Solomon’s Officials

1 King Solomon was king over all Israel, 2 and these were his high officials: Azariah the son of Zadok was ^bthe priest; 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah the sons of Shisha were secretaries; ^cJehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 4 ^dBenaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the army; ^eZadok and Abiathar were priests; 5 Azariah the son of Nathan was over ^fthe officers; Zabud the son of Nathan was priest and ^gking’s friend; 6 Ahishar was in charge of the palace; and ^hAdoniram the son of Abda was in charge of ⁱthe forced labor.

7 Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household. Each man had to make provision for one month in the year. 8 These were their names: Ben-hur, in ^jthe hill country of Ephraim; 9 Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elonbeth-hanan; 10 Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (to him belonged Socoh and all the land of Hepher); 11 Ben-abinadab, in all ^kNaphath-dor (he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as his wife); 12 Baana the son of Ahilud, in ^lTaanach, Megiddo, and all ^lBeth-shean that is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, and from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, as far as the other side of Jokmeam; 13 Ben-geber, ^min Ramoth-gilead (he had ⁿthe villages of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead, and he had ^othe region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars); 14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; 15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he had taken Basemath the daughter of Solomon as his wife); 16 Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; 17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18 ^pShimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin; 19 Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, ^qthe country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan. And there was one governor who was over the land.

Solomon’s Wealth and Wisdom

20 Judah and Israel were as many ^ras the sand by the sea. They ate and drank and were happy. ¹ 21 ^sSolomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the ^tEuphrates² to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. ^uThey brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.

22 Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty cors³ of fine flour and sixty cors of meal, 23 ten fat oxen, and twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl. 24 For he had dominion over all the region west of the Euphrates⁴ from Tiphsah to ^vGaza, over all the kings west of the Euphrates. ^wAnd he had peace on all sides around him. 25 And Judah and Israel ^xlived in safety, ^yfrom Dan even to Beersheba, ^zevery man under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon. 26 ^aSolomon also had 40,000⁵ stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen. 27 And those officers 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. 28 Barley also and straw for the horses and ^bswift steeds they brought to the place where it was required, each according to his duty.

29 ^cAnd God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind ^dlike the sand on the seashore, 30 so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all ^ethe people of the east ^fand all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was ^cwiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. 32 ^gHe also spoke 3,000 proverbs, ^hand his songs were 1,005. 33 He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish. 34 And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from ⁱall the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.

Preparations for Building the Temple

1 ⁶ Now ^jHiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, ^kfor Hiram always loved David. 2 And Solomon sent word to Hiram, 3 ^l“You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God ^mbecause of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. 4 ⁿBut now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor misfortune. 5 And so I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, ^oas the Lord said to David my father, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.’ 6 Now therefore command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. And my servants will join your servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”

7 As soon as Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the Lord this day, who has given to David a wise son to be over this great people.” 8 And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, “I have heard the message that you have sent to me. I am ready to do all you desire in the matter of cedar and cypress timber. 9 My servants shall bring it down to the sea from Lebanon, and I will make it into rafts to go by sea to the place you direct. And I will have them broken up there, and you shall receive it. And you shall meet my wishes ^pby providing food for my household.” 10 So Hiram supplied Solomon with all the timber of cedar and cypress that he desired, 11 while Solomon gave Hiram 20,000 cors⁷ of wheat as food for his household, and 20,000⁸ cors of beaten oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year. 12 And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, ^qas he promised him. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.

13 King Solomon drafted ^rforced labor out of all Israel, and the draft numbered 30,000 men. 14 And he sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in shifts. They would be a month in Lebanon and two months at home. ^sAdoniram was in charge of the draft. 15 Solomon also ^thad 70,000 burden-bearers and 80,000 stonecutters in the hill country, 16 besides Solomon’s 3,300 ^uchief officers who were over the work, ^vwho had charge of the people who carried on the work. 17 At the king’s command ^wthey quarried out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones. 18 So Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and ^xthe men of Gebal did the cutting and prepared the timber and the stone to build the house.

