1 Kings 4
4
Solomon’s Officials and Governors
1So King Solomon ruled over the whole nation of Israel.
2Here are the names of his chief officials.
Azariah was the priest. He was the son of Zadok.
3Elihoreph and Ahijah were secretaries. They were the sons of Shisha.
Jehoshaphat kept the records. He was the son of Ahilud.
4Benaiah was the commander in chief. He was the son of Jehoiada.
Zadok and Abiathar were priests.
5Azariah was in charge of the local governors. He was the son of Nathan.
Zabud was a priest. He was also the king’s adviser. He was the son of Nathan.
6Ahishar was in charge of the palace.
Adoniram was in charge of those who were forced to work for the king. He was the son of Abda.
7Solomon had 12 local governors over the whole land of Israel. They provided supplies for the king and the royal family. Each governor had to provide supplies for one month out of each year.
8Here are their names and areas.
Ben-Hur’s area was the hill country of Ephraim.
9Ben-Deker’s area was Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh and Elon Bethhanan.
10Ben-Hesed’s area was Arubboth. Sokoh and the whole land of Hepher were included in his area.
11Ben-Abinadab’s area was Naphoth Dor. He married Solomon’s daughter Taphath.
12Baana’s area was Taanach, Megiddo and the whole territory of Beth Shan. Beth Shan was next to Zarethan below Jezreel. Baana’s area reached from Beth Shan all the way to Abel Meholah. It also went across to Jokmeam. Baana was the son of Ahilud.
13Ben-Geber’s area was Ramoth Gilead. The settlements of Jair, the son of Manasseh, were included in his area in Gilead. The area of Argob in Bashan was also included. That area had 60 large cities that had high walls around them. The city gates were made secure with heavy bronze bars.
14Ahinadab’s area was Mahanaim. He was the son of Iddo.
15Ahimaaz’s area was Naphtali. He had married Basemath. She was Solomon’s daughter.
16Baana’s area was Asher and Aloth. He was the son of Hushai.
17Jehoshaphat’s area was Issachar. He was the son of Paruah.
18Shimei’s area was Benjamin. He was the son of Ela.
19Geber’s area was Gilead. He was the only governor over the area. He was the son of Uri. Gilead had been the country of Sihon and Og. Sihon had been king of the Amorites. Og had been king of Bashan.
Solomon’s Daily Supplies
20There were many people in Judah and Israel. In fact, they were as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. They ate, drank and were happy. 21Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines. He ruled as far as the border of Egypt. All those countries brought the gifts he required them to bring him. And Solomon ruled over those countries for his whole life.
22Here are the supplies Solomon required every day.
five and a half tons of the finest flour
11 tons of meal
23ten oxen that had been fed by hand
20 oxen that had been fed on grasslands
100 sheep and goats
deer, antelopes and roebucks
the finest birds
24Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms that were west of the Euphrates River. He ruled from Tiphsah all the way to Gaza. And he had peace and rest on every side. 25While Solomon was king, Judah and Israel lived in safety. They were secure from Dan all the way to Beersheba. Everyone had their own vine and their own fig tree.
26Solomon had 4,000 spaces where he kept his chariot horses. He had a total of 12,000 horses.
27The local governors provided supplies for King Solomon. They provided them for all who ate at the king’s table. Each governor provided supplies for one month every year. The governors made sure the king had everything he needed. 28They also brought barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses. Each of the governors brought the amounts required of them. They brought them to the proper places.
God Makes Solomon Very Wise
29God made Solomon very wise. His understanding couldn’t even be measured. It was like the sand on the seashore. People can’t measure that either. 30Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the east. It was greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31Solomon was wiser than anyone else. He was wiser than Ethan, the Ezrahite. He was wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda. They were the sons of Mahol. Solomon became famous in all the nations around him. 32He spoke 3,000 proverbs. He wrote 1,005 songs. 33He spoke about plants. He knew everything about them, from the cedar trees in Lebanon to the hyssop plants that grow out of walls. He spoke about animals and birds. He also spoke about reptiles and fish. 34The kings of all the world’s nations heard about how wise Solomon was. So they sent their people to listen to him.
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1 Kings 4: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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1 Kings 4
4
1 King Solomon was king over all Israel. 2These were the princes whom he had: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest; 3Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder; 4Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 5Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan was chief minister, the king’s friend; 6Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the men subject to 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 a month in the year. 8These are their names: Ben Hur, in the hill country of Ephraim; 9Ben Deker, in Makaz, in Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan; 10Ben Hesed, in Arubboth (Socoh and all the land of Hepher belonged to him); 11Ben Abinadab, in all the height of Dor (he had Taphath, Solomon’s daughter, as wife); 12Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth Shean which is beside Zarethan, beneath Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah, as far as beyond Jokmeam; 13Ben Geber, in Ramoth Gilead (the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead, belonged to him; and the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars, belonged to him); 14Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; 15Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon as wife); 16Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; 17Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin; 19Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer who was in the land.
20 Judah and Israel were numerous as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry. 21Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life. 22Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty cors#4:22 1 cor is the same as a homer, or about 55.9 U. S. gallons (liquid) or 211 liters or 6 bushels of fine flour, sixty measures of meal, 23ten head of fat cattle, twenty head of cattle out of the pastures, and one hundred sheep, in addition to deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl. 24For he had dominion over all on this side the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side the River; and he had peace on all sides around him. 25Judah and Israel lived safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. 26Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. 27Those officers provided food for King Solomon, and for all who came to King Solomon’s table, every man in his month. They let nothing be lacking. 28They also brought barley and straw for the horses and swift steeds to the place where the officers were, each man according to his duty. 29God gave Solomon abundant wisdom, understanding, and breadth of mind like the sand that is on the seashore. 30Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31For he was wiser than all men—wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the nations all around. 32He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered one thousand five. 33He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that grows out of the wall; he also spoke of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. 34People of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, sent by all kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.
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