1So King Solomon ruled over the whole nation of Israel.2Here are the names of his chief officials. Azariah was the priest. He was the son of Zadok.3Elihoreph and Ahijah were secretaries. They were the sons of Shisha. Jehoshaphat kept the records. He was the son of Ahilud.4Benaiah was the commander-in-chief. He was the son of Jehoiada. Zadok and Abiathar were priests.5Azariah was in charge of the local governors. He was the son of Nathan. Zabud was a priest. He was also the king’s adviser. He was the son of Nathan.6Ahishar was in charge of the palace. Adoniram was in charge of those who were forced to work for the king. He was the son of Abda.7Solomon had 12 local governors over the whole land of Israel. They provided supplies for the king and the royal family. Each governor had to provide supplies for one month out of each year.8Here are their names and areas. Ben-Hur’s area was the hill country of Ephraim.9Ben-Deker’s area was Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh and Elon Bethhanan.10Ben-Hesed’s area was Arubboth. Sokoh and the whole land of Hepher were included in his area.11Ben-Abinadab’s area was Naphoth Dor. He married Solomon’s daughter Taphath.12Baana’s area was Taanach, Megiddo and the whole territory of Beth Shan. Beth Shan was next to Zarethan below Jezreel. Baana’s area reached from Beth Shan all the way to Abel Meholah. It also went across to Jokmeam. Baana was the son of Ahilud.13Ben-Geber’s area was Ramoth Gilead. The settlements of Jair, the son of Manasseh, were included in his area in Gilead. The area of Argob in Bashan was also included. That area had 60 large cities that had high walls around them. The city gates were made secure with heavy bronze bars.14Ahinadab’s area was Mahanaim. He was the son of Iddo.15Ahimaaz’s area was Naphtali. He had married Basemath. She was Solomon’s daughter.16Baana’s area was Asher and Aloth. He was the son of Hushai.17Jehoshaphat’s area was Issachar. He was the son of Paruah.18Shimei’s area was Benjamin. He was the son of Ela.19Geber’s area was Gilead. He was the only governor over the area. He was the son of Uri. Gilead had been the country of Sihon and Og. Sihon had been king of the Amorites. Og had been king of Bashan.
Solomon’s daily supplies
20There were many people in Judah and Israel. In fact, they were as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. They ate, drank and were happy.21Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River Euphrates to the land of the Philistines. He ruled as far as the border of Egypt. All those countries brought the gifts he required them to bring him. And Solomon ruled over those countries for his whole life.22Here are the supplies Solomon required every day. 4.5 tonnes of the finest flour 9 tonnes of meal23ten oxen that had been fed by hand 20 oxen that had been fed on grasslands 100 sheep and goats deer, antelopes and roebucks the finest birds24Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms that were west of the River Euphrates. He ruled from Tiphsah all the way to Gaza. And he had peace and rest on every side.25While Solomon was king, Judah and Israel lived in safety. They were secure from Dan all the way to Beersheba. Everyone had their own vine and their own fig tree.26Solomon had 4,000 spaces where he kept his chariot horses. He had a total of 12,000 horses.27The local governors provided supplies for King Solomon. They provided them for all who ate at the king’s table. Each governor provided supplies for one month every year. The governors made sure the king had everything he needed.28They also brought barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses. Each of the governors brought the amounts required of them. They brought them to the proper places.
God makes Solomon very wise
29God made Solomon very wise. His understanding couldn’t even be measured. It was like the sand on the seashore. People can’t measure that either.30Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the east. It was greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.31Solomon was wiser than anyone else. He was wiser than Ethan, the Ezrahite. He was wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda. They were the sons of Mahol. Solomon became famous in all the nations around him.32He spoke 3,000 proverbs. He wrote 1,005 songs.33He spoke about plants. He knew everything about them, from the cedar trees in Lebanon to the hyssop plants that grow out of walls. He spoke about animals and birds. He also spoke about reptiles and fish.34The kings of all the world’s nations heard about how wise Solomon was. So they sent their people to listen to him.
