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

Now 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 officials: Azariah the 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, the sons of Shisha were secretaries; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder;

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

and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the army; and 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.

and Azariah the son of Nathan was over the deputies; and Zabud the son of Nathan, a priest, was the king’s friend;

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.

and Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the men subject to 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 deputies over all Israel, who provided for the king and his household; each man had to provide for a month in the year.

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

These are 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 and Shaalbim and Beth-shemesh and Elonbeth-hanan;

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

Ben-hesed, in Arubboth ( Socoh was his 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 all the height of Dor (Taphath the daughter of Solomon was his 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 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;

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 ( the towns of Jair, the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead were his: the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars were his);

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

Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;

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

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

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

Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth;

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

Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar;

18 S himei the son of Ela in Benjamin,

Shimei the 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 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 deputy who was in the land. Solomon’s Power, Wealth and Wisdom

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 as numerous as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance; they were eating and drinking and rejoicing.

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.

Now 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 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 kors of fine flour and sixty kors 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 oxen, a hundred sheep besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl.

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 everything west of the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings west of the River; and he had peace on all sides around about 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.

So Judah and Israel lived in safety, every man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.

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

Solomon 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.

Those deputies provided for King Solomon and all who came to King Solomon’s table, each in his month; they left nothing 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.

They also brought barley and straw for the horses and swift steeds to the place where it should be, each according to his charge.

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

Now God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on 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 surpassed the wisdom of all the sons 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 men, than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was known in all the surrounding nations.

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

He also spoke 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 even to the hyssop that grows on the wall; he spoke also of animals and birds and creeping things and 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, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.