New King James Version

New International Version

Solomon’s Administration

So King Solomon was king over all Israel.

1

Solomon’s Officials and Governors

So King Solomon ruled over all Israel.

2

And these were his officials: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest;

2

And these were his chief officials:
Azariah son of Zadok — the priest;

3

Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, [a]scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder;

3

Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha — secretaries;
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud — recorder;

4

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, over the army; Zadok and Abiathar, the priests;

4

Benaiah son of Jehoiada — commander in chief;
Zadok and Abiathar — priests;

5

Azariah the son of Nathan, over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan, a priest and the king’s friend;

5

Azariah son of Nathan — in charge of the district governors;
Zabud son of Nathan — a priest and adviser to the king;

6

Ahishar, over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda, over the labor force.

6

Ahishar — palace administrator;
Adoniram son of Abda — in charge of forced labor.

7

And Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household; each one made provision for one month of the year.

7

Solomon 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.

8

These are their names: [b]Ben-Hur, in the mountains of Ephraim;

8

These are their names:
Ben-Hur — in the hill country of Ephraim;

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[c]Ben-Deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan;

9

Ben-Deker — in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh and Elon Bethhanan;

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[d]Ben-Hesed, in Arubboth; to him belonged Sochoh and all the land of Hepher;

10

Ben-Hesed — in Arubboth (Sokoh and all the land of Hepher were his);

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[e]Ben-Abinadab, in all the regions of Dor; he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as wife;

11

Ben-Abinadab — in Naphoth Dor (he was married to Taphath daughter of Solomon);

12

Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth Shean, which is beside Zaretan below Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah, as far as the other side of Jokneam;

12

Baana 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;

13

[f]Ben-Geber, in Ramoth Gilead; to him belonged the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, in Gilead; to him also belonged the region of Argob in Bashan — sixty large cities with walls and bronze gate-bars;

13

Ben-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);

14

Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;

14

Ahinadab son of Iddo — in Mahanaim;

15

Ahimaaz, in Naphtali; he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon as wife;

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Ahimaaz — in Naphtali (he had married Basemath daughter of Solomon);

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Baanah the son of Hushai, in Asher and Aloth;

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Baana son of Hushai — in Asher and in Aloth;

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Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar;

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Jehoshaphat son of Paruah — in Issachar;

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Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin;

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Shimei son of Ela — in Benjamin;

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Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan. He was the only governor who was in the land.

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Geber 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.

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Prosperity and Wisdom of Solomon’s Reign

Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing.

20

Solomon’s Daily Provisions

The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy.

21

So Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the[g] River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.

21

And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River 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.

22

Now Solomon’s [h]provision for one day was thirty [i]kors of fine flour, sixty kors of meal,

22

Solomon’s daily provisions were thirty corsa of the finest flour and sixty corsb of meal,

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ten fatted oxen, twenty oxen from the pastures, and one hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowl.

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ten 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.

24

For he had dominion over all the region on this side of [j]the River from Tiphsah even to Gaza, namely over all the kings on this side of the River; and he had peace on every side all around him.

24

For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and had peace on all sides.

25

And Judah and Israel dwelt[k] safely, each man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan as far as Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.

25

During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree.

26

Solomon had [l]forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.

26

Solomon had fourc thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand horses.d

27

And these governors, each man in his month, provided food for King Solomon and for all who came to King Solomon’s table. There was no lack in their supply.

27

The 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.

28

They also brought barley and straw to the proper place, for the horses and steeds, each man according to his charge.

28

They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses.

29

And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore.

29

Solomon’s Wisdom

God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.

30

Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt.

30

Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.

31

For he was wiser than all men — than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the surrounding nations.

31

He 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.

32

He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five.

32

He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five.

33

Also he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish.

33

He 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.

34

And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.

34

From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.e

Parallel

New King James Version

New International Version

1 Kings 4

1 Kings 4