1 Kings 4
4
Solomon’s Kingdom
1King Solomon ruled over all Israel. 2These are the names of his leading officials:
Azariah son of Zadok was the priest;
3Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha, had the job of writing notes about what happened in the courts;
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud wrote notes about the history of the people;
4Benaiah son of Jehoiada was the commander of the army;
Zadok and Abiathar were priests;
5Azariah son of Nathan was in charge of the district governors;
Zabud son of Nathan was a priest and an advisor to King Solomon;
6Ahishar was responsible for everything in the king’s palace;
Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of the slaves.
7Israel was divided into twelve districts. Solomon chose governors to rule over each district. These governors were ordered to gather food from their districts and give it to the king and his family. Each of the twelve governors was responsible for giving food to the king one month each year. 8These are the names of the twelve governors:
Ben Hur was governor of the hill country of Ephraim.
9Ben Deker was governor of Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Bethhanan.
10Ben Hesed was governor of Arubboth, Socoh, and Hepher.
11Ben Abinadab was governor of Naphoth Dor. He was married to Taphath, daughter of Solomon.
12Baana son of Ahilud was governor of Taanach and Megiddo and all of Beth Shean next to Zarethan. This was below Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah across from Jokmeam.
13Ben Geber was governor of Ramoth Gilead. He was governor of all the towns and villages of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead. He was also governor of the district of Argob in Bashan. In this area there were 60 cities with big walls around them. These cities also had bronze bars on the gates.
14Ahinadab son of Iddo was governor of Mahanaim.
15Ahimaaz was governor of Naphtali. He was married to Basemath the daughter of Solomon.
16Baana son of Hushai was governor of Asher and Aloth.
17Jehoshaphat son of Paruah was governor of Issachar.
18Shimei son of Ela was governor of Benjamin.
19Geber son of Uri was governor of Gilead. There had been two kings in this area, King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan, but Solomon appointed only one governor for that district.
20In Judah and Israel there were as many people as sand on the seashore. The people were happy and had plenty to eat and drink.
21Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines. His kingdom went as far as the border of Egypt. These countries sent gifts to Solomon, and they obeyed him all of his life.#4:21 sent gifts … life This showed that these countries had made peace agreements with Solomon because of his great power.
22-23This is the amount of food that Solomon needed each day for himself and for everyone who ate at his table: 150 bushels#4:22-23 150 bushels Literally, “30 cors” (6600 l). of fine flour, 300 bushels#4:22-23 300 bushels Literally, “60 cors” (13,200 l). of flour, 10 cattle that were fed grain, 20 cattle that were raised in the fields, 100 sheep, wild animals such as deer, gazelles, roebucks,#4:22-23 deer, gazelles, roebucks Different kinds of wild deer. and game birds.
24Solomon ruled over all the countries west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza. And Solomon had peace along all the borders of his kingdom. 25During Solomon’s life everyone in Judah and Israel, all the way from Dan to Beersheba, lived in peace and security. The people were at peace sitting under their own fig trees and grapevines.
26Solomon had places to keep 4000#4:26 4000 This is found in some copies of the ancient Greek version. The standard Hebrew text has 40,000, but see 2 Chron. 9:25. horses for his chariots and he had 12,000 horse soldiers. 27And each month one of the twelve district governors gave King Solomon everything he needed for all the people who ate at the king’s table. 28The district governors also gave the king enough straw and barley for the chariot horses and the riding horses. Everyone brought this grain to the necessary places.
Solomon’s Wisdom
29God made Solomon very wise. Solomon could understand more than you can imagine. 30He was wiser than anyone in the East#4:30 East The area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers as far east as the Persian Gulf. or in Egypt. 31He was wiser than anyone on earth, even Ethan the Ezrahite and the sons of Mahol—Heman, Calcol, and Darda. King Solomon became famous in all the surrounding countries. 32By the end of his life, he had written#4:32 written Literally, “spoken.” 3000 proverbs and 1005 songs.
33Solomon also knew very much about nature. He taught about many different kinds of plants—everything from the great cedar trees of Lebanon to the little vines that grow out of the walls. He also taught about animals, birds, and snakes.#4:33 snakes Literally, “creeping things.” These can be anything: insects, lizards, snakes, or fish. 34People from every nation came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom. Kings all over the world sent their people to listen to him.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
1 Kings 4
4
Solomon’s officials and governors
1So King Solomon ruled over all Israel.
2These were his chief officials:
Azariah son of Zadok, the priest;
3Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha, secretaries;
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud, recorder;
4Benaiah son of Jehoiada, commander-in-chief;
Zadok and Abiathar, priests;
5Azariah son of Nathan, in charge of the district governors;
Zabud son of Nathan, a priest and advisor to the king;
6Ahishar, palace administrator;
Adoniram son of Abda, in charge of forced labour.
7Solomon had twelve district governors over all Israel, who supplied provisions for the king and the royal household. Each one had to provide supplies for one month in the year.
8These are their names:
Ben-Hur, in the hill country of Ephraim;
9Ben-Deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh and Elon Bethhanan;
10Ben-Hesed, in Arubboth (Sokoh and all the land of Hepher were his);
11Ben-Abinadab, in Naphoth Dor (he was married to Taphath daughter of Solomon);
12Baana son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, and in all of Beth Shan next to Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah across to Jokmeam;
13Ben-Geber, in Ramoth Gilead (the settlements of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead were his, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan and its sixty large walled cities with bronze gate bars);
14Ahinadab son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;
15Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he had married Basemath daughter of Solomon);
16Baana son of Hushai, in Asher and in Aloth;
17Jehoshaphat son of Paruah, in Issachar;
18Shimei son of Ela, in Benjamin;
19Geber son of Uri, in Gilead (the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and the country of Og king of Bashan). He was the only governor over the district.
Solomon’s daily provisions
20The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy. 21And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought tribute and were Solomon’s subjects all his life.
22Solomon’s daily provisions were thirty cors#4:22 That is, probably about 5 metric tons of the finest flour and sixty cors#4:22 That is, probably about 10 metric tons of meal, 23ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed cattle and a hundred sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks and choice fowl. 24For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the River Euphrates, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and had peace on all sides. 25During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, everyone under their own vine and under their own fig-tree.
26Solomon had four#4:26 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 2 Chron. 9:25); Hebrew forty thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand horses.#4:26 Or charioteers
27The district governors, each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon and all who came to the king’s table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking. 28They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses.
Solomon’s wisdom
29God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 30Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite – wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. 32He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. 33He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 34From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.#4:34 In Hebrew texts 4:21-34 is numbered 5:1-14.
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