1 Kings 4:1-19

GOD’S WORD Translation

Solomon’s Administration^(A)

4 When King Solomon was the king of all Israel, ² these were his officials:

Azariah, son of Zadok, was the ⌞chief⌟ priest.

³ Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, were scribes.

Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, was the royal historian.

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 the king’s adviser.

⁶ Ahishar was in charge of the palace.

Adoniram, son of Abda, was in charge of forced labor.

⁷ Solomon appointed 12 district governors in Israel. They were to provide food for the king and his palace. Each one had to supply food for one month every year. ⁸ Their names were

Benhur, who was in charge of the hills of Ephraim,

⁹ Bendeker, who was in charge of Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan, and

¹⁰ Benhesed, who was in charge of Arubboth, Socoh, and the entire region of Hepher.

¹¹ Benabinadab had the entire region of Dor.

(Solomon’s daughter Taphath was his wife.)

¹² Baana, son of Ahilud, had Taanach, Megiddo, and all of Beth Shean.

(This was near Zarethan, below Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah and over to Jokmeam.)

¹³ Bengeber was in charge of Ramoth Gilead; he had the settlements of Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, in Gilead.

He ⌞also⌟ had the territory of Argob in Bashan, 60 large cities with walls and bronze bars across their gates.

¹⁴ Ahinadab, son of Iddo, was in charge of Mahanaim.

¹⁵ Ahimaaz was in charge of Naphtali.

(He also married Solomon’s daughter Basemath.)

¹⁶ Baana, son of Hushai, was in charge of Asher and Aloth.

¹⁷ Jehoshaphat, son of Paruah, was in charge of Issachar.

¹⁸ Shimei, son of Ela, was in charge of Benjamin.

¹⁹ Geber, son of Uri, was in charge of Gilead, the territory of King Sihon the Amorite and King Og of Bashan. (There was only one governor in that territory.) ^[a]