1 Kings 4

1 King Solomon ruled over all of Israel.

King Solomon was king over all Israel.

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

These were the officials whom 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 Ahijah, 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 army; and Zadok and Abiathar were 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 chief minister, 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 palace; and Eliab son of Joab was over the army; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the men subject to forced labor.

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.

Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household: each man had to make provision for a month in the year.

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

These are their names: Ben Hur, in the hill country of Ephraim;

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

Ben Deker, 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);

Ben Hesed, in Arubboth (to him belonged Socoh, and all the land of Hepher);

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

Ben Abinadab, in all the height of Dor (he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as 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, in Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth Shean which is beside Zarethan, beneath Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah, as far as beyond Jokmeam;

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);

Ben Geber, in Ramoth Gilead (to him belonged the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; to him belonged the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars);

14 Ahinadab, son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;

Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;

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

Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon as wife);

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

Baana the son of Hushai, 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 Ela, 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, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only prefect in the land of Judah.

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 ruled over all the kingdoms, from the River, and to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute 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;

Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and sixty measures of meal,

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

ten head of fat cattle, and twenty head of cattle out of the pastures, and one hundred sheep, besides deer, and gazelles, and roebucks, and fattened 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 on this side the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side the River: and he had peace on all sides around 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.

Judah and Israel lived safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.

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

And Solomon had four 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.

Those officers provided food for king Solomon, and for all who came to king Solomon's table, every man in his month; they let nothing be lacking.

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

And they also brought barley and straw for the horses and the steeds to the place where the officers were, every man according to his duty.

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

God gave Solomon wisdom and exceptional insight, and very great understanding, even as the sand that is on the seashore.

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

Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the people of the east, 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 Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all the nations all around.

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

He spoke three thousand proverbs; and his songs were one thousand 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.

He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, and of birds, and of crawling creatures, and of fish.

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.

There came of all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.