⁷And Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel, who provided victuals for the king and for his house hold: for every one provided necessaries, each man his month in the year.

⁸And these are their names: Benhur, in mount Ephraim.

⁹Bendecar, in Macces, and in Salebim, and in Bethsames, and in Elon, and in Bethanan.

¹⁰Benhesed, in Aruboth: his was Socho, and all the land of Epher.

¹¹Benabinadab, to whom belonged all Nephath-Dor: he had Tapheth, the daughter of Solomon, to wife.

¹²Bana, the son of Ahilud, who governed Thanac, and Mageddo, and all Bethsan, which is by Sarthana, beneath Jezrael, from Bethsan unto Abelmehula, over against Jecmaan.

¹³Bengaber, in Ramoth Galaad: he had the town of Jair, the son of Manasses, in Galaad: he was chief in all the country of Argob, which is in Basan, threescore great cities with walls, and brazen bolts.

¹⁴Ahinadab, the son of Addo, was chief in Manaim.

¹⁵Achimaas, in Nephthali: he also had Basemath, the daughter of Solomon, to wife.

¹⁶Baana, the son of Husi, in Aser, and in Baloth.

¹⁷Josaphat, the son of Pharue, in Issachar.

¹⁸Semei, the son of Ela, in Benjamin.

¹⁹Gaber, the son of Uri, in the land of Galaad, in the land of Sehon, the king of the Amorrhites, and of Og, the king of Basan, over all that were in that land.

²⁰Juda and Israel were innumerable, as the sand of the sea in multitude; eating and drinking, and rejoicing.

²¹And Solomon had under him all the kingdoms, from the river to the land of the Philistines, even to the border of Egypt: and they brought him presents, and served him all the days of his life.

²²And the provision of Solomon, for each day, was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal;

²³Ten fat oxen, and twenty out of the pastures, and a hundred rams; besides venison of harts, roes, and buffles, and fatted fowls.

²⁴For he had all the country which was beyond the river, from Thaphsa to Gazan, and all the kings of those countries: and he had peace on every side round about.

²⁵And Juda, and Israel, dwelt without any fear, every one under his vine, and under his fig tree, from Dan to Bersabee, all the days of Solomon.

²⁶And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of chariot horses, and twelve thousand for the saddle.

²⁷And the foresaid governors of the king fed them; and they furnished the necessaries also for king Solomon’s table, with great care, in their time.

²⁸They brought barley also, and straw for the horses and beasts, to the place where the king was, according as it was appointed them.

²⁹And God gave to Solomon wisdom, and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, as the sand that is on the sea shore.

³⁰And the wisdom of Solomon surpassed the wisdom of all the Orientals, and of the Egyptians;

³¹And he was wiser than all men: wiser than Ethan, the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Dorda, the sons of Mahol, and he was renowned in all nations round about.

³²Solomon also spoke three thousand parables: and his poems were a thousand and five.

³³And he treated about trees, from the cedar that is in Libanus, unto the hyssop that cometh out of the wall: and he discoursed of beasts, and of fowls, and of creeping things, and of fishes.

³⁴And they came from all nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who heard of his wisdom.

Chapter 5

And Hiram, king of Tyre, sent his servants to Solomon: for he heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram had always been David’s friend.

²Solomon sent to Hiram, saying:

³Thou knowest the will of David, my father, and that he could not build a house to the name of the Lord his God, because of the wars that were round about him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet.

⁴But now the Lord my God hath given me rest round about; and there is no adversary nor evil occurrence.

⁵Wherefore I purpose to build a temple to the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spoke to David my father, saying: Thy son, whom I will set upon the throne, in thy place, he shall build a house to my name.

⁶Give orders, therefore, that thy servants cut me down cedar trees, out of Libanus, and let my servants be with thy servants: and I will give thee the hire of thy servants whatsoever thou wilt ask: for thou knowest how there is not among my people a man that has skill to hew wood like to the Sidonians.

⁷Now when Hiram had heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced exceedingly, and said: Blessed be the Lord God this day, who hath given to David a very wise son over this numerous people.

⁸And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying: I have heard all thou hast desired of me; and I will do all thy desire concerning cedar trees, and fir trees.

⁹My servants shall bring them down from Libanus to the sea: and I will put them together in floats, on the sea, and convey them to the place, which thou shalt signify to me, and will land them there, and thou shalt receive them: and thou shalt allow me necessaries to furnish food for my household.

¹⁰So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees, and fir trees, according to all his desire.

¹¹And Solomon allowed Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat, for provision for his house, and twenty measures of the purest oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram every year.

¹²And the Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and they two made a league together.

¹³And king Solomon chose workmen out of all Israel, and the levy was of thirty thousand men.

¹⁴And he sent them to Libanus, ten thousand every month, by turns, so that two months they were at home: and Adoniram was over this levy.

¹⁵And Solomon had seventy thousand to carry burdens, and eighty thousand to hew stones in the mountain:

¹⁶Besides the overseers who were over every work, in number three thousand and three hundred, that ruled over the people, and them that did the work.

¹⁷And the king commanded that they should bring great stones, costly stones, for the foundation of the temple, and should square them:

¹⁸And the masons of Solomon, and the masons of Hiram, hewed them: and the Giblians prepared timber and stones to build the house.

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