1 Kings 4
1 So King Solomon ruled over Israel,
King Solomon ruled over all of Israel.
2 and these were his chief officials: Azariah son of Zadok was the priest;
These were his officials: Azariah, son of Zadok, was the priest;
3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, were secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;
Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha, were the king's secretaries. Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, kept the royal records.
4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was in charge of the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests;
Benaiah son of Jehoiada was the army commander. Zadok and Abiathar were priests.
5 Azariah son of Nathan was in charge of the governors; Zabud son of Nathan was a priest and adviser to the king;
Azariah, son of Nathan, was in charge of the governors. Zabud, son of Nathan, was a priest and the king's counselor.
6 Ahishar was in charge of the palace; and Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of the forced labor.
Ahishar was the palace manager. Adoniram, son of Abda, was in charge of those forced to work for the king.
7 Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel to provide food for the king and his household. Each one would arrange provisions for one month of the year,
Solomon had twelve area governors whose responsibilities covered the whole of Israel, providing food for the king and his household. Each one in turn arranged supplies for one month of the year.
8 and these were their names: Ben-hur in the hill country of Ephraim;
Their names were: Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim;
9 Ben-deker in Makaz, in Shaalbim, in Beth-shemesh, and in Elon-beth-hanan;
Ben-deker in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh and Elon-beth-hanan;
10 Ben-hesed in Arubboth (Socoh and all the land of Hepher belonged to him);
Ben-hesed in Arubboth (Socoh and all the land of Hepher was his);
11 Ben-abinadab in Naphath-dor (Taphath, a daughter of Solomon, was his wife);
Ben-abinadab, in the whole of Naphath-dor (Taphath, the daughter of Solomon, was his wife);
12 Baana son of Ahilud in Taanach, in Megiddo, and in all of Beth-shean next to Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah and on past Jokmeam;
Baana, son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, the whole of Beth-shan near Zarethan below Jezreel, and from Beth-shan to Abel-meholah and across to Jokmeam;
13 Ben-geber in Ramoth-gilead (the villages of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead belonged to him, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan with its sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars);
Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (the towns of Jair, son of Manasseh, in Gilead belonged to him, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan, with sixty great cities having walls and bronze bars);
14 Ahinadab son of Iddo in Mahanaim;
Ahinadab, son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;
15 Ahimaaz in Naphtali (he had married Basemath, a daughter of Solomon);
Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he had married Basemath the daughter of Solomon);
16 Baana son of Hushai in Asher and in Aloth;
Baana, son of Hushai, in Asher and in Aloth;
17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah in Issachar;
Jehoshaphat, son of Paruah, in Issachar;
18 Shimei son of Ela in Benjamin;
Shimei, son of Ela, in Benjamin;
19 Geber son of Uri in the land of Gilead, including the territories of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan. There was also one governor in the land of Judah.
Geber son of Uri in the land of Gilead, (the former country of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and of Og, king of Bashan. There was also a governor who was over the land of Judah).
20 The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore, and they were eating and drinking and rejoicing.
Judah and Israel had become as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They ate, they drank, they were happy.
21 And Solomon reigned over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These kingdoms offered tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, right up to the border of Egypt. They presented tribute to Solomon and served him during his lifetime.
22 Solomon’s provisions for a single day were thirty cors of fine flour, sixty cors of meal,
The food required every day for Solomon's court was thirty cors of the best flour and sixty cors of meal;
23 ten fat oxen, twenty range oxen, and a hundred sheep, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened poultry.
ten fattened cattle, twenty range cattle, one hundred sheep, as well as deer, gazelles, roe deer, and fattened poultry.
24 For Solomon had dominion over everything west of the Euphrates —over all the kingdoms from Tiphsah to Gaza—and he had peace on all sides.
For Solomon ruled over the whole region west of the Euphrates, from Tiphsah to Gaza—over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates. And he had peace on all sides around him. He had peace on every border.
25 Throughout the days of Solomon, Judah and Israel dwelt securely from Dan to Beersheba, each man under his own vine and his own fig tree.
During Solomon's lifetime, everyone in Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan to Beersheba. Each one had their own vine and fig tree.
26 Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses.
Solomon had 40,000 stalls for his chariot horses, and 12,000 charioteers.
27 Each month the governors in turn provided food for King Solomon and all who came to his table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking.
Every month the area governors provided in turn food for King Solomon and all who ate at his table. They made sure that nothing was missing.
28 Each one also brought to the required place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and other horses.
They also delivered barley and straw where they were needed for the chariot horses and cart-horses.
29 And God gave Solomon wisdom, exceedingly deep insight, and understanding beyond measure, like the sand on the seashore.
God gave to Solomon wisdom, very great discernment, and understanding as extensive as the sand on the seashore.
30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than that of all the men of the East, greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.
Solomon's wisdom was greater than that of all the Eastern wise men, greater than all of Egypt's wisdom.
31 He was wiser than all men—wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and wiser than Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread throughout the surrounding nations.
He was wiser than anyone, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, wiser than Heman, Calcol, and Darda, sons of Mahol. His reputation spread through the nations around.
32 Solomon composed three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered a thousand and five.
Solomon composed three thousand proverbs and one thousand and five songs.
33 He spoke of trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop growing in the wall, and he taught about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish.
He was able to discuss knowledge of trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows in the wall. He taught about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish.
34 So men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.
People from all nations came to hear Solomon's wisdom. They were sent by all the kings of the earth, who had heard about his wisdom.
