Olive Tree Bible App

1 Kings 4 New International Version (NIV)

Solomon’s Officials and Governors

4 So King Solomon ruled over all Israel. ²And these were his chief officials:^(A)

Azariah^(B) son of Zadok—the priest;

³Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha—secretaries;^(C)

Jehoshaphat^(D) son of Ahilud—recorder;

⁴Benaiah^(E) son of Jehoiada—commander in chief;

Zadok^(F) and Abiathar—priests;

⁵Azariah son of Nathan—in charge of the district governors;

Zabud son of Nathan—a priest and adviser to the king;

⁶Ahishar—palace administrator;^(G)

Adoniram^(H) son of Abda—in charge of forced labor.^(I)

⁷Solomon had twelve district governors^(J) 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^(K) of Ephraim;

⁹Ben-Deker—in Makaz, Shaalbim,^(L) Beth Shemesh^(M) and Elon Bethhanan;

¹⁰Ben-Hesed—in Arubboth (Sokoh^(N) and all the land of Hepher^(O) were his);

¹¹Ben-Abinadab—in Naphoth Dor^(P) (he was married to Taphath daughter of Solomon);

¹²Baana son of Ahilud—in Taanach and Megiddo, and in all of Beth Shan^(Q) next to Zarethan^(R) below Jezreel, from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah^(S) across to Jokmeam;^(T)

¹³Ben-Geber—in Ramoth Gilead (the settlements of Jair^(U) son of Manasseh in Gilead^(V) were his, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan and its sixty large walled cities^(W) with bronze gate bars);

¹⁴Ahinadab son of Iddo—in Mahanaim;^(X)

¹⁵Ahimaaz^(Y)—in Naphtali (he had married Basemath daughter of Solomon);

¹⁶Baana son of Hushai^(Z)—in Asher and in Aloth;

¹⁷Jehoshaphat son of Paruah—in Issachar;

¹⁸Shimei^(AA) son of Ela—in Benjamin;

¹⁹Geber son of Uri—in Gilead (the country of Sihon^(AB) king of the Amorites and the country of Og^(AC) 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^(AD) on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy.^(AE) ²¹And Solomon ruled^(AF) over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River^(AG) to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.^(AH) These countries brought tribute^(AI) and were Solomon’s subjects all his life.

²²Solomon’s daily provisions^(AJ) were thirty cors^[a] of the finest flour and sixty cors^[b] 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.^(AK) ²⁴For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah^(AL) to Gaza, and had peace^(AM) on all sides. ²⁵During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba,^(AN) lived in safety,^(AO) everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree.^(AP)

²⁶Solomon had four^[c] thousand stalls for chariot horses,^(AQ) and twelve thousand horses.^[d]

²⁷The district governors,^(AR) 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^(AS) and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand^(AT) on the seashore. ³⁰Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East,^(AU) and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.^(AV) ³¹He was wiser^(AW) 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^(AX) and his songs^(AY) numbered a thousand and five. ³³He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop^(AZ) 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^(BA) of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.^[e]

New International Version (NIV)