1So King Solomon ruled over all Israel.2These were his chief officials: Azariah son of Zadok, the priest;3Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha, secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud, recorder;4Benaiah son of Jehoiada, commander-in-chief; Zadok and Abiathar, priests;5Azariah son of Nathan, in charge of the district governors; Zabud son of Nathan, a priest and advisor to the king;6Ahishar, palace administrator; Adoniram son of Abda, in charge of forced labour.7Solomon had twelve district governors over all Israel, who supplied provisions for the king and the royal household. Each one had to provide supplies for one month in the year.8These are their names: Ben-Hur, in the hill country of Ephraim;9Ben-Deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh and Elon Bethhanan;10Ben-Hesed, in Arubboth (Sokoh and all the land of Hepher were his);11Ben-Abinadab, in Naphoth Dor (he was married to Taphath daughter of Solomon);12Baana son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, and in all of Beth Shan next to Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah across to Jokmeam;13Ben-Geber, in Ramoth Gilead (the settlements of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead were his, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan and its sixty large walled cities with bronze gate bars);14Ahinadab son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;15Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he had married Basemath daughter of Solomon);16Baana son of Hushai, in Asher and in Aloth;17Jehoshaphat son of Paruah, in Issachar;18Shimei son of Ela, in Benjamin;19Geber son of Uri, in Gilead (the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and the country of Og king of Bashan). He was the only governor over the district.
Solomon’s daily provisions
20The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy.21And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought tribute and were Solomon’s subjects all his life.22Solomon’s daily provisions were thirty cors[1] of the finest flour and sixty cors[2] of meal,23ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed cattle and a hundred sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks and choice fowl.24For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the River Euphrates, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and had peace on all sides.25During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, everyone under their own vine and under their own fig-tree.26Solomon had four[3] thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand horses.[4] (2Ch 9:25)27The district governors, each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon and all who came to the king’s table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking.28They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses.
Solomon’s wisdom
29God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.30Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.31He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite – wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations.32He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five.33He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish.34From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.[5]
1So war Salomo König über ganz Israel.2Und dies waren seine Großen: Asarja, der Sohn Zadoks, war Priester;3Elihoref und Ahija, die Söhne Schischas, waren Schreiber; Joschafat, der Sohn Ahiluds, war Kanzler; (2Sa 8:16)4Benaja, der Sohn Jojadas, war Feldhauptmann; Zadok und Abjatar waren Priester; (2Sa 23:20; 1Ki 2:34)5Asarja, der Sohn Nathans, stand den Amtleuten vor; Sabud, der Sohn Nathans, war des Königs Freund;6Ahischar war Hofmeister; Adoniram, der Sohn Abdas, war Fronvogt. (2Sa 20:24; 1Ki 5:28)7Und Salomo hatte zwölf Amtleute über ganz Israel, die den König und sein Haus versorgten, und zwar ein jeder im Jahr einen Monat lang.8Sie hießen: der Sohn Hurs auf dem Gebirge Ephraim;9der Sohn Dekers in Makaz und in Schaalbim und in Bet-Schemesch und in Elon und Bet-Hanan;10der Sohn Heseds in Arubbot und hatte dazu Socho und das ganze Land Hefer;11der Sohn Abinadabs über das ganze Hügelland von Dor; er hatte Tafat, eine Tochter Salomos, zur Frau;12Baana, der Sohn Ahiluds, in Taanach und in Megiddo und über ganz Bet-Schean, das liegt neben Zaretan unterhalb von Jesreel, von Bet-Schean bis Abel-Mehola, bis jenseits von Jokneam;13der Sohn Gebers zu Ramot in Gilead; er hatte die Dörfer Jaïrs, des Sohnes Manasses, in Gilead und die Gegend Argob, die in Baschan liegt, sechzig große Städte, ummauert und mit ehernen Riegeln; (Nu 32:41)14Ahinadab, der Sohn Iddos, in Mahanajim;15Ahimaaz in Naftali; auch er hatte eine Tochter Salomos, Basemat, zur Frau genommen;16Baana, der Sohn Huschais, in Asser und Bealot;17Joschafat, der Sohn Paruachs, in Issachar;18Schimi, der Sohn Elas, in Benjamin;19Geber, der Sohn Uris, im Lande Gilead, im Lande Sihons, des Königs der Amoriter, und Ogs, des Königs in Baschan. Ein Amtmann war in diesem Lande.20Juda aber und Israel waren zahlreich wie der Sand am Meer, und sie aßen und tranken und waren fröhlich. (Ge 22:17; 1Ki 3:8)