1 Kings 4:1-34
Solomon's Officials and Wisdom
1 So King Solomon ruled over all Israel. 2 And these were his chief officials:
Azariah son of Zadok—the priest;
3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha—secretaries;
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud—recorder;
4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada—commander in chief;
Zadok and Abiathar—priests;
5 Azariah son of Nathan—in charge of the district governors;
Zabud son of Nathan—a priest and adviser to the king;
6 Ahishar—palace administrator;
Adoniram son of Abda—in charge of forced labor.
7 Solomon 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. 8 These are their names:
Ben-Hur—in the hill country of Ephraim;
9 Ben-Deker—in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh and Elon Bethhanan;
10 Ben-Hesed—in Arubboth (Sokoh and all the land of Hepher were his);
11 Ben-Abinadab—in Naphoth Dor (he was married to Taphath daughter of Solomon);
12 Baana 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;
13 Ben-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);
14 Ahinadab son of Iddo—in Mahanaim;
15 Ahimaaz—in Naphtali (he had married Basemath daughter of Solomon);
16 Baana son of Hushai—in Asher and in Aloth;
17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah—in Issachar;
18 Shimei son of Ela—in Benjamin;
19 Geber 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.
20 The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy. 21 And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River 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.
22 Solomon’s daily provisions were thirty cors of the finest flour and sixty cors of meal, 23 ten 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. 24 For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and had peace on all sides. 25 During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree.
26 Solomon had four thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand horses.
27 The 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. 28 They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses.
29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 He 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. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. 33 He 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. 34 From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.
King Solomon ruled over all Israel...These are the names of his leading officials: Azariah son of Zadok was the priest; Elihoreph 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; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was the commander of the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; Azariah son of Nathan was in charge of the district governors; Zabud son of Nathan was a priest and an advisor to King Solomon; Ahishar was responsible for everything in the king’s palace; Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of the slaves...
Israel 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...These are the names of the twelve governors: Ben Hur was governor of the hill country of Ephraim...Ben Deker was governor of Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Bethhanan...Ben Hesed was governor of Arubboth, Socoh, and Hepher...Ben Abinadab was governor of Naphoth Dor. He was married to Taphath, daughter of Solomon...Baana 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...Ben 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...Ahinadab son of Iddo was governor of Mahanaim...Ahimaaz was governor of Naphtali. He was married to Basemath the daughter of Solomon...Baana son of Hushai was governor of Asher and Aloth...Jehoshaphat son of Paruah was governor of Issachar...Shimei son of Ela was governor of Benjamin...Geber 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...In Judah and Israel there were as many people as sand on the seashore...The people were happy and had plenty to eat and drink...
Solomon 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...During 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...Solomon had places to keep 4000 horses for his chariots and he had 12,000 horse soldiers...And 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...The 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...
God made Solomon very wise...Solomon could understand more than you can imagine...He was wiser than anyone in the East or in Egypt...He was wiser than anyone on earth, even Ethan the Ezrahite and the sons of Mahol—Heman, Kalkol, and Darda...King Solomon became famous in all the surrounding countries...By the end of his life, he had written 3000 proverbs and 1005 songs...Solomon 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...People from every nation came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom...Kings all over the world sent their people to listen to him...