Solomon’s Princes

1So King Solomon (peace) ruled over Israel (he wrestles with God), 2and these were his chief officials:

Azariah (YHWH has helped) son of Zadok (righteous) was the priest;

3Elihoreph (God of winter) and Ahijah (brother of Yah), the sons of Shisha (Shavsha),a were secretaries;

Jehoshaphat (YHWH has judged) son of Ahilud (child's brother) was the recorder;

4Benaiah (YHWH has built up) son of Jehoiada (YHWH knows) was in charge of the army;

Zadok (righteous) and Abiathar (my father is great) were priests;

5Azariah (YHWH has helped) son of Nathan (giver) was in charge of the governors;

Zabud (given) son of Nathan was a priest and adviser to the king;

6Ahishar (my brother sang) was in charge of the palace;

and Adoniram (Hadoram)b son of Abda (servant of YHWH) was in charge of the forced labor.

Solomon’s Twelve Officers

7Solomon (peace) had twelve governors over all Israel (he wrestles with God) to provide food for the king and his household. Each one would arrange provisions for one month of the year, 8and these were their names:

Ben-hur (son of whiteness) in the hill country of Ephraim (doubly fruitful);

9Ben-deker (son of stabbing) in Makaz (end), in Shaalbim (place of foxes), in Beth-shemesh (house of the sun), and in Elon-beth-hanan (oak of the house of grace);

10Ben-hesed (son of faithfulness) in Arubboth (windows) (Socoh (bushy) and all the land of Hepher (a well) belonged to him);

11Ben-abinadab (son of Abinadab) in Naphath-dor (in all the heights of Dor)c (Taphath (ornament), a daughter of Solomon (peace), was his wife);

12Baana (in the affliction) son of Ahilud (child's brother) in Taanach (sandy), in Megiddo (place of crowds), and in all of Beth-shean (house of ease) next to Zarethan (their distress) below Jezreel (God sows), from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah (meadow of dancing) and on past Jokmeam (gathered by the people);

13Ben-geber (the son of Geber) in Ramoth-gilead (heights) (the villages of Jair (he enlightens) son of Manasseh (causing to forget) (rocky region) in Gilead belonged to him, as well as the region of Argob (heap of clods) in Bashan (fruitful) with its sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars);

14Ahinadab (my brother is noble) son of Iddo (His witness) in Mahanaim (two camps);

15Ahimaaz (my brother is wrath) in Naphtali (wrestling) (he had married Basemath (spice), a daughter of Solomon (peace));

16Baana (in the affliction) son of Hushai (hastening) in Asher (happy) and in Aloth (mistresses);

17Jehoshaphat (YHWH has judged) son of Paruah (sprout) in Issachar (there is recompense);

18Shimei (renowned) son of Ela (oak) in Benjamin (son of the right hand);

19Geber (warrior) son of Uri (fiery) in the land of Gilead (rocky region), including the territories of Sihon king of the Amorites (sayers) and of Og (long-necked) king of Bashan (fruitful).

There was also one governor in the land of Judah [And he was the one governor in the land.].d

Solomon’s Prosperity

20The people of Judah (praised) and Israel (he wrestles with God) were as numerous as the sand on the seashore, and they were eating and drinking and rejoicing. 21And Solomon (peace) reigned over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates \the River/e to the land of the Philistines (immigrants), as far as the border of Egypt (land of bondage). These kingdoms offered tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.

22Solomon’s (peace) provisions for a single day were thirty cors of fine flour <187 bu / 6,600 l>,f sixty cors of meal <375 bu / 13,200 l>,g 23ten fat oxen, twenty range oxen, and a hundred sheep, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened poultry. 24For Solomon had dominion over everything west of the Euphrates (beyond the River)h —over all the kingdoms from Tiphsah (cross over) to Gaza (the strong)—and he had peace on all sides. 25Throughout the days of Solomon (peace), Judah (praised) and Israel (he wrestles with God) dwelt securely from Dan (He has judged) to Beersheba (well of seven), each man under his own vine and his own fig tree.

26Solomon (peace) had 4,000 [40,000]i stalls for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses (horsemen).j 27Each month the governors in turn provided food for King Solomon (peace) and all who came to his table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking. 28Each one also brought to the required place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and other horses.

Solomon’s Wisdom

29And God {Elohim} gave Solomon (peace) wisdom, exceedingly deep insight, and understanding beyond measure, like the sand on the seashore. 30Solomon’s (peace) wisdom was greater than that of all the men of the East, greater than all the wisdom of Egypt (land of bondage). 31He was wiser than all men—wiser than Ethan (enduring) the Ezrahite (of the soil), and wiser than Heman (faithful), Calcol (sustaining), and Darda (pearl of knowledge), the sons of Mahol (dancing). And his fame spread throughout the surrounding nations.

32Solomon composed three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered a thousand and five. 33He spoke of trees, from the cedar in Lebanon (whiteness) to the hyssop growing in the wall, and he taught about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish.

34So men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s (peace) wisdom, sent by all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.