1 Kings 4
International Children’s Bible
Solomon’s Officers
4 King Solomon ruled over all Israel. 2 These are the names of his leading officers:
Azariah son of Zadok was the priest;
3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha, recorded what happened in the courts;
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud recorded the history of the people;
4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was commander of the army;
Zadok and Abiathar were priests;
5 Azariah son of Nathan was in charge of the district governors;
Zabud son of Nathan was a priest and adviser to the king;
6 Ahishar was responsible for everything in the palace;
Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of the slaves.
7 Solomon placed 12 governors over the districts of Israel. They had to gather food from their districts. Then they were to give it to the king and his family. Each governor was responsible for giving food to the king one month of each year. 8 These are the names of the 12 governors:
Ben-Hur was governor over the mountain country of Ephraim.
9 Ben-Deker was governor over Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh and Elon Bethhanan.
10 Ben-Hesed was governor over Arubboth, Socoh and Hepher.
11 Ben-Abinadab was governor over Naphoth Dor. (He was married to Taphath daughter of Solomon.)
12 Baana son of Ahilud was governor over Taanach, Megiddo and all of Beth Shan next to Zarethan. (This was below Jezreel from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah across Jokmeam.)
13 Ben-Geber was governor over Ramoth in Gilead. (He was governor over all the Towns of Jair in Gilead. Jair was the son of Manasseh. Ben-Geber was also over the district of Argob in Bashan. It had 60 large, walled cities with bronze bars on their gates.)
14 Ahinadab son of Iddo was governor over Mahanaim.
15 Ahimaaz was governor over Naphtali. (He was married to Basemath daughter of Solomon.)
16 Baana son of Hushai was governor over Asher and Aloth.
17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah was governor over Issachar.
18 Shimei son of Ela was governor over Benjamin.
19 Geber son of Uri was governor over Gilead. (Gilead was the country where Sihon king of the Amorite people lived. Og king of Bashan also lived there.) But Geber was the only governor over the district.
Solomon’s Kingdom
20 There were many people in Judah and Israel. There were as many people as there were grains of sand on the seashore. The people ate, drank and were happy. 21 Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistine people. His kingdom went as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought Solomon the payments he demanded. And they obeyed him all his life.
22 Solomon needed much food each day to feed himself and all the people who ate at his table. It took 185 bushels of fine flour and 375 bushels of meal. 23 It also took 10 cows that were fed good grain, 20 cows that were raised in the fields and 100 sheep. And it took 3 different kinds of deer and fat birds.
24 Solomon ruled over all the countries west of the Euphrates River. This was the land from Tiphsah to Gaza. And Solomon had peace on all sides of his kingdom. 25 During Solomon’s life Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba,[a] lived in peace. Each man was able to sit under his own fig trees and grapevines.
26 Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses. And he had 12,000 chariot soldiers. 27 Each month one of the district governors gave King Solomon all the food he needed. This was enough for every person who ate at the king’s table. The governors made sure he had everything he needed. 28 They also gave the king enough barley and straw for the chariot and work horses. Each person brought this grain to the required places.
Solomon’s Wisdom
29 God gave great wisdom to Solomon. Solomon could understand many things. His wisdom was as hard to measure as the sand on the seashore. 30 His wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men in the East. And his wisdom was greater than all the wisdom of the men in Egypt. 31 He was wiser than any other man on earth. He was even wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite. He was wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda. They were the sons of Mahol. King Solomon became famous in all the countries around Israel and Judah. 32 During his life King Solomon spoke 3,000 wise teachings. He also knew 1,005 songs. 33 He taught about many different kinds of plants. He taught about everything from the great cedar trees of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the walls. He also taught about animals, birds, crawling things and fish. 34 People from all nations came to listen to King Solomon’s wisdom. The kings of all nations sent them to listen to him. These kings had heard of Solomon’s wisdom.
Footnotes
- 4:25 Dan to Beersheba Dan was the city farthest north in Israel. Beersheba was the city farthest south. So this means all the people of Israel.
1 Kings 4
Common English Bible
Solomon’s administration
4 King Solomon became king of all Israel.
2 These were his officials: the priest Azariah, Zadok’s son; 3 the scribes Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha; Jehoshaphat, the recorder, Ahilud’s son; 4 the general Benaiah, Jehoiada’s son; the priests Zadok and Abiathar; 5 Azariah, Nathan’s son, who was in charge of the officials; Zabud, Nathan’s son, a priest and royal friend; 6 Ahishar, who was in charge of the palace; and Adoniram, Abda’s son, who was supervisor of the work gangs.
7 Solomon 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. 8 Here are their names:
Ben-hur in the highlands of Ephraim;
9 Ben-deker in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elon-bethhanan;
10 Ben-hesed in Arubboth, who had Socoh and all the land of Hepher;
11 Ben-abinadab in all of Naphath-dor (Taphath, Solomon’s daughter, was his wife);
12 Baana, 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;
13 Ben-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;
14 Ahinadab, Iddo’s son, in Mahanaim;
15 Ahimaaz in Naphtali, who also took Solomon’s daughter Basemath as his wife;
16 Baana, Hushai’s son, in Asher and Bealoth;
17 Jehoshaphat, Paruah’s son, in
Issachar;
18 Shimei, Ela’s son, in Benjamin;
19 Geber, 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.[a]
20 Judah and Israel grew numerous like the sand alongside the sea. They ate, drank, and celebrated.
21 [b] 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. 22 Solomon’s food requirements for a single day included thirty kors[c] of refined flour; sixty kors of flour; 23 ten head of grain-fattened cattle; twenty head of pastured cattle; one hundred sheep; as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks, and the best of fowl. 24 He 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. 25 The 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.
26 Solomon had forty thousand horse stalls for his chariots and twelve thousand additional horses. 27 The officials provided King Solomon and all who joined him at the royal table with monthly food rations. They left out nothing. 28 Each brought their share of barley and straw for the horses and for the chariot horses, bringing it to its proper place. 29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and very great understanding—insight as long as the seashore itself. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than all the famous Easterners, greater even than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 He 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. 32 Solomon spoke three thousand proverbs and one thousand five songs. 33 He 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. 34 People came from everywhere to listen to Solomon’s wisdom; even the earth’s kings who had heard about his wisdom came!
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 4:19 LXX; MT lacks of Judah.
- 1 Kings 4:21 5:1 in Heb
- 1 Kings 4:22 One kor is possibly equal to fifty gallons.
1 Kings 4
King James Version
4 So king Solomon was king over all Israel.
2 And these were the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest,
3 Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder.
4 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:
5 And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer, and the king's friend:
6 And Ahishar was over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute.
7 And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision.
8 And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim:
9 The son of Dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Bethshemesh, and Elonbethhanan:
10 The son of Hesed, in Aruboth; to him pertained Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher:
11 The son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife:
12 Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and all Bethshean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Bethshean to Abelmeholah, even unto the place that is beyond Jokneam:
13 The son of Geber, in Ramothgilead; to him pertained the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; to him also pertained the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brasen bars:
14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo had Mahanaim:
15 Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife:
16 Baanah the son of Hushai was in Asher and in Aloth:
17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar:
18 Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin:
19 Geber the son of Uri was in the country of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer which was in the land.
20 Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.
21 And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.
22 And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,
23 Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl.
24 For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him.
25 And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.
26 And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.
27 And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon's table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing.
28 Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.
29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.
30 And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.
32 And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.
33 And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.
34 And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.
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