Solomon’s Officials and Governors
1So King Solomon ruled over the whole nation of Israel.
2Here are the names of his chief officials.
Azariah was the priest. He was the son of Zadok.
3Elihoreph and Ahijah were secretaries. They were the sons of Shisha.
Jehoshaphat kept the records. He was the son of Ahilud.
4Benaiah was the commander in chief. He was the son of Jehoiada.
Zadok and Abiathar were priests.
5Azariah was in charge of the local governors. He was the son of Nathan.
Zabud was a priest. He was also the king’s adviser. He was the son of Nathan.
6Ahishar was in charge of the palace.
Adoniram was in charge of those who were forced to work for the king. He was the son of Abda.
7Solomon had 12 local governors over the whole land of Israel. They provided supplies for the king and the royal family. Each governor had to provide supplies for one month out of each year.
8Here are their names and areas.
Ben-Hur’s area was the hill country of Ephraim.
9Ben-Deker’s area was Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh and Elon Bethhanan.
10Ben-Hesed’s area was Arubboth. Sokoh and the whole land of Hepher were included in his area.
11Ben-Abinadab’s area was Naphoth Dor. He married Solomon’s daughter Taphath.
12Baana’s area was Taanach, Megiddo and the whole territory of Beth Shan. Beth Shan was next to Zarethan below Jezreel. Baana’s area reached from Beth Shan all the way to Abel Meholah. It also went across to Jokmeam. Baana was the son of Ahilud.
13Ben-Geber’s area was Ramoth Gilead. The settlements of Jair, the son of Manasseh, were included in his area in Gilead. The area of Argob in Bashan was also included. That area had 60 large cities that had high walls around them. The city gates were made secure with heavy bronze bars.
14Ahinadab’s area was Mahanaim. He was the son of Iddo.
15Ahimaaz’s area was Naphtali. He had married Basemath. She was Solomon’s daughter.
16Baana’s area was Asher and Aloth. He was the son of Hushai.
17Jehoshaphat’s area was Issachar. He was the son of Paruah.
18Shimei’s area was Benjamin. He was the son of Ela.
19Geber’s area was Gilead. He was the only governor over the area. He was the son of Uri. Gilead had been the country of Sihon and Og. Sihon had been king of the Amorites. Og had been king of Bashan.
Solomon’s Daily Supplies
20There were many people in Judah and Israel. In fact, they were as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. They ate, drank and were happy. 21Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines. He ruled as far as the border of Egypt. All those countries brought the gifts he required them to bring him. And Solomon ruled over those countries for his whole life.
22Here are the supplies Solomon required every day.
five and a half tons of the finest flour
11 tons of meal
23ten oxen that had been fed by hand
20 oxen that had been fed on grasslands
100 sheep and goats
deer, antelopes and roebucks
the finest birds
24Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms that were west of the Euphrates River. He ruled from Tiphsah all the way to Gaza. And he had peace and rest on every side. 25While Solomon was king, Judah and Israel lived in safety. They were secure from Dan all the way to Beersheba. Everyone had their own vine and their own fig tree.
26Solomon had 4,000 spaces where he kept his chariot horses. He had a total of 12,000 horses.
27The local governors provided supplies for King Solomon. They provided them for all who ate at the king’s table. Each governor provided supplies for one month every year. The governors made sure the king had everything he needed. 28They also brought barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses. Each of the governors brought the amounts required of them. They brought them to the proper places.
God Makes Solomon Very Wise
29God made Solomon very wise. His understanding couldn’t even be measured. It was like the sand on the seashore. People can’t measure that either. 30Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the east. It was greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31Solomon was wiser than anyone else. He was wiser than Ethan, the Ezrahite. He was wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda. They were the sons of Mahol. Solomon became famous in all the nations around him. 32He spoke 3,000 proverbs. He wrote 1,005 songs. 33He spoke about plants. He knew everything about them, from the cedar trees in Lebanon to the hyssop plants that grow out of walls. He spoke about animals and birds. He also spoke about reptiles and fish. 34The kings of all the world’s nations heard about how wise Solomon was. So they sent their people to listen to him.
Maafisa Wa Solomoni Na Watawala
1Basi Mfalme Solomoni akatawala Israeli yote. 24:2 Es 8:17; 2Fal 17:24, 41; 19:37Hawa ndio waliokuwa maafisa wake wakuu:
Kuhani: Azaria mwana wa Sadoki;
34:3 Yn 4:9; 2Nya 36:22-23; Ezr 1:1-4; 6:3; Isa 44:28; Neh 2:20; Mdo 8:21Elihorefu na Ahiya, wana wa Shisha: waandishi;
Yehoshafati mwana wa Ahiludi: karani;
44:4 Ezr 3:3; Yer 38:4; Isa 35:3-4Benaya mwana wa Yehoyada: jemadari mkuu wa jeshi;
Sadoki na Abiathari: makuhani;
5Azaria mwana wa Nathani: kiongozi wa maafisa wa wilaya;
Zabudi mwana wa Nathani: kuhani na mshauri binafsi wa mfalme;
64:6 Es 3:13; 9:5; Dan 9:1Ahishari: msimamizi wa jumba la kifalme;
Adoniramu mwana wa Abda: msimamizi wa kazi za kulazimisha.
