1 Solomon’s Officials So King Solomon was king over all Israel.
2 These were his officials:Azariah the son of Zadokwasthe priest;
3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shishawerescribes;Jehoshaphat the son of Ahiludwasthe recorder;
4 and Benaiah the son of Jehoiadawasover the army;and Zadok and Abiatharwerepriests;
5 and Azariah the son of Nathanwasover the deputies;and Zabud the son of Nathan, a priest,wasthe king’s friend;
6 and Ahisharwasover the household;and Adoniram the son of Abdawasover the men subject to forced labor.
7 Now Solomon had twelve deputies over all Israel, who sustained the king and his household; each man had to sustainthemfor a month in the year.
8 These are their names:Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim;
9 Ben-deker in Makaz and Shaalbim and Beth-shemesh and Elonbeth-hanan;
10 Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (Socohwashis and all the land of Hepher);
11 Ben-abinadab,inall 4:11Or Naphoth-dor the height of Dor (Taphath the daughter of Solomon was his wife);
12 Baana the son of Ahilud,inTaanach 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 Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (now 4:13Or the towns of Jair Havvoth-Jair—Jair beingthe son of Manasseh—which is in Gilead was his: the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze barswerehis);
14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo,inMahanaim;
15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he also married Basemath the daughter of Solomon);
16 Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and 4:16Or in Aloth Bealoth;
17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar;
18 Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin;
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; andhe wasthe only deputy whowasin the land.Judah’s and Israel’s Abundance and Security
20 Judah and Israelwereas numerous as the sand that is on the 4:20 Lit sea seashore in abundance;theywere eating and drinking and being glad.
21 4:21Ch5:1in Heb Now Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the 4:21The Euphrates River Rivertothe land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt;theybrought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
22 And Solomon’s 4:22Lit bread provision for one day was 4:22Approx. 195 bu. or6.9metric tons, a kor was approx.6.5bu. or 230 l thirty kors of fine flour and 4:22Approx. 390 bu. or13.8metric tons sixty kors of meal,
23 ten fat oxen, twenty 4:23Lit oxen of the pasture pasture-fed oxen, one hundred sheep besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl.
24 For he had dominion over everything 4:24 Lit beyond west of the 4:24 The Euphrates River River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings 4:24 Lit beyond west of the 4:24 The Euphrates River River; and he had peace on all sides around about him.
25 So Judah and Israel lived in security, every man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.
26 Solomon had 4:26One ms4,000,cf. 2 Chr 9:2540,000stalls of horses for his chariots, and12,000horsemen.
27 And these deputies sustained King Solomon and all who came to King Solomon’s table, each in his month; they left nothing lacking.
28 They also brought barley and straw for the horses and swift steeds to the place where it should be, each according to thelegaljudgment for him.
29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth ofunderstandinginhisheart, like the sand that is on the seashore.
30 And Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.
31 And he was wiser than all men, than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol, and 4:31In 1 Chr 2:6,Dara Darda, the sons of Mahol; andthe renown ofhis name was in all the surrounding nations.
32 He also spoke3,000proverbs, and his songs were1,005.
33 And 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 4:34Lit they And men came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.