Solomon's Officials
1 Solomon was king of all Israel, 2 and these were his high officials:
The priest: Azariah son of Zadok3 The court secretaries: Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of ShishaIn charge of the records: Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud4 Commander of the army: Benaiah son of JehoiadaPriests: Zadok and Abiathar5 Chief of the district governors: Azariah son of NathanRoyal Adviser: the priest Zabud son of Nathan6 In charge of the palace servants: AhisharIn charge of the forced labor: Adoniram son of Abda7 Solomon appointed twelve men as district governors in Israel. They were to provide food from their districts for the king and his household, each man being responsible for one month out of the year. 8 The following are the names of these twelve officers and the districts they were in charge of:
Benhur: the hill country of Ephraim9 Bendeker: the cities of Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, Elon, and Beth Hanan10 Benhesed: the cities of Arubboth and Socoh and all the territory of Hepher11 Benabinadab, who was married to Solomon's daughter Taphath: the whole region of Dor12 Baana son of Ahilud: the cities of Taanach, Megiddo, and all the region near Beth Shan, near the town of Zarethan, south of the town of Jezreel, as far as the city of Abel Meholah and the city of Jokmeam13 Bengeber: the city of Ramoth in Gilead, and the villages in Gilead belonging to the clan of Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, and the region of Argob in Bashan, sixty large towns in all, fortified with walls and with bronze bars on the gates14 Ahinadab son of Iddo: the district of Mahanaim15 Ahimaaz, who was married to Basemath, another of Solomon's daughters: the territory of Naphtali16 Baana son of Hushai: the region of Asher and the town of Bealoth17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah: the territory of Issachar18 Shimei son of Ela: the territory of Benjamin19 Geber son of Uri: the region of Gilead, which had been ruled by King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of BashanBesides these twelve, there was one governor over the whole land.
Solomon's Prosperous Reign
20 The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore; they ate and drank, and were happy. 21 Solomon's kingdom included all the nations from the Euphrates River to Philistia and the Egyptian border. They paid him taxes and were subject to him all his life.
22 The supplies Solomon needed each day were 150 bushels of fine flour and 300 bushels of meal; 23 10 stall-fed cattle, 20 pasture-fed cattle, and 100 sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and poultry.
24 Solomon ruled over all the land west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah on the Euphrates as far west as the city of Gaza. All the kings west of the Euphrates were subject to him, and he was at peace with all the neighboring countries. 25 As long as he lived, the people throughout Judah and Israel lived in safety, each family with its own grapevines and fig trees.
26 Solomon had forty thousand stalls for his chariot horses and twelve thousand cavalry horses. 27 His twelve governors, each one in the month assigned to him, supplied the food King Solomon needed for himself and for all who ate in the palace; they always supplied everything needed. 28 Each governor also supplied his share of barley and straw, where it was needed, for the chariot horses and the work animals.
29 God gave Solomon unusual wisdom and insight, and knowledge too great to be measured. 30 Solomon was wiser than the wise men of the East or the wise men of Egypt. 31 He was the wisest of all men: wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame spread throughout all the neighboring countries. 32 He composed three thousand proverbs and more than a thousand songs. 33 He spoke of trees and plants, from the Lebanon cedars to the hyssop that grows on walls; he talked about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish. 34 Kings all over the world heard of his wisdom and sent people to listen to him.
1 And King Salomon was King ouer all Israel. 2 And these were his princes, Azariah the sonne of Zadok the Priest, 3 Elihoreph and Ahiah the sonnes of Shisha scribes, Iehoshaphat the sonne of Ahilud, the recorder, 4 And Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada was ouer the hoste, and Zadok and Abiathar Priests, 5 And Azariah the sonne of Nathan was ouer the officers, and Zabud the sonne of Nathan Priest was the Kings friend, 6 And Ahishar was ouer the houshold: and Adoniram the sonne of Abda was ouer the tribute. 7 And Salomon had twelue officers ouer all Israel, which prouided vitailes for the King and his housholde: eche man had a moneth in the yeere to prouide vitailes. 8 And these are their names: the sonne of Hur in mount Ephraim: 9 The sonne of Dekar in Makaz, and in Shaalbim and Beth-shemesh, and Elon and Beth-hanan: 10 The sonne of Hesed in Aruboth, to whom perteined Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher: 11 The sonne of Abinadab in all the region of Dor, which had Taphath the daughter of Salomon to wife. 12 Baana the sonne of Ahilud in Taanach, and Megiddo, and in all Beth-shean, which is by Zartanah beneath Izreel, from Beth-shean to Abelmeholah, eue til beyond ouer against Iokmeam: 13 The sonne of Geber in Ramoth Gilead, and his were the townes of Iair, the sonne of Manasseh, which are in Gilead, and vnder him was the region of Argob, which is in Bashan: threescore great cities with walles and barres of brasse. 14 Ahinadab the sonne of Iddo had to Mahanaim: 15 Ahimaaz in Naphtali, and he tooke Basmath the daughter of Salomon to wife: 16 Baanah the sonne of Hushai in Asher and in Aloth: 17 Iehoshaphat the sonne of Paruah in Issachar. 18 Shimei the sonne of Elah in Beniamin: 19 Geber the sonne of Vri in the countrey of Gilead, the land of Sihon King of the Amorites, and of Og King of Bashan, and was officer alone in the land. 20 Iudah and Israel were many, as the sand of the sea in number, eating, drinking, and making merry. 21 And Salomon reigned ouer all kingdomes, from the Riuer vnto the lande of the Philistims, and vnto the border of Egypt, and they brought presents, and serued Salomon all the dayes of his life. 22 And Salomons vitailes for one day were thirtie measures of fine floure, and threescore measures of meale: 23 Ten fat oxen, and twentie oxen of the pastures, and an hundreth sheepe, beside hartes, and buckes, and bugles, and fat foule. 24 For he ruled in all the region on the other side of the Riuer, from Tiphsah euen vnto Azzah, ouer all the Kings on the other side the Riuer: and he had peace round about him on euery side. 25 And Iudah and Israel dwelt without feare, euery man vnder his vine, and vnder his fig tree, from Dan, euen to Beer-sheba, all the dayes of Salomon. 26 And Salomon had fourtie thousande stalles of horses for his charets, and twelue thousand horsemen. 27 And these officers prouided vitaile for king Salomon, and for all that came to King Salomons table, euery man his moneth, and they suffred to lacke nothing. 28 Barley also and strawe for the horses and mules brought they vnto the place where the officers were, euery man according to his charge. 29 And God gaue Salomon wisdome and vnderstanding exceeding much, and a large heart, euen as the sand that is on the sea shore, 30 And Salomons wisdome excelled the wisedome of all the children of the East and all the wisedome of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser then any man: yea, then were Ethan the Ezrahite, the Heman, then Chalcol, then Darda the sonnes of Mahol: and he was famous throughout all nations round about. 32 And Salomon spake three thousand prouerbs: and his songs were a thousand and fiue. 33 And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon, euen vnto the hyssope that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of foules, and of creeping thinges, and of fishes. 34 And there came of all people to heare the wisedome of Salomon, from all Kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisedome.