1 Kings 4

1 King Solomon ruled over all of Israel.

So king Solomon was king over all Israel.

2 These were his officials: Azariah, son of Zadok, was the priest;

And these [were] the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest,

3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha, were the king's secretaries. Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, kept the royal records.

Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder.

4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was the army commander. Zadok and Abiathar were priests.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was] over the host: and Zadok and Abiathar [were] the priests:

5 Azariah, son of Nathan, was in charge of the governors. Zabud, son of Nathan, was a priest and the king's counselor.

And Azariah the son of Nathan [was] over the officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan [was] principal officer, [and] the king’s friend:

6 Ahishar was the palace manager. Adoniram, son of Abda, was in charge of those forced to work for the king.

And Ahishar [was] over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda [was] over the tribute.

7 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.

And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision.

8 Their names were: Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim;

And these [are] their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim:

9 Ben-deker in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh and Elon-beth-hanan;

The son of Dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan:

10 Ben-hesed in Arubboth (Socoh and all the land of Hepher was his);

The son of Hesed, in Aruboth; to him [pertained] Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher:

11 Ben-abinadab, in the whole of Naphath-dor (Taphath, the daughter of Solomon, was his wife);

The son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife:

12 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;

Baana the son of Ahilud; [to him pertained] Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean, which [is] by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, [even] unto [the place that is] beyond Jokneam:

13 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);

The son of Geber, in Ramoth-gilead; to him [pertained] the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which [are] in Gilead; to him [also pertained] the region of Argob, which [is] in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brasen bars:

14 Ahinadab, son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;

Ahinadab the son of Iddo [had] Mahanaim:

15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he had married Basemath the daughter of Solomon);

Ahimaaz [was] in Naphtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife:

16 Baana, son of Hushai, in Asher and in Aloth;

Baanah the son of Hushai [was] in Asher and in Aloth:

17 Jehoshaphat, son of Paruah, in Issachar;

Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar:

18 Shimei, son of Ela, in Benjamin;

Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin:

19 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).

Geber the son of Uri [was] in the country of Gilead, [in] the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; and [he was] the only officer which [was] in the land.

20 Judah and Israel had become as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They ate, they drank, they were happy.

Judah and Israel [were] many, as the sand which [is] by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.

21 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.

And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.

22 The food required every day for Solomon's court was thirty cors of the best flour and sixty cors of meal;

And Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,

23 ten fattened cattle, twenty range cattle, one hundred sheep, as well as deer, gazelles, roe deer, and fattened poultry.

Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl.

24 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.

For he had dominion over all [the region] on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him.

25 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.

And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon.

26 Solomon had 40,000 stalls for his chariot horses, and 12,000 charioteers.

And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.

27 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.

And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon’s table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing.

28 They also delivered barley and straw where they were needed for the chariot horses and cart-horses.

Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the place where [the officers] were, every man according to his charge.

29 God gave to Solomon wisdom, very great discernment, and understanding as extensive as the sand on the seashore.

And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that [is] on the sea shore.

30 Solomon's wisdom was greater than that of all the Eastern wise men, greater than all of Egypt's wisdom.

And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.

31 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.

For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.

32 Solomon composed three thousand proverbs and one thousand and five songs.

And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.

33 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.

And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that [is] in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.

34 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.

And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.