1 N ow King Solomon was the king of all Israel.

King Solomon was king over all Israel.

2 T hese were the king’s men. Azariah the son of Zadok was the religious leader.

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

3 S hisha’s sons Elihoreph and Ahijah were the heads of meetings. Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the one who wrote down the things of the nation.

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

4 B enaiah the son of Jehoiada was captain of the army. Zadok and Abiathar were religious leaders.

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

5 A zariah the son of Nathan was over the leaders. Zabud the son of Nathan was a religious leader and the king’s friend.

Azariah son of Nathan was over the officers; Zabud son of Nathan was priest and the king’s friend and private advisor;

6 A hishar was head of the king’s house. And Adoniram the son of Abda was head of the men who were made to work.

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

7 S olomon had twelve men over all Israel, who brought food for the king and those of his house. Each man had to bring food for one month in the year.

Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who secured provisions for the king and his household; each man had to provide for a month in a year.

8 T hese were their names. There was Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim,

These were their names: Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim;

9 a nd Ben-deker in Makaz. There were Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, Elonbeth-hanan,

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

10 B en-hesed in Arrubboth (Socoh and all the land of Hepher belonged to him),

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

11 a nd Ben-abinadab in all Naphath-Dor (Solomon’s daughter Taphath was his wife).

Ben-abinadab, in Naphoth-dor (he had Taphath, Solomon’s daughter, as wife);

12 T here was Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo and all Beth-shean which is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah as far as the other side of Jokmeam.

Baana son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth-shean which is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah as far as beyond Jokmeam;

13 T here was Bengeber in Ramoth-gilead. (The towns of Manasseh’s son Jair which are in Gilead were his. And he had the land of Argob in Bashan, where there were sixty big cities with walls and locks of brass.)

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

14 T here was Ahinadab the son of Iddo in Mahanaim,

Ahinadab son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;

15 A himaaz in Naphtali (who married Solomon’s daughter Basemath),

Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he had taken Basemath, Solomon’s daughter, as his wife);

16 a nd Baana the son of Hushai in Asher and Bealoth.

Baana son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth;

17 A nd there was Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah in Issachar,

Jehoshaphat son of Paruah, in Issachar;

18 S himei the son of Ela in Benjamin,

Shimei son of Ela, in Benjamin;

19 a nd Geber the son of Uri in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan. He was the only leader in the land. Solomon’s Riches

Geber son of Uri, in Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan; only one officer was over all the country.

20 T here were many people in Judah and Israel, as much as the sand beside the sea. They were eating and drinking and full of joy.

Judah and Israel were many, like the sand which is by the sea in multitude; they ate, drank, and rejoiced.

21 S olomon ruled over all the nations from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and to the land of Egypt. They brought taxes and worked for Solomon all the days of his life.

Solomon reigned 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 T he food brought to Solomon for one day was 300 baskets of fine flour, 600 baskets of seeds,

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

23 t en fat bulls, twenty grass-fed bulls, 100 sheep, and deer, gazelles, roebucks and fat birds.

Ten fat oxen, twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides harts, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowl of choice kinds.

24 S olomon ruled over everything west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza. He ruled over all the kings west of the Euphrates. And he had peace around him on all sides.

For he had dominion over all the region west of the River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the River, and he had peace on all sides around him.

25 S o Judah and Israel were safe. Every man was safe under his vine and fig tree, from Dan to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.

Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and fig tree, from Dan to Beersheba, all of Solomon’s days.

26 S olomon had 40, 000 rooms for his war-wagon horses, and 12, 000 horsemen.

Solomon also had 40, 000 stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12, 000 horsemen.

27 T hose leaders brought food for King Solomon and all who came to his table, each during his month. They made sure nothing was missing.

And those officers provided food for King Solomon and for all who came to his table, every man in his month; they let nothing be lacking.

28 T hey brought barley and straw for the fast horses and the war-wagon horses, where it was needed. Each man did the work he had been given to do.

Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds they brought to the place where it was needed, each according to his assignment.

29 G od gave Solomon wisdom and much understanding and learning, as much as the sand beside the sea.

And God gave Solomon exceptionally much wisdom and understanding, and breadth of mind like the sand of the seashore.

30 S olomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.

Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the people of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt.

31 H e was wiser than all men, than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol, Darda, and the sons of Mahol. His name was known in all the nations around him.

For he was wiser than all other men—than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. His fame was in all the nations round about.

32 H e spoke 3, 000 wise sayings and wrote 1, 005 songs.

He also originated 3, 000 proverbs, and his songs were 1, 005.

33 H e spoke of trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows on the wall. He spoke of animals, birds, things that moved upon the ground, and fish.

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

34 M en came from all nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon. They came from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.

Men came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.