1 Kings 4:1-21 ▼

1 So King Solomon (peace) ruled over Israel (he wrestles with God),

2 and these were his chief officials: Azariah (YHWH has helped) son of Zadok (righteous) was the priest;

3 Elihoreph (God of winter) and Ahijah (brother of Yah), the sons of Shisha (Shavsha), were secretaries; Jehoshaphat (YHWH has judged) son of Ahilud (child's brother) was the recorder;

4 Benaiah (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;

5 Azariah (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;

6 Ahishar (my brother sang) was in charge of the palace; and Adoniram (Hadoram) son of Abda (servant of YHWH) was in charge of the forced labor.

7 Solomon (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,

8 and these were their names: Ben-hur (son of whiteness) in the hill country of Ephraim (doubly fruitful);

9 Ben-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);

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

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

12 Baana (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);

13 Ben-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);

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

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

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

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

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

19 Geber (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.].

20 The 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.

21 And Solomon (peace) reigned over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates \the River/ 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.