74:7 Ezr 7:1; Isa 36:11; Neh 2:1Pia Solomoni alikuwa na watawala kumi na wawili wa wilaya katika Israeli yote, walioleta mahitaji kwa mfalme na kwa watu wa nyumbani kwa mfalme. Kila mmoja alitoa chakula kwa mwezi mmoja katika mwaka. 84:8 Za 112:6; Zek 1:14; Rum 8:28Majina yao ni haya:
Ben-Huri: katika nchi ya vilima ya Efraimu;
94:9 Ezr 5:6; 2Fal 17:30, 31Ben-Dekeri: katika Makasi, Shaalbimu, Beth-Shemeshi na Elon-Bethhanani;
104:10 Neh 4:2; Ezr 7:12Ben-Hesedi: katika Arubothi (Soko na nchi yote ya Heferi zilikuwa zake);
11Ben-Abinadabu: katika Nafoth-Dori (alimwoa Tafathi binti Solomoni);
124:12 Amo 7:10; Lk 23:2; Mdo 24:5Baana mwana wa Ahiludi: katika Taanaki na Megido, na katika Beth-Shani yote karibu na Sarethani chini ya Yezreeli, kuanzia Beth-Shani hadi Abel-Mehola kupita hadi Yokmeamu;
134:13 Ezr 7:24; Neh 5:4; Mt 9:9Ben-Geberi: katika Ramoth-Gileadi (makao ya Yairi mwana wa Manase katika Gileadi ilikuwa miji yake, pamoja na wilaya ya Argobu katika Bashani na miji yake mikubwa sitini yenye kuzungukwa na kuta zenye makomeo ya shaba);
14Ahinadabu mwana wa Ido: katika Mahanaimu;
154:15 Ezr 5:17; Es 3:8; Mdo 17:6-7Ahimaasi: katika Naftali (alikuwa amemwoa Basemathi binti Solomoni);
16Baana mwana wa Hushai: katika Asheri na katika Bealothi;
17Yehoshafati mwana wa Parua: katika Isakari;
18Shimei mwana wa Ela: katika Benyamini;
194:19 2Fal 18:7Geberi mwana wa Uri: katika Gileadi (nchi ya Sihoni mfalme wa Waamori na nchi ya Ogu mfalme wa Bashani). Naye alikuwa ndiye mtawala pekee katika eneo hilo.
Mahitaji Ya Solomoni Ya Kila Siku
204:20 Mwa 15:18-21; Kut 23:31; Za 72:8; 1Nya 18:3Watu wa Yuda na Israeli walikuwa wengi kama mchanga wa pwani; walikula, wakanywa na kufurahi. 21Mfalme Solomoni akatawala katika falme zote kuanzia Mto Frati hadi nchi ya Wafilisti, hadi kwenye mpaka wa Misri. Nchi hizi zilileta ushuru na zilikuwa chini ya Solomoni, siku zote za maisha yake.
224:22 Dan 6:2Mahitaji ya Solomoni ya kila siku yalikuwa kori thelathini4:22 Kori 30 ni sawa na madebe 360. za unga laini, kori sitini4:22 Kori 60 ni sawa na madebe 720. za unga wa kawaida. 234:23 Mit 4:16Ngʼombe kumi wa zizini, ngʼombe ishirini wa malisho, kondoo na mbuzi mia moja, pamoja na ayala, paa, kulungu na kuku wazuri sana. 244:24 Dan 9:25; Ay 20:5Kwa kuwa Solomoni alitawala falme zote magharibi ya mto, kuanzia Tifsa hadi Gaza, naye akawa na amani pande zote. 25Wakati wa maisha ya Solomoni Yuda na Israeli, kuanzia Dani mpaka Beer-Sheba, wakaishi salama kila mtu chini ya mzabibu wake na chini ya mtini wake.
26Solomoni alikuwa na mabanda 4,0004:26 Waandishi wengine wanasema 40,000 (angalia 2Nya 9:25). ya magari ya vita, na farasi 12,000.
27Maafisa wa eneo hilo, kila mmoja katika mwezi wake, walileta mahitaji kwa ajili ya Mfalme Solomoni na wote waliokula mezani mwa mfalme. Walihakikisha kuwa hakuna chochote kilichopungua. 28Pia walileta sehemu walizopangiwa za shayiri na majani kwa ajili ya farasi wavutao magari na farasi wengine mahali palipostahili.
Hekima Ya Solomoni
29Mungu akampa Solomoni hekima na akili kubwa, pia ufahamu mpana usiopimika kama mchanga ulioko pwani ya bahari. 30Hekima ya Solomoni ilikuwa kubwa kuliko hekima ya watu wote wa Mashariki na kubwa kuliko hekima yote ya Misri. 31Alikuwa na hekima kuliko kila mwandishi, akiwemo Ethani Mwezrahi: kuliko Hemani, Kalkoli na Darda, wana wa Maholi. Umaarufu wake ukaenea kwa mataifa yote yaliyomzunguka. 32Akanena mithali 3,000 na nyimbo zake zilikuwa 1,005. 33Akaelezea maisha ya mimea kuanzia mwerezi wa Lebanoni hadi hisopo iotayo ukutani. Pia akafundisha kuhusu wanyama na ndege, wanyama wenye damu baridi, wakiwemo samaki. 34Watu wa mataifa yote wakaja kusikiliza hekima ya Solomoni, waliotumwa na wafalme wote wa ulimwengu, waliokuwa wamesikia juu ya hekima yake.
