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TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

I - Chapter 4

Translation and Transliteration of 

1King Shlomo was now king over all Yisrael.

vai-HI ha-ME-lekh sh'-LO-mo ME-lekh al-KOL yis-ra-AYL.

אוַֽיְהִי֙ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה מֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

2These were his officials: Azarya son of Tzadok—the Kohen;

v'-AY-leh ha-sa-REEM a-SHER-lo a-za-rya-HU ben-tsa-DOK ha-ko-HAYN (s)

בוְאֵ֥לֶּה הַשָּׂרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁר־ל֑וֹ עֲזַרְיָ֥הוּ בֶן־צָד֖וֹק הַכֹּהֵֽן׃

3Elihoreph and Achiya sons of Shisha—scribes; Yehoshafat son of Achilud—recorder;

e-li-KHOR-ef va-a-khi-YA b'-nay shi-SHA so-f'-REEM, y'-ho-SHA-fat ben a-khi-LOOD ha-maz-KIR.

גאֱלִיחֹ֧רֶף וַאֲחִיָּ֛ה בְּנֵ֥י שִׁישָׁ֖א סֹפְרִ֑ים יְהוֹשָׁפָ֥ט בֶּן־אֲחִיל֖וּד הַמַּזְכִּֽיר׃

4Benaiah son of Yehoyada—over the army; Tzadok and EvyatarKohanim;

u-v'-na-YA-hu ben y'-ho-ya-DA al ha-tza-VA, v'-tza-DOK v'-ev-ya-TAR ko-ha-NEEM. (ס)

דוּבְנָיָ֥הוּ בֶן־יְהוֹיָדָ֖ע עַל־הַצָּבָ֑א וְצָד֥וֹק וְאֶבְיָתָ֖ר כֹּהֲנִֽים׃

5Azarya son of Natan—in charge of the prefects; Zabud son of Natan the Kohen—companion of the king;

va-a-za-ri-YA-hu ben-na-TAN al ha-ni-tza-VEEM, v'-za-VUD ben-na-TAN ko-HAYN re-EH ha-ME-lekh

הוַעֲזַרְיָ֥הוּ בֶן־נָתָ֖ן עַל־הַנִּצָּבִ֑ים וְזָב֧וּד בֶּן־נָתָ֛ן כֹּהֵ֖ן רֵעֶ֥ה הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃

6Ahishar—in charge of the palace; and Adoniram son of Abda—in charge of the forced labor.

va-a-khi-SHAR al ha-ba-YIT, va-a-do-NEE-ram ben a-v'-DA al ha-MAS.

ווַאֲחִישָׁ֖ר עַל־הַבָּ֑יִת וַאֲדֹנִירָ֥ם בֶּן־עַבְדָּ֖א עַל־הַמַּֽס׃

7Shlomo had twelve prefects governing all Yisrael, who provided food for the king and his household; each had to provide food for one month in the year.

v'-lish-LO-mo sh'-NAYM-a-SAR ni-tza-VEEM al-KOL yis-ra-AYL v'-khil-k'-LU et ha-ME-lekh v'-et b'-TO, KHO-desh ba-sha-NAH yi-HEH al ha-E-khad l'-khil-KEL. (SA)

זוְלִשְׁלֹמֹ֞ה שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂ֤ר נִצָּבִים֙ עַל־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְכִלְכְּל֥וּ אֶת־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ וְאֶת־בֵּית֑וֹ חֹ֧דֶשׁ בַּשָּׁנָ֛ה יִהְיֶ֥ה עַל־[הָאֶחָ֖ד] (אחד) לְכַלְכֵּֽל׃

8And these were their names: Ben-hur, in the hill country of Efraim;

v'-E-leh sh'-mo-TAM ben-KHUUR b'-har ef-RA-yim. (s)

חוְאֵ֣לֶּה שְׁמוֹתָ֔ם בֶּן־ח֖וּר בְּהַ֥ר אֶפְרָֽיִם׃

9Bendeker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beit Shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan;

ben-DE-kar b'-ma-KATS u-v'-sha-al-VEEM u-VEYT sha-MESH v'-ay-LON BEYT cha-NAN.

טבֶּן־דֶּ֛קֶר בְּמָקַ֥ץ וּבְשַׁעַלְבִ֖ים וּבֵ֣ית שָׁ֑מֶשׁ וְאֵיל֖וֹן בֵּ֥ית חָנָֽן׃

10Ben-hesed in Arubboth—he governed Socho and all the Hepher area;

ben-KHE-sed ba-a-ru-BOT lo SO-kho v'-kol-E-rets KHE-fer. (S)

יבֶּן־חֶ֖סֶד בָּאֲרֻבּ֑וֹת ל֥וֹ שֹׂכֹ֖ה וְכׇל־אֶ֥רֶץ חֵֽפֶר׃

11Ben-abinadab, [in] all of Naphath-dor (Shlomo's daughter Taphath was his wife);

ben-a-vee-NADAV kol-NA-fat DOR ta-FAT bat-SHE-lo-MO ha-y'-TAH LO l'-i-SHA. (S)

יאבֶּן־אֲבִינָדָ֖ב כׇּל־נָ֣פַת דֹּ֑אר טָפַת֙ בַּת־שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה הָ֥יְתָה לּ֖וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה׃

