I Kings 4

¹And king Solomon was king over all Israel.

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

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

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

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

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

⁷And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided victuals for the king and his household: each man had to make provision for a month in the year.

⁸And these are their names: Ben-hur, in the hill-country of Ephraim;

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

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

¹¹Ben-abinadab, in all the height of Dor (he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife);

¹²Baana 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;

¹³Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (to him pertained the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; even to him pertained the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brazen bars);

¹⁴Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;

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

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

¹⁷Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar;

¹⁸Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin;

¹⁹Geber 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 that was in the land.

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

²¹And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought tribute, and served Solomon all the days of his life.

²²And Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,

²³ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and a hundred sheep, besides harts, and gazelles, and roebucks, and fatted fowl.

²⁴For he had dominion over all the region on this side the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side the River: and he had peace on all sides round about him.

²⁵And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon.

²⁶And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.

²⁷And those officers provided victuals for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon’s table, every man in his month; they let nothing be lacking.

²⁸Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.

²⁹And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea-shore.

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

³¹For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all the nations round about.

³²And he spake three thousand proverbs; and his songs were a thousand and five.

³³And he spake of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall; he spake also of beasts, and of birds, and of creeping things, and of fishes.

³⁴And there came of all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.

I Kings 4

¹And king Solomon is king over all Israel,

²and these are the heads whom he hath: Azariah son of Zadok is the priest;

³Elihoreph and Ahiah sons of Shisha are scribes; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud is remembrancer;

⁴and Benaiah son of Jehoiada is over the host; and Zadok and Abiathar are priests;

⁵and Azariah son of Nathan is over the officers; and Zabud son of Nathan is minister, friend of the king;

⁶And Ahishar is over the household, and Adoniram son of Abda is over the tribute.

⁷And Solomon hath twelve officers over all Israel, and they have sustained the king and his householda month in the year is on each one for sustenance;

⁸and these are their names: Ben-Hur in the hill-country of Ephraim;

⁹Ben-Dekar in Makaz, and Shaalbim, and Beth-Shemesh, and Elon-Beth-Hanan.

¹⁰Ben-Hesed is in Aruboth, hath Sochoh and all the land of Hepher;

¹¹Ben-Abinadab hath all the elevation of Dor, Taphath daughter of Solomon became his wife.

¹²Baana Ben-Ahilud hath Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-Shean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Beth-Shean unto Abel-Meholah, unto beyond Jokneam.

¹³Ben-Geber, in Ramoth-Gilead, hath the small towns of Jair son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; he hath a portion of Argob that is in Bashan, sixty great cities with wall and brazen bar.

¹⁴Ahinadab son of Iddo hath Mahanaim.

¹⁵Ahimaaz is in Naphtali; he also hath taken Basemath daughter of Solomon for a wife.

¹⁶Baanah Ben-Hushai is in Asher, and in Aloth.

¹⁷Jehoshaphat Ben-Paruah is in Issachar.

¹⁸Shimei Ben-Elah is in Benjamin.

¹⁹Geber Ben-Uri is in the land of Gilead, the land of Sihon king of the Amorite, and of Og king of Bashan: and one officer who is in the land.

²⁰Judah and Israel are many, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing.

²¹And Solomon hath been ruling over all the kingdoms, from the River to the land of the Philistines and unto the border of Egypt: they are bringing nigh a present, and serving Solomon, all days of his life.

²²And the provision of Solomon for one day is thirty cors of flour, and sixty cors of meal;

²³ten fat oxen, and twenty feeding oxen, and a hundred sheep, apart from hart, and roe, and fallow-deer, and fatted beasts of the stalls,

²⁴for he is ruling over all beyond the river, from Tiphsah and unto Gaza, over all the kings beyond the river, and he hath peace from all his servants round about.

²⁵And Judah dwellethand Israelin confidence, each under his vine, and under his fig-tree, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba, all the days of Solomon.

²⁶And Solomon hath forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.

²⁷And these officers have sustained king Solomon and every one drawing near unto the table of king Solomon, each in his month; they let nothing be lacking.

²⁸And the barley and the straw, for horses and for dromedaries, they bring in unto the place where they are, each according to his ordinance.

²⁹And God giveth wisdom to Solomon, and understanding, very much, and breadth of heart, as the sand that is on the edge of the sea;

³⁰and the wisdom of Solomon is greater than the wisdom of any of the sons of the east, and than all the wisdom of Egypt;

³¹and he is wiser than all men, than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, sons of Mahol, and his name is in all the nations round about.

³²And he speaketh three thousand similes, and his songs are five, and the chief one;

³³and he speaketh concerning the trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon, even unto the hyssop that is coming out in the wall, and he speaketh concerning the cattle, and concerning the fowl, and concerning the creeping things, and concerning the fishes,

³⁴and there come out of all the peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth who have heard of his wisdom.