She said: "Ye chiefs! advise me in (this) my affair: no affair have I decided except in your presence." 32 They said: we are owners of power and owners of great violence, but the command is with thee; see then whatsoever thou shalt 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 So verily I am going to send a present unto them, and see with what answer the envoys come back. 35 So when (the messengers with the present) came to Sulaiman (Solomon), he said: "Will you help me in wealth? What Allah has given me is better than that which He has given you! Nay, you rejoice in your gift!" 36 Go back to them. We shall soon come with our armies which they will not be able to face. We shall drive them out of (the land) with ignominy, and they will be humbled." 37 He said, 'O Council, which one of you will bring me her throne, before they come to me in surrender?' 38 An Ifrit (strong) from the jinns said: "I will bring it to you before you rise from your place (council). And verily, I am indeed strong, and trustworthy for such work." 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 He said: Disguise her throne for her that we may see whether she will go aright or be of those not rightly guided. 41 When she came to Solomon, she was asked, "Is your throne like this?" She replied, "It looks as though it were the same, and we had been given knowledge [of your power] before this, and we have already submitted." 42 And that which she used to worship beside God had stopped her [from believing]; for she came of 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