1st Kings — 4
Shalumah’s Officials and Governors
1 King Shalumah now ruled over all Yashar'AL,
2 And these were his high officials: Azaryahu son of Zaduk was the Kuhan.
3 Alihuraph and Ahiyahu, the sons of Shisha, were court secretaries. Yahushaphat son of Ahilud was the royal historian.
4 Banayahu son of Yahuiada was commander of the army. Zaduk and Abiathar were Kuhanym.
5 Azaryahu son of Nathan was in charge of the district governors. Zabud son of Nathan, a Kuhan, was a trusted adviser to the king.
6 Ahishar was manager of the palace property. Aduniram son of Abda was in charge of forced labor.
7 King Shalumah also had twelve district governors who were over all Yashar'AL. They were responsible for providing food for the king’s household. Each of them arranged provisions for one month of the year.
8 These are the names of the twelve governors: Ban-hur, in the hill country of Aphraim.
9 Ban-dakar, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Bath-shamash, and Alun-bathhanan.
10 Ban-hasad, in Arubbuth, including Sucuh and all the land of Haphar.
11 Ban-abinadab, in all of Naphuth-dur. (He was married to Taphath, one of king Shalumah’s daughters.)
12 Baana son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Magiddu, all of Bath-shan near Zarathan below Yazraal, and all the territory from Bath-shan to Abal-mahulah and over to Yukmaam.
13 Ban-gabar, in Ramuth-gilaad, including the Towns of Yair (named for Yair of the tribe of Manassah) in Gilaad, and in the Argub region of Bashan, including sixty large fortified towns with bronze bars on their gates.
14 Ahinadab son of Iddu, in Mahanaim.
15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali. (He was married to Basamath, another of Shalumah’s daughters.)
16 Baana son of Hushai, in Asher and in Aluth.
17 Yahushaphat son of Paruah, in Issachar.
18 Shimai son of Ala, in Banyamin.
19 Gabar son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, including the territories of King Sihun of the Amurites and King Ug of Bashan. There was also one governor over the land of Yahudah.
Shalumah’s Prosperity and Wisdom
20 The people of Yahudah and Yashar'AL were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They were very contented, with plenty to eat and drink.
21 Shalumah ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River in the north to the land of the Philistines and the border of Mitzraym in the south. The conquered peoples of those lands sent tribute money to Shalumah and continued to serve him throughout his lifetime.
22 The daily food requirements for Shalumah’s palace were one hundred and fifty bushels of choice flour and three hundred bushels of meal;
23 also ten oxen from the fattening pens, twenty pasture-fed cattle, one hundred sheep or goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roe deer, and choice poultry.
24 Shalumah’s dominion extended over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza. And there was Shalum on all his borders.
25 During the lifetime of Shalumah, all of Yahudah and Yashar'AL lived in Shalum and safety. And from Dan in the north to Baarshaba in the south, each family had its own home and garden.
26 Shalumah had four thousand stalls for his chariot horses, and he had twelve thousand horses.
27 The district governors faithfully provided food for King Shalumah and his court; each made sure nothing was lacking during the month assigned to him.
28 They also brought the necessary barley and straw for the royal horses in the stables.
29 For 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH gave Shalumah very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore.
30 In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Mitzraym.
31 He was wiser than anyone else, including Athan the Azrahite and the sons of Mahul—Haman, Calcul, and Darda. His fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations.
32 Shalumah composed some three thousand proverbs and wrote one thousand and five songs.
33 He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Labanun to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall. Shalumah could also speak about animals, birds, small creatures, and fish.
34 And kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of King Shalumah.