Sons and Heirs

1 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave,¹ though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, ^cwere enslaved to the elementary principles² of the world. 4 But ^dwhen the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, ^eborn ^fof woman, born ^gunder the law, 5 ^hto redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive ⁱadoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent ^jthe Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then ^kan heir through God.

Paul’s Concern for the Galatians

8 Formerly, when you ^ldid not know God, you ^mwere enslaved to those that by nature ⁿare not gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather ^oto be known by God, ^phow can you turn back again to ^qthe weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? 10 ^rYou observe days and months and seasons and years! 11 I am afraid ^sI may have labored over you in vain.

12 Brothers,^{3 t}I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. ^uYou did me no wrong. 13 You know it was ^vbecause of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you ^wat first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me ^xas an angel of God, ^yas Christ Jesus. 15 What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I then become your enemy by ^ztelling you the truth?⁴ 17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. 18 It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and ^anot only when I am present with you, 19 ^bmy little children, ^cfor whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ ^dis formed in you! 20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

Example of Hagar and Sarah

21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, ^eone by a slave woman and ^fone by a free woman. 23 But ^gthe son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while ^hthe son of the free woman was born through promise. 24 Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two ⁱcovenants. ^jOne is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia;⁵ she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But ^kthe Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written,

28 Now you,⁶ brothers, ^mlike Isaac, ⁿare children of promise. 29 But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh ^opersecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, ^pso also it is now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? ^q“Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” 31 So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but ^rof the free woman.

Christ Has Set Us Free

1 For ^sfreedom Christ has ^tset us free; ^ustand firm therefore, and do not submit again to ^va yoke of ^wslavery.

2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that ^xif you accept circumcision, ^yChrist will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that ^zhe is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are ^asevered from Christ, ^byou who would be justified⁷ by the law; ^cyou have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly ^dwait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus ^eneither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but ^fonly faith working through love.

7 ^gYou were running well. Who hindered you from obeying ^hthe truth? 8 This persuasion is not from ⁱhim who calls you. 9 ^jA little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 ^kI have confidence in the Lord that you will ^ltake no other view, and ^mthe one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers,⁸ still preach⁹ circumcision, ⁿwhy am I still being persecuted? In that case ^othe offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish ^pthose who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. ^qOnly do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love ^rserve one another. 14 For ^sthe whole law is fulfilled in one word: ^t“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you ^ubite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Keep in Step with the Spirit

16 But I say, ^vwalk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify ^wthe desires of the flesh. 17 For ^xthe desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, ^yto keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are ^zled by the Spirit, ^ayou are not under the law. 19 Now ^bthe works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, ^cdivisions, 21 envy,¹⁰ drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that ^dthose who do¹¹ such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But ^ethe fruit of the Spirit is ^flove, joy, peace, patience, ^gkindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 ^hgentleness, ⁱself-control; ^jagainst such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus ^khave crucified the flesh with its ^lpassions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, ^mlet us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 ⁿLet us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Bear One Another’s Burdens

1 Brothers,^{12 o}if anyone is caught in any transgression, ^pyou who are spiritual should restore him in ^qa spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 ^rBear one another’s burdens, and ^sso fulfill ^tthe law of Christ. 3 For ^uif anyone thinks he is something, ^vwhen he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one ^wtest his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For ^xeach will have to bear his own load.

6 ^yLet the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 ^zDo not be deceived: God is not mocked, for ^awhatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For ^bthe one who sows to his own flesh ^cwill from the flesh reap corruption, but ^dthe one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And ^elet us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, ^fif we do not give up. 10 So then, ^gas we have opportunity, let us ^hdo good to everyone, and especially to those who are ⁱof the household of faith.

Final Warning and Benediction

11 See with what large letters I am writing to you ^jwith my own hand. 12 ^kIt is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh ^lwho would force you to be circumcised, and only ^min order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But far be it from me to boast ⁿexcept in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which¹³ the world ^ohas been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For ^pneither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but ^qa new creation. 16 And as for all who walk by this rule, ^rpeace and mercy be upon them, and upon ^sthe Israel of God.

17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

18 ^tThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be ^uwith your spirit, brothers. Amen.