1 Kings 4 | New International Reader’s Version

New International Reader’s Version

Solomon’s officials and governors

1 So King Solomon ruled over the whole nation of Israel. 2 Here are the names of his chief officials. Azariah was the priest. He was the son of Zadok. 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah were secretaries. They were the sons of Shisha. Jehoshaphat kept the records. He was the son of Ahilud. 4 Benaiah was the commander-in-chief. He was the son of Jehoiada. Zadok and Abiathar were priests. 5 Azariah 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. 6 Ahishar 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. 7 Solomon 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. 8 Here are their names and areas. Ben-Hur’s area was the hill country of Ephraim. 9 Ben-Deker’s area was Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh and Elon Bethhanan. 10 Ben-Hesed’s area was Arubboth. Sokoh and the whole land of Hepher were included in his area. 11 Ben-Abinadab’s area was Naphoth Dor. He married Solomon’s daughter Taphath. 12 Baana’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. 13 Ben-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. 14 Ahinadab’s area was Mahanaim. He was the son of Iddo. 15 Ahimaaz’s area was Naphtali. He had married Basemath. She was Solomon’s daughter. 16 Baana’s area was Asher and Aloth. He was the son of Hushai. 17 Jehoshaphat’s area was Issachar. He was the son of Paruah. 18 Shimei’s area was Benjamin. He was the son of Ela. 19 Geber’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

20 There 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. 21 Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River Euphrates 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. 22 Here are the supplies Solomon required every day. 4.5 tonnes of the finest flour 9 tonnes of meal 23 ten 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 24 Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms that were west of the River Euphrates. He ruled from Tiphsah all the way to Gaza. And he had peace and rest on every side. 25 While 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. 26 Solomon had 4,000 spaces where he kept his chariot horses. He had a total of 12,000 horses. 27 The 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. 28 They 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

29 God 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. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the east. It was greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 Solomon 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. 32 He spoke 3,000 proverbs. He wrote 1,005 songs. 33 He 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. 34 The kings of all the world’s nations heard about how wise Solomon was. So they sent their people to listen to him.

English Standard Version

Solomon’s Officials

1 King Solomon was king over all Israel, 2 and these were his high officials: Azariah the son of Zadok was the priest; (1Ch 6:10) 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah the sons of Shisha were secretaries; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; (2Sa 8:16; 2Sa 20:24) 4 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; (2Sa 20:25; 1Ki 2:27; 1Ki 2:35) 5 Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan was priest and king’s friend; (2Sa 15:37; 2Sa 16:16; 1Ki 4:7; 1Ch 27:33)

2Sa 15:372Sa 16:161Ki 4:71Ch 27:33

6 Ahishar was in charge of the palace; and Adoniram the son of Abda was in charge of the forced labor. (2Sa 20:24; 1Ki 5:14; 1Ki 9:15; 1Ki 12:18; 2Ch 10:18)

2Sa 20:241Ki 5:141Ki 9:151Ki 12:182Ch 10:18

7 Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household. Each man had to make provision for one month in the year. 8 These were their names: Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim; (Jos 24:33) 9 Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elonbeth-hanan; 10 Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (to him belonged Socoh and all the land of Hepher); 11 Ben-abinadab, in all Naphath-dor (he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as his wife); (Jos 11:2) 12 Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth-shean that is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, and from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, as far as the other side of Jokmeam; (Jos 17:11) 13 Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (he had the villages of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead, and he had the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars); (Nu 32:41; De 3:4; 1Ki 22:3) 14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; 15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he had taken Basemath the daughter of Solomon as his wife); 16 Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; 17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18 Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin; (1Ki 1:8) 19 Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan. And there was one governor who was over the land. (De 3:8)

Solomon’s Wealth and Wisdom

20 Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea. They ate and drank and were happy. (Ge 22:17; 1Ki 3:8; 2Ch 1:9) 21 ^[1] Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates^[2] to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life. (Ge 15:18; Ex 23:31; Jos 1:4; 2Ch 9:26; Ps 68:29; Ps 72:8; Ps 72:10)

Ge 15:18Ex 23:31Jos 1:42Ch 9:26Ps 68:29Ps 72:8Ps 72:10

22 Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty cors^[3] of fine flour and sixty cors of meal, 23 ten fat oxen, and twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl. 24 For he had dominion over all the region west of the Euphrates^[4] from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the Euphrates. And he had peace on all sides around him. (Ge 10:19; 1Ch 22:9) 25 And Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan even to Beersheba, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon. (2Sa 3:10; 2Ki 18:31; Isa 36:16; Jer 23:6; Jer 32:37; Eze 28:26; Mic 4:4; Zec 3:10)

2Sa 3:102Ki 18:31Isa 36:16Jer 23:6Jer 32:37Eze 28:26Mic 4:4Zec 3:10

26 Solomon also had 40,000^[5] stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen. (1Ki 10:26; 2Ch 1:14; 2Ch 9:25) 27 And those officers supplied provisions for King Solomon, and for all who came to King Solomon’s table, each one in his month. They let nothing be lacking. 28 Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds they brought to the place where it was required, each according to his duty. (Es 8:10; Es 8:14; Mic 1:13) 29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, (1Ki 3:12; 1Ki 4:20) 30 so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. (Jud 6:3; Isa 19:11; Ac 7:22) 31 For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. (1Ki 4:29) 32 He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. (Pr 1:1; Ec 12:9; So 1:1) 33 He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish. 34 And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom. (1Ki 10:1; 2Ch 9:23)