Add parallel Print Page Options

Solomon’s Prosperity and Wisdom

20 The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They were very contented, with plenty to eat and drink. 21 [a]Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River[b] in the north to the land of the Philistines and the border of Egypt in the south. The conquered peoples of those lands sent tribute money to Solomon and continued to serve him throughout his lifetime.

22 The daily food requirements for Solomon’s palace were 150 bushels of choice flour and 300 bushels of meal[c]; 23 also 10 oxen from the fattening pens, 20 pasture-fed cattle, 100 sheep or goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roe deer, and choice poultry.[d]

24 Solomon’s dominion extended over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza. And there was peace on all his borders. 25 During the lifetime of Solomon, all of Judah and Israel lived in peace and safety. And from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, each family had its own home and garden.[e]

26 Solomon had 4,000[f] stalls for his chariot horses, and he had 12,000 horses.[g]

27 The district governors faithfully provided food for King Solomon 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.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 4:21a Verses 4:21-34 are numbered 5:1-14 in Hebrew text.
  2. 4:21b Hebrew the river; also in 4:24.
  3. 4:22 Hebrew 30 cors [6.6 kiloliters] of choice flour and 60 cors [13.2 kiloliters] of meal.
  4. 4:23 Or and fattened geese.
  5. 4:25 Hebrew each family lived under its own grapevine and under its own fig tree.
  6. 4:26a As in some Greek manuscripts (see also 2 Chr 9:25); Hebrew reads 40,000.
  7. 4:26b Or 12,000 charioteers.

Magnificence of Solomon’s Rule

[[20 Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea; they ate and drank and were happy.(A) 21 [a]Solomon was sovereign over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, even to the border of Egypt; they brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.[b](B)]]

22 Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty cors of choice flour and sixty cors of meal, 23 ten fat oxen and twenty pasture-fed cattle, one hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowl. 24 For he had dominion over all the region west of the Euphrates,[c] and he had peace on all sides.(C) 25 During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all of them under their vines and fig trees.(D) 26 Solomon also had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots and twelve thousand horsemen.(E) 27 Those officials supplied provisions for King Solomon and for all who came to King Solomon’s table, each one in his month; they let nothing be lacking.(F) 28 They also brought to the required place barley and straw for the horses and swift steeds, each according to his charge.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 4.21 5.1 in Heb
  2. 4.20–21 Gk lacks 4.20–21
  3. 4.24 Gk: Heb adds from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the Euphrates