1 Kings 4
King Solomon ruled over all of Israel, with various leaders and officials overseeing different aspects of the kingdom. He had twelve regional commanders who provided for the king and his household throughout the year. Solomon's kingdom was vast, stretching from the Euphrates River to Egypt, and he received tribute from all the surrounding kingdoms. The kingdom prospered under his rule, with the people living in peace and security, and Solomon's wisdom and knowledge became renowned throughout the land, attracting visitors from all over the world.
1Now king Solomon was reigning over all of Israel2And these were the leaders that he had: Azariah, the son of Zadok, the priest3Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, the scribes; Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, the keeper of records4Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, over the army; and Zadok, and Abiathar, priests5Azariah, the son of Nathan, over those who were assisting the king; Zabud, the son of Nathan, the priest, the friend of the king6and Ahishar, first ruler of the house; and Adoniram, the son of Abda, over the tribute7And Solomon had twelve commanders over all of Israel, who offered yearly provisions for the king and his house. For each was ministering the necessities, by each month of the year8And these are their names: Benhur, on mount Ephraim9Bendeker, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and in Beth-shemesh, and in Elon, and in Beth-hanan10Benhesed, in Arubboth: his was Socoh and the entire land of Hepher11Benabinadab, to whom was all of Naphath-Dor, who had Taphath, the daughter of Solomon, as wife12Baana, the son of Ahilud, who was reigning in Taanach, and Megiddo, and all of Bethshean, which is beside Zarethan and below Jezreel, from Bethshean as far as Abelmeholah, opposite Jokmeam13Bengeber, in Ramoth Gilead, who had the town of Jair, the son of Manasseh, in Gilead; the same was first in the entire region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls that had bronze bars14Ahinadab, the son of Iddo, who was first in Mahanaim15Ahimaaz, in Naphtali, and he also had Basemath, the daughter of Solomon, in marriage16Baana, the son of Hushai, in Asher and in Bealoth17Jehoshaphat, the son of Paruah, in Issachar18Shimei, the son of Ela, in Benjamin19Geber, the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, in the land of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and of Og, king of Bashan, over all who were in that land20Judah and Israel were innumerable, like the sand of the sea in multitude: eating and drinking, and rejoicing21Now Solomon had, in his dominion, all the kingdoms, from the river to the land of the Philistines, even to the border of Egypt. And they offered gifts to him, and they served him all the days of his life22And the provisions of Solomon, for each day, were thirty cor of fine wheat flour, and sixty cor of meal23ten fattened oxen, and twenty oxen from the pastures, and one hundred rams, aside from the venison of stags, roe deer, and gazelles, and fattened poultry24For he had obtained the entire region which was beyond the river, from Tiphsah as far as Gaza, and all the kings of those regions. And he had peace on every side all around25And so, Judah and Israel were living without any fear, each one under his own vine and under his own fig tree, from Dan as far as Beersheba, during all the days of Solomon26And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of chariot horses, and twelve thousand riding horses27And the above-stated commanders of the king nourished these. And they also offered the necessities for the table of king Solomon, with immense diligence, each in his time28Also, they brought barley and straw for the horses and beasts of burden, to the place where the king was, just as it was appointed to them29And God gave wisdom to Solomon, and an exceedingly great prudence, and a spacious heart, like the sand which is on the shore of the sea30And the wisdom of Solomon surpassed the wisdom of all the East, and of the Egyptians31And he was wiser than all men: wiser than Ethan, the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And he was renowned in all the nations on every side32Solomon also spoke three thousand parables. And his verses were one thousand and five33And he discoursed about trees, from the cedar which is in Lebanon, to the hyssop which grows out from the wall. And he explained about beasts, and birds, and reptiles, and fish34And they came from all the peoples in order to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who were hearing about his wisdom
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