift and we shall see what response the Messengers will bring." 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 [Then Sulaiman (Solomon) said to the chief of her messengers who brought the present]: "Go back to them. We verily shall come to them with hosts that they cannot resist, and we shall drive them out from there in disgrace, and they will be abased." 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 One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: I will bring it thee before thy gaze returneth unto thee. And when he saw it set in his presence, (Solomon) said: This is of the bounty of my Lord, that He may try me whether I give thanks or am ungrateful. Whosoever giveth thanks he only giveth thanks for (the good of) his own soul; and whosoever is ungrateful (is ungrateful only to his own soul's hurt). For lo! my Lord is Absolute in independence, Bountiful. 40 (Turning to his nobles) he said: "Change the appearance of her throne. Let us see if she is rightly guided, or is not guided at all." 41 So, when she came, it was said (unto her): Is thy throne like this? She said: (It is) as though it were the very one. And (Solomon said): We were given the knowledge before her and we had surrendered (to Allah). 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