1 Kings 4
4
Solomon’s administration
1King Solomon became king of all Israel.
2These were his officials: the priest Azariah, Zadok’s son; 3the scribes Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha; Jehoshaphat, the recorder, Ahilud’s son; 4the general Benaiah, Jehoiada’s son; the priests Zadok and Abiathar; 5Azariah, Nathan’s son, who was in charge of the officials; Zabud, Nathan’s son, a priest and royal friend; 6Ahishar, who was in charge of the palace; and Adoniram, Abda’s son, who was supervisor of the work gangs.
7Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel. They supplied the king and his palace with food. Each would provide the supplies for one month per year. 8Here are their names:
Ben-hur in the highlands of Ephraim;
9Ben-deker in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elon-bethhanan;
10Ben-hesed in Arubboth, who had Socoh and all the land of Hepher;
11Ben-abinadab in all of Naphath-dor (Taphath, Solomon’s daughter, was his wife);
12Baana, Ahilud’s son, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth-shean beside Zarethan and below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah and over to the region opposite Jokmeam;
13Ben-geber in Ramoth-gilead, who controlled the villages of Jair, Manasseh’s son, which were in Gilead, and who had the Argob region that was in Bashan—sixty large walled cities with bronze bars;
14Ahinadab, Iddo’s son, in Mahanaim;
15Ahimaaz in Naphtali, who also took Solomon’s daughter Basemath as his wife;
16Baana, Hushai’s son, in Asher and Bealoth;
17Jehoshaphat, Paruah’s son, in
Issachar;
18Shimei, Ela’s son, in Benjamin;
19Geber, Uri’s son, in the land of Gilead, the land of the Amorite king Sihon and of King Og of Bashan;
and there was a single officer who was in the land of Judah.#4.19 LXX; MT lacks of Judah.
20Judah and Israel grew numerous like the sand alongside the sea. They ate, drank, and celebrated.
21 # 4.21 5:1 in Heb Solomon ruled over all the states from the Euphrates River through the Philistines’ land and as far as the border of Egypt. These areas brought tribute to Solomon and served him all the days of his life. 22Solomon’s food requirements for a single day included thirty kors#4.22 One kor is possibly equal to fifty gallons. of refined flour; sixty kors of flour; 23ten head of grain-fattened cattle; twenty head of pastured cattle; one hundred sheep; as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks, and the best of fowl. 24He ruled over all the lands west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and over all the kings west of the Euphrates. He had peace on all sides. 25The people of Judah and Israel from Dan all the way to Beer-sheba lived securely under their vines and fig trees throughout the days of Solomon.
26Solomon had forty thousand horse stalls for his chariots and twelve thousand additional horses. 27The officials provided King Solomon and all who joined him at the royal table with monthly food rations. They left out nothing. 28Each brought their share of barley and straw for the horses and for the chariot horses, bringing it to its proper place. 29And God gave Solomon wisdom and very great understanding—insight as long as the seashore itself. 30Solomon’s wisdom was greater than all the famous Easterners, greater even than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31He was wiser than anyone, more wise than Ethan the Ezrahite or Mahol’s sons: Heman, Calcol, and Darda. His reputation was known throughout the region. 32Solomon spoke three thousand proverbs and one thousand five songs. 33He described the botany of trees, whether the cedar in Lebanon or the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He also described cattle, birds, anything that crawls on the ground, and fish. 34People came from everywhere to listen to Solomon’s wisdom; even the earth’s kings who had heard about his wisdom came!
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1 Kings 4: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
I Kings 4
4
Solomon’s Administration
1So King Solomon was king over all Israel. 2And these were his officials: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest; 3Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; #2 Sam. 8:16; 20:24Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder; 4#1 Kin. 2:35Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, over the army; Zadok and #1 Kin. 2:27Abiathar, the priests; 5Azariah the son of Nathan, over #1 Kin. 4:7the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan, #2 Sam. 8:18; 20:26a priest and #2 Sam. 15:37; 16:16; 1 Chr. 27:33the king’s friend; 6Ahishar, over the household; and #1 Kin. 5:14Adoniram the son of Abda, over the labor force.
7And Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household; each one made provision for one month of the year. 8These are their names: Ben-Hur, in the mountains of Ephraim; 9Ben-Deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan; 10Ben-Hesed, in Arubboth; to him belonged Sochoh and all the land of Hepher; 11Ben-Abinadab, in all the regions of Dor; he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as wife; 12Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth Shean, which is beside Zaretan below Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah, as far as the other side of Jokneam; 13Ben-Geber, in Ramoth Gilead; to him belonged #Num. 32:41; 1 Chr. 2:22the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, in Gilead; to him also belonged #Deut. 3:4the region of Argob in Bashan—sixty large cities with walls and bronze gate-bars; 14Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; 15#2 Sam. 15:27Ahimaaz, in Naphtali; he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon as wife; 16Baanah the son of #2 Sam. 15:32; 1 Chr. 27:33Hushai, in Asher and Aloth; 17Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18#1 Kin. 1:8Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin; 19Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, in #Deut. 3:8–10the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan. He was the only governor who was in the land.
Prosperity and Wisdom of Solomon’s Reign
20Judah and Israel were as numerous #Gen. 22:17; 32:12; 1 Kin. 3:8; (Prov. 14:28)as the sand by the sea in multitude, #Ps. 72:3, 7; Mic. 4:4eating and drinking and rejoicing. 21So #Ex. 34:24; 2 Chr. 9:26; Ps. 72:8Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from #Gen. 15:18; Josh. 1:4the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. #Ps. 68:29They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
22#Neh. 5:18Now Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty kors of fine flour, sixty kors of meal, 23ten fatted oxen, twenty oxen from the pastures, and one hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowl.
24For he had dominion over all the region on this side of the River from Tiphsah even to Gaza, namely over #Ps. 72:11all the kings on this side of the River; and #1 Kin. 5:4; 1 Chr. 22:9he had peace on every side all around him. 25And Judah and Israel #(Jer. 23:6)dwelt safely, #(Mic. 4:4; Zech. 3:10)each man under his vine and his fig tree, #Judg. 20:1from Dan as far as Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.
26#1 Kin. 10:26; 2 Chr. 1:14Solomon had forty thousand stalls of #(Deut. 17:16)horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. 27And #1 Kin. 4:7these governors, each man in his month, provided food for King Solomon and for all who came to King Solomon’s table. There was no lack in their supply. 28They also brought barley and straw to the proper place, for the horses and steeds, each man according to his charge.
29And #1 Kin. 3:12God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. 30Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men #Gen. 25:6of the East and all #Is. 19:11, 12; Acts 7:22the wisdom of Egypt. 31For he was #1 Kin. 3:12wiser than all men—#1 Chr. 15:19; Ps. 89:titlethan Ethan the Ezrahite, #1 Chr. 2:6; Ps. 88:titleand Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. 32#Prov. 1:1; 10:1; 25:1; Eccl. 12:9He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his #Song 1:1songs were one thousand and five. 33Also he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. 34And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, #1 Kin. 10:1; 2 Chr. 9:1, 23came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.