1 Kings 4

1 So King Solomon ruled over Israel,

And king Solomon is king over all Israel,

2 and these were his chief officials: Azariah son of Zadok was the priest;

and these [are] the heads whom he hath: Azariah son of Zadok [is] the priest;

3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, were secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;

Elihoreph and Ahiah sons of Shisha [are] scribes; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud [is] remembrancer;

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

and Benaiah son of Jehoiada [is] over the host; and Zadok and Abiathar [are] priests;

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

and Azariah son of Nathan [is] over the officers; and Zabud son of Nathan [is] minister, friend of the king;

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

And Ahishar [is] over the household, and Adoniram son of Abda [is] over the tribute.

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,

And Solomon hath twelve officers over all Israel, and they have sustained the king and his household — a month in the year is on each one for sustenance;

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

and these [are] their names: Ben-Hur in the hill-country of Ephraim;

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

Ben-Dekar in Makaz, and Shaalbim, and Beth-Shemesh, and Elon-Beth-Hanan.

10 Ben-hesed in Arubboth (Socoh and all the land of Hepher belonged to him);

Ben-Hesed [is] in Aruboth, hath Sochoh and all the land of Hepher;

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

Ben-Abinadab [hath] all the elevation of Dor, Taphath daughter of Solomon became 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 Ben-Ahilud [hath] Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-Shean, which [is] by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Beth-Shean unto Abel-Meholah, unto beyond Jokneam.

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, hath the small towns of Jair son of Manasseh, which [are] in Gilead; he hath a portion of Argob that [is] in Bashan, sixty great cities [with] wall and brazen bar.

14 Ahinadab son of Iddo in Mahanaim;

Ahinadab son of Iddo [hath] Mahanaim.

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

Ahimaaz [is] in Naphtali; he also hath taken Basemath daughter of Solomon for a wife.

16 Baana son of Hushai in Asher and in Aloth;

Baanah Ben-Hushai [is] in Asher, and in Aloth.

17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah in Issachar;

Jehoshaphat Ben-Paruah [is] in Issachar.

18 Shimei son of Ela in Benjamin;

Shimei Ben-Elah [is] 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 Ben-Uri [is] in the land of Gilead, the land of Sihon king of the Amorite, and of Og king of Bashan: and one officer who [is] in the land.

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 [are] many, as the sand that [is] by the sea for multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing.

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.

And Solomon hath been ruling over all the kingdoms, from the River [to] the land of the Philistines and unto the border of Egypt: they are bringing nigh a present, and serving Solomon, all days of his life.

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

And the provision of Solomon for one day is thirty cors of 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 fat oxen, and twenty feeding oxen, and a hundred sheep, apart from hart, and roe, and fallow-deer, and fatted beasts of the stalls,

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 he is ruling over all beyond the river, from Tiphsah and unto Gaza, over all the kings beyond the river, and he hath peace from all his servants round about.

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.

And Judah dwelleth — and Israel — in confidence, each under his vine, and under his fig-tree, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba, all the days of Solomon.

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

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

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.

And these officers have sustained king Solomon and every one drawing near unto the table of king Solomon, each [in] his month; they let nothing be lacking.

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

And the barley and the straw, for horses and for dromedaries, they bring in unto the place where they are, each according to his ordinance.

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

And God giveth wisdom to Solomon, and understanding, very much, and breadth of heart, as the sand that [is] on the edge of the sea;

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

and the wisdom of Solomon is greater than the wisdom of any of the sons of the east, and than all the wisdom of Egypt;

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.

and he is wiser than all men, than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, sons of Mahol, and his name is in all the nations round about.

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

And he speaketh three thousand similes, and his songs [are] five, and the chief one;

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.

and he speaketh concerning the trees, from the cedar that [is] in Lebanon, even unto the hyssop that is coming out in the wall, and he speaketh concerning the cattle, and concerning the fowl, and concerning the creeping things, and concerning the fishes,

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.

and there come out of all the peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth who have heard of his wisdom.