1 King Solomon was king over all Israel. 2 These were the princes whom he had: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest; 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder; 4 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 5 Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan was chief minister, the king’s friend; 6 Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the men subject to forced labor.

7 Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household. Each man had to make provision for a month in the year. 8 These are their names: Ben Hur, in the hill country of Ephraim; 9 Ben Deker, in Makaz, in Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan; 10 Ben Hesed, in Arubboth (Socoh and all the land of Hepher belonged to him); 11 Ben Abinadab, in all the height of Dor (he had Taphath, Solomon’s daughter, as wife); 12 Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth Shean which is beside Zarethan, beneath Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah, as far as beyond Jokmeam; 13 Ben Geber, in Ramoth Gilead (the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead, belonged to him; and the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars, belonged to him); 14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; 15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon as wife); 16 Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; 17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18 Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin; 19 Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer who was in the land.

20 Judah and Israel were numerous as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry. 21 Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life. 22 Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty cors of fine flour, sixty measures of meal, 23 ten head of fat cattle, twenty head of cattle out of the pastures, and one hundred sheep, in addition to deer, and gazelles, and roebucks, and fattened fowl. 24 For he had dominion over all on this side the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side the River: and he had peace on all sides around him. 25 Judah and Israel lived safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. 26 Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. 27 Those officers provided food for king Solomon, and for all who came to king Solomon’s table, every man in his month. They let nothing be lacking. 28 They also brought Barley and straw for the horses and swift steeds to the place where the officers were, each man according to his duty. 29 God gave Solomon abundant wisdom and understanding, and very great understanding, even as the sand that is on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all the nations all around. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs; and his songs numbered one thousand five. 33 He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that grows out of the wall; he also spoke of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. 34 People of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, sent by all kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.

3 Eliorefe e Aiás (filhos de Sisa) exerciam as funções de secretários; Jeosafá (filho de Ailude) era cronista;

4 Benaia (filho de Jeoiada) era o comandante do exército; Zadoque e Abiatar eram sacerdotes;

5 Azarias (filho de Natã) tinha as funções de administrador-geral; Zabude (filho de Natã) era sacerdote e o seu conselheiro especial;

6 Aisar, chefiava a casa real; Adonirão (filho de Abda) superintendia sobre os trabalhos obrigatórios.

9 Bene-Dequer, que tinha a área de Macaz, de Saalabim, de Bete-Semes, de Elom e de Bete-Hanã;

10 Bene-Hesede, com a área de Arubote, incluindo Socó e toda a terra de Hefer;

11 Bene-Abinadabe (que casou com a filha de Salomão, a princesa Tafate), responsável pela área das serranias de Dor;

12 Baaná (filho de Ailude), responsável por Taanaque, Megido, toda a Bete-Seã perto de Zaretã, abaixo de Jezreel e todo o território desde Bete-Seã até Abel-Meolá e até Jocmeão;

13 Bene-Geber, cuja área era Ramote-Gileade, incluindo as povoações de Jair (o filho de Manassés) que estão em Gileade; mais a região de Argobe em Basã, incluindo também sessenta cidades muradas e com portões de bronze;

14 Ainadabe (filho de Iddo), cuja área era Maanaim;

15 Aimaaz (que casou com a princesa Basemate, outra filha de Salomão), que tinha a área de Naftali;

16 Baana (filho de Husai), cujas áreas eram Aser e Bealote;

17 Jeosafá (filho de Paruá), que tinha a área de Issacar;

18 Simei (filho de Ela), com a área de Benjamim;

19 Havia depois um administrador que supervisava todo este trabalho.

20 Israel e Judá, nesse tempo, eram uma nação rica, próspera, populosa. O rei Salomão governava um extenso território que ia desde o rio Eufrates até à terra dos filisteus, descendo até à fronteira com o Egipto. Os povos destas áreas, que tinham sido conquistados, pagavam impostos a Salomão, e estiveram-lhe sujeitos toda a sua vida.

22 A provisão alimentar para o palácio real, diariamente, era de 6.825 litros de farinha e de 13.650 litros de cereais, dez vacas engordadas, e outras trazidas dos pastos, cem ovelhas e, de vez em quando, veados, gazelas, cabras monteses e gordas aves de capoeira.

24 O seu domínio alargava-se a todos os reinos do oriente do rio Eufrates, desde Tifsa até Gaza. E havia paz em toda a terra.

25 Durante o tempo do reinado de Salomão, Israel e Judá viveram em paz e segurança; cada família possuia a sua própria casa com o seu jardim.

26 Salomão possuía ainda quarenta mil cavalos, para os seus carros de combate e doze mil cavaleiros.

27 Em cada mês, como se viu, os administradores forneciam a casa real de alimento;

28 além de cevada e palha para as estrebarias reais.

29 Deus deu a Salomão grande sabedoria e inteligência, assim como muito conhecimento. De facto, a sua sabedoria excedia a de qualquer sábio do Oriente, incluindo os do Egipto. Era mais sábio do que Etã o ezraíta, e do que Hemã, Calcol e Darda, os filhos de Maol; a sua fama estendeu-se a todas as nações vizinhas. Foi o autor de 3.000 provérbios e escreveu 1.005 cânticos. Interessou-se muito pela natureza, pela vida dos animais quadrúpedes, das aves, dos répteis, dos peixes, assim como das plantas - desde os grandes cedros do Líbano até ao mais insignificante hissope que cresce nas fendas do muros. Reis de muitas terras mandaram-lhe embaixadores pedindo-lhe conselhos.