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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3 Kings 4
4
1And king Solomon reigned over all Israel:
2And these were the princes which he had: Azarias the son of Sadoc, the priest:
3Elihoreph, and Ahia, the sons of Sisa, scribes: Josaphat the son of Ahilud, recorder:
4Banaias the son of Joiada, over the army: and Sadoc and Abiathar, priests:
5Azarias the son of Nathan, over them that were about the king: Zabud, the son of Nathan the priest, the king's friend:
6And Ahisar, governor of the house: and Adoniram the son of Abda, over the tribute.
7And Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel, who provided victuals for the king and for his household: 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 towns 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.
14Abinadab the son of Addo was chief in Manaim.
15Achimaas in Nephtali: 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.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.