1 Kings 4

1 So King Solomon ruled over Israel,

1 King Solomon was king over all Israel.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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,

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.

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

8 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;

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

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

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

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

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

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;

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);

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);

14 Ahinadab son of Iddo in Mahanaim;

14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;

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

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

16 Baana son of Hushai in Asher and in Aloth;

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

17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah in Issachar;

17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar;

18 Shimei son of Ela in Benjamin;

18 Shimei the son of Ela, 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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

24 For he had dominion over all on this side of the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side of the River; and he had peace on all sides around him.

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.

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.

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

26 Solomon had 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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.