1 Kings 4

1 And king Solomon was king over all Israel.

King Solomon was king over all Israel.

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

These were the princes whom he had: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest;

3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder;

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

4 and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

5 and Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; and Zabud the son of Nathan was priest, [and] the king’s friend;

Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan was chief minister, the king’s friend;

6 and Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the levy.

Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the men subject to forced labour.

7 And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man had to make provision for a month in 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 And these are their names: 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, and in Shaalbim, and Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan:

Ben Deker, in Makaz, in Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan;

10 Ben-hesed, in Arubboth; to him [pertained] Socoh, and all the land of Hepher:

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

11 Ben-abinadab, in all the height of Dor; he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife:

Ben Abinadab, in all the height of Dor (he had Taphath, Solomon’s daughter, as wife);

12 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:

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

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

14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim:

Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;

15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali; he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon to wife:

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

16 Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth:

Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth;

17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar:

Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar;

18 Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin:

Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin;

19 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 officer which was in the land.

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 officer who was in the land.

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

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

21 And Solomon ruled over all the 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.

Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River 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 And Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal;

Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty cors of fine flour, sixty measures of meal,

23 ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and gazelles, and roebucks, and fatted fowl.

ten head of fat cattle, twenty head of cattle out of the pastures, and one hundred sheep, in addition to deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl.

24 For he had dominion over all [the region] on this side the River, from Tipsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side the River: and he had peace on all sides round about him.

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 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.

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

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

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

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

They also brought barley and straw for the horses and swift steeds to the place where the officers were, each man according to his duty.

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

God gave Solomon abundant wisdom, understanding, and breadth of mind like the sand that is on the seashore.

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

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

31 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 round about.

For he was wiser than all men—wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the nations all around.

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

He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered one thousand and five.

33 And he spake of trees, from the cedar 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.

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

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

People of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, sent by all kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.