1 Kings 4

1 King Solomon ruled over all of Israel.

Thus was king Solomon king over all Israel.

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

And these were the princes whom he had: 'Azaryahu 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.

Elichoreph and Achiyah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Achilud, the recorder;

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

And Benayahu the son of Yehoyada' over the army; and Zadok and Ebyathar 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 Azaryahu the son of Nathan was over the superintendents; and Zabud the son of Nathan was an officer of state 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 Achishar 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 superintendents over all Israel, who provided for the king and his household: one month in the year had the particular one to procure provisions.

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

And these are their names: Ben-chur on the mountain of Ephraim;

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

Ben-deker, in Makaz, and in Sha'albim, and Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-chanan;

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

Ben-chessed, in Arubboth; to him pertained Sochoh and all the land of Chepher;

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

Ben-abinadab, in all the district of Dor; he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon for 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;

Ba'ana the son of Achilud in Tha'anach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean, which is by Zarethanah beneath Yizre'el, from Beth-shean to Abel-mecholah, as far as beyond Yokme'am;

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-gil'ad; to him pertained the villages of Ya'ir the son of Menasseh, which are in Gil'ad; to him also pertained the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and brazen bars;

14 Ahinadab, son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;

Achinadab the son of 'Iddo in Machanayim;

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

Achima'az in Naphtali; he also took Bahsemath the daughter of Solomon for wife;

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

Ba'anah the son of Chushai in Asher and in Be'aloth;

17 Jehoshaphat, son of Paruah, in Issachar;

Jehoshaphat the son of Paruach, in Issachar;

18 Shimei, son of Ela, in Benjamin;

Shim'i 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 country of Gil'ad, the country of Sichon the king of the Emorites, and of 'Og the king of Bashan; besides the one superintendent who 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 numerous, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude; and they ate and drank, and made 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 was ruling over all the kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and as far as the boundary of Egypt, which 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 kors of fine flour, and sixty kors of meal,

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

Ten fatted oxen, and twenty pasture oxen, and a hundred sheep, besides harts, and roebucks, and fallow-deer, 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 Thiphsach even to Gazzah, 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 in safety, 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 for the 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 superintendents provided for king Solomon, and for all that came near unto king Solomon's table, every man in his month: they let nothing be wanting.

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

The barley also and the straw for the horses and the runners did they bring unto the place where he might be, every man according to his prescription.

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

And God gave unto Solomon wisdom and understanding exceedingly 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.

And he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrachite, and Heman, and Kalkol, and Darda', the sons of Machol: and his name was [spread] among all the nations round about.

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

And he spoke 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 spoke concerning the trees, from the cedar-tree that is on the Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall; he spoke also concerning the beasts, and concerning the fowl, and concerning the creeping things, and concerning the 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 men came from all the people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.