1King Solomon ruled over all of Israel.
2These were the main officials he had: Azariah son of Zadok, the priest;
3Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha, who served as secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud, who kept the records;
4Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who was in charge of the army; Zadok and Abiathar, who were priests;
5Azariah son of Nathan, who was in charge of the regional governors; Zabud son of Nathan, who was the king’s chief advisor and friend;
6Ahishar, who was in charge of the palace; and Adoniram son of Abda, who was in charge of the forced labor.
7Solomon also had twelve district governors over all of Israel. They were responsible for providing food for the king and his household. Each governor had to supply food for one month out of the year.
8These were the names of the governors: Ben Hur, in the hill country of Ephraim;
9Ben Deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan;
10Ben Hesed, in Arubboth (Socoh and all the land of Hepher belonged to him);
11Ben Abinadab, in all the high country of Dor (and he was married to Taphath, Solomon’s daughter);
12Baana son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, and all of Beth Shean next to Zarethan, below Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah, to beyond Jokmeam;
13Ben Geber was in Ramoth Gilead. The towns of Jair, Manasseh’s son, in Gilead belonged to him. The region of Argob in Bashan also belonged to him, which included sixty large fortified cities with bronze bars on their gates.
14Ahinadab, Iddo’s son, was in Mahanaim.
15Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he was also married to Basemath, one of Solomon’s daughters.
16Baana, Hushai’s son, was in Asher and Bealoth.
17Jehoshaphat, Paruah’s son, was in Issachar.
18Shimei, Ela’s son, was in Benjamin.
19Geber, Uri’s son, was in the land of Gilead, the territory of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan. He was the only officer in that region.
20The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as sand on the seashore. They ate, drank, and celebrated.
21Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. These nations brought him tribute and served him throughout his life.
22Solomon’s daily provisions included thirty measures of fine flour and sixty measures of meal,
23ten fattened cattle, twenty pasture-fed cattle, and one hundred sheep, in addition to deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened birds.
24He ruled over all the region west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and over all the kings there. He lived in peace with all his neighbors.
25During Solomon’s reign, people in Judah and Israel lived safely, everyone under their own vine and fig tree, from Dan to Beersheba.
26Solomon had forty thousand stalls for his chariot horses and twelve thousand horsemen.
27These officers provided food for King Solomon and everyone who came to his table, each doing so for one month out of the year. They made sure nothing was lacking.
28They also brought barley and straw for the horses and swift steeds to the designated places, each officer fulfilling his duty.
29God gave Solomon immense wisdom and understanding, as vast as the sand on the seashore.
30Solomon’s wisdom surpassed that of all the people of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt.
31He was wiser than anyone, including Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. His fame spread among all the surrounding nations.
32He spoke three thousand proverbs and composed one thousand five songs.
33He spoke about trees, from the great cedar trees in Lebanon to the small hyssop plant that grows on walls. He also spoke about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish.
34People from all nations, sent by all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom.