1 Kings 4

1 King Solomon was king over all Israel.

So King Solomon ruled over Israel,

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

and these were his chief officials: Azariah son of Zadok was 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, were secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;

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

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

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

Azariah son of Nathan was in charge of the governors; Zabud son of Nathan was a priest and adviser to the king;

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

Ahishar was in charge of the palace; and Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of the forced labor.

7 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.

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,

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

and these were their names: Ben-hur in the hill country of Ephraim;

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

Ben-deker in Makaz, in Shaalbim, in Beth-shemesh, and in 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 belonged to him);

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

Ben-abinadab in Naphath-dor (Taphath, a daughter of Solomon, was his 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 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;

13 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);

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);

14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;

Ahinadab son of Iddo in Mahanaim;

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

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

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

Baana son of Hushai in Asher and in Aloth;

17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar;

Jehoshaphat son of Paruah in Issachar;

18 Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin;

Shimei 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 who was in the land.

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.

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

The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore, and they were eating and drinking and rejoicing.

21 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.

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.

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

Solomon’s provisions for a single day were thirty cors of fine flour, sixty cors of meal,

23 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.

ten fat oxen, twenty range oxen, and a hundred sheep, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened poultry.

24 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.

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.

25 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.

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.

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

Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses.

27 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.

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.

28 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.

Each one also brought to the required place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and other horses.

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

And God gave Solomon wisdom, exceedingly deep insight, and understanding beyond measure, like the sand on the seashore.

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

Solomon’s wisdom was greater than that of all the men of the East, greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.

31 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.

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.

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

Solomon composed three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered a thousand and five.

33 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.

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.

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

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.