1Süleyman bütün İsrail'in kralıydı.2Görevlileri ise şunlardı: Kâhin: Sadok oğlu Azarya.3Yazmanlar: Şişa'nın oğulları Elihoref ve Ahiya. Devlet tarihçisi: Ahilut oğlu Yehoşafat.4Ordu komutanı: Yehoyada oğlu Benaya. Kâhinler: Sadok ve Aviyatar.5Baş vali: Natan oğlu Azarya. Kralın özel danışmanı: Natan oğlu Kâhin Zavut.6Saray sorumlusu: Ahişar. Angaryacıların başı: Avda oğlu Adoniram.7Süleyman'ın İsrail'de on iki bölge valisi vardı. Bunlar kralın ve sarayın yiyecek içecek gereksinimini karşılardı. Her vali yılda bir ay bu gereksinimleri karşılamakla yükümlüydü.8Bu valiler şunlardı: Efrayim'in dağlık bölgesinde Ben-Hur;9Makaz, Şaalvim, Beytşemeş ve Elon-Beythanan bölgelerinde Ben-Deker;10Arubbot, Soko ve bütün Hefer bölgesinde Ben-Heset;11Nafat-Dor bölgesinde Süleyman'ın kızı Tafat'la evli olan Ben-Avinadav;12Taanak, Megiddo, Yizreel'in altında Saretan'ın yanındaki bütün Beytşean ve Beytşean'dan Avel-Mehola ve Yokmoam'ın ötelerine kadar uzanan bölgede Ahilut oğlu Baana;13Ramot-Gilat, Gilat'ta Manaşşe oğlu Yair'in yerleşim birimleri ve Başan'daki Argov yöresinde surlar ve tunç sürgülerle güçlendirilmiş altmış büyük kentin başında Ben-Gever;14Mahanayim bölgesinde İddo oğlu Ahinadav;15Naftali bölgesinde Süleyman'ın kızı Basemat'la evlenen Ahimaas;16Aşer ve Bealot bölgelerinde Huşay oğlu Baana;17İssakar bölgesinde Paruah oğlu Yehoşafat;18Benyamin bölgesinde Ela oğlu Şimi;19Gilat bölgesinde, yani Amorlular'ın Kralı Sihon'la Başan Kralı Og'un eski topraklarında Uri oğlu Gever. Ayrıca Yahuda bölgesinin[1] tek valisi vardı.
Süleyman'ın Bir Günlük Gereksinimleri
20Yahuda ve İsrail halkı kıyıların kumu kadar kalabalıktı. Herkes yiyip içip sevinç içinde yaşıyordu.21Süleyman, Fırat Irmağı'ndan Filist'e, oradan Mısır sınırına kadar bütün ülkelere egemendi. Bu ülkeler Süleyman'ın yaşamı boyunca ona haraç ödeyip hizmet ettiler.22Süleyman'ın sarayının bir günlük yiyecek gereksinimi şunlardı: Otuz kor[2] ince, altmış kor[3] kepekli un;23onu ahırda, yirmisi çayırda yetiştirilmiş sığır ve yüz koyun; ayrıca geyikler, ceylanlar, karacalar ve semiz kuşlar.24Tifsah'tan Gazze'ye kadar, Fırat Irmağı'nın batısındaki bütün krallıkları Süleyman yönetiyordu. Her tarafta barış vardı.25Dan'dan Beer-Şeva'ya kadar Yahuda ve İsrail halkının her bireyi Süleyman'ın yaşamı boyunca kendi asması ve incir ağacı altında güvenlik içinde yaşadı.26Süleyman'ın savaş arabalarının atları için kırk bin ahırı ve on iki bin atlısı vardı.27Bölge valilerinin her biri kendine düşen bir ay boyunca, Kral Süleyman'a ve sofrasına oturan herkese yiyecek sağlar, hiçbir şeyi eksik etmezdi.28Her vali kendisine verilen buyruk uyarınca, savaş arabalarının atlarıyla öbür atlar için belirli bir yere arpa ve saman getirirdi.
Süleyman'ın Eşsiz Bilgeliği
29Tanrı, Süleyman'a bilgelik, derin bir sezgi, kıyılardaki kum kadar anlayış verdi.30Süleyman'ın bilgeliği, bütün doğuluların ve Mısırlılar'ın bilgeliğinden daha üstündü.31O, Ezrahlı Etan, Mahol'un oğulları Heman, Kalkol ve Darda dahil herkesten daha bilgeydi. Ünü çevredeki bütün uluslara yayılmıştı.32Üç bin özdeyişi ve bin beş ezgisi vardı.33Lübnan sedir ağacından duvarlarda biten mercanköşkotuna kadar bütün ağaçlardan söz ettiği gibi, hayvanlar, kuşlar, sürüngenler ve balıklardan da söz edebiliyordu.34Süleyman'ın bilgeliğini duyan dünyanın bütün kralları ona adamlarını gönderirdi. Bütün uluslardan insanlar gelir, Süleyman'ın bilgece sözlerini dinlerdi.