12Baana son of Achilud [in] Taanach and Megiddo and all Beit-Shean, which is beside Zarethan, below Yizrael—from Beit-Shean to Abel-meholah as far as the other side of Jokmeam;

ba-a-NA ben a-KHEE-lud ta-NAKH u-m'-gi-DO v'-kol BAYT she-AN a-SHER e-TSEL tza-RE-ta-NAH mi-TA-khat l'-yiz-re-E-el mi-BAYT she-AN AD a-VEL me-KHO-la AD me-E-ver l'-yo-k'-MA-am. (SA)

יבבַּֽעֲנָא֙ בֶּן־אֲחִיל֔וּד תַּעְנַ֖ךְ וּמְגִדּ֑וֹ וְכׇל־בֵּ֣ית שְׁאָ֡ן אֲשֶׁר֩ אֵ֨צֶל צָרְתַ֜נָה מִתַּ֣חַת לְיִזְרְעֶ֗אל מִבֵּ֤ית שְׁאָן֙ עַ֚ד אָבֵ֣ל מְחוֹלָ֔ה עַ֖ד מֵעֵ֥בֶר לְיׇקְמְעָֽם׃

13Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead—he governed the villages of Yair son of Menashe which are in Gilad, and he also governed the district of Argob which is in Bashan, sixty large towns with walls and bronze bars;

ben-GE-ver b'-ra-MOT gil-AD, lo kha-VOT ya-EER ben-m'-NA-sheh a-SHER ba-gil-AD, lo khe-VEL ar-GOV a-SHER ba-ba-SHAN, shi-SHEEM a-REEM g'-DO-lot, kho-MAH u-v'-REE-akh NE-kho-SHET. (s)

יגבֶּן־גֶּ֖בֶר בְּרָמֹ֣ת גִּלְעָ֑ד ל֡וֹ חַוֺּת֩ יָאִ֨יר בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁ֜ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּגִּלְעָ֗ד ל֚וֹ חֶ֤בֶל אַרְגֹּב֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּבָּשָׁ֔ן שִׁשִּׁים֙ עָרִ֣ים גְּדֹל֔וֹת חוֹמָ֖ה וּבְרִ֥יחַ נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃

14Ahinadab son of Ido, in Mahanaim;

a-khi-na-DAV ben i-DO ma-cha-na-YE-ma

ידאֲחִינָדָ֥ב בֶּן־עִדֹּ֖א מַחֲנָֽיְמָה׃

15Ahimaaz, in Naftali (he too took a daughter of Shlomo—Basemath—to wife);

a-khi-MA-ats b'-nafta-LEE, gam-HU la-KAKH et ba-SHE-mat bat-SHE-lo-MO l'-i-SHA. (s)

טואֲחִימַ֖עַץ בְּנַפְתָּלִ֑י גַּם־ה֗וּא לָקַ֛ח אֶת־בָּשְׂמַ֥ת בַּת־שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה לְאִשָּֽׁה׃

16Baanah son of Hushi, in Asher and Bealoth;

ba-a-NA ben-KHU-sha-ee b'-a-SHER u-v'-a-LOT.

טזבַּֽעֲנָא֙ בֶּן־חוּשָׁ֔י בְּאָשֵׁ֖ר וּבְעָלֽוֹת׃

17Yehoshafat son of Paruah, in Yissachar;

y'-ho-SHA-fat ben pa-ROO-akh b'-yis-sa-SHA-khar

יזיְהוֹשָׁפָ֥ט בֶּן־פָּר֖וּחַ בְּיִשָּׂשכָֽר׃

18Shim'i son of Ela, in Binyamin;

SHI-mi ben E-la b'-vi-ny-ya-MIN. (S)

יחשִׁמְעִ֥י בֶן־אֵלָ֖א בְּבִנְיָמִֽן׃

19Geber son of Uri, in the region of Gilad, the country of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan; and one prefect who was in the land.

ge-VER ben-u-RI b'-E-rets gil-AD, E-rets si-KHON, me-LEKH ha-e-mo-REE, v'-OG, me-LEKH ha-ba-SHAN, u-ne-TZIV e-KHAD a-SHER ba-A-rets.

יטגֶּ֥בֶר בֶּן־אֻרִ֖י בְּאֶ֣רֶץ גִּלְעָ֑ד אֶ֜רֶץ סִיח֣וֹן ׀ מֶ֣לֶךְ הָאֱמֹרִ֗י וְעֹג֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ הַבָּשָׁ֔ן וּנְצִ֥יב אֶחָ֖ד אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּאָֽרֶץ׃

20Yehuda and Yisrael were as numerous as the sands of the sea; they ate and drank and were content.

y'-hu-DAH v'-yis-ra-AYL ra-BEEM ka-KHOL a-asher al ha-YAM la-ROV o-kh'-LEEM v'-sho-TEEM us-may-KHEEM

כיְהוּדָ֤ה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙ רַבִּ֔ים כַּח֥וֹל אֲשֶׁר־עַל־הַיָּ֖ם לָרֹ֑ב אֹכְלִ֥ים וְשֹׁתִ֖ים וּשְׂמֵחִֽים׃

 4:20   Yehuda and Yisrael were as numerous as the sands of the sea

Unlike King David who began his rule only over Yehuda, King Shlomo rises to power over a united kingdom comprising all of Yehuda and Yisrael. As Radak notes, everyone in the kingdom recognizes King Shlomo’s rule, due to the universal recognition of his God-given wisdom. The chapter ends with the reward for unity among the People of Israel: they become as numerous as the sand on the sea shore and successful in the Land of Israel, thereby seeing the fulfillment of the blessing Hashem gave to Avraham (Genesis 22:17).