1 Kings 4

1King Solomon was king over all Israel.

2These were the officials he had: Azariah son of Zadok the priest; 3Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha, secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud, recorder; 4Benaiah son of Jehoiada, over the army; Zadok and Abiathar, priests; 5Azariah son of Nathan, over the governors; and Zabud son of Nathan, priest and the king’s friend; 6Ahishar, over the household; and Adoniram son of Abda, over the forced labor.

7Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel, who provided for the king and his household. Each one was responsible for providing for one month in the year.

8These were their names: Ben-Hur, in the hill country of Ephraim; 9Ben-Deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan; 10Ben-Hesed, in Arubboth; he had Sokoh and all the land of Hepher; 11Ben-Abinadab, over all the district of Dor; Taphath, Solomon’s daughter, was his wife; 12Baana son of Ahilud, over Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean, which is beside Zarethan, below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, as far as beyond Jokmeam; 13Ben-Geber, in Ramoth-gilead; he had the settlements of Jair son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; he had the region of Argob, which is in Bashan: sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars; 14Ahinadab son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; 15Ahimaaz, in Naphtali; he also took Basemath, Solomon’s daughter, as his wife; 16Baana son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; 17Jehoshaphat son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18Shimei son of Ela, in Benjamin; 19Geber son of Uri, in the land of Gilead—the land of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan—and one governor who was in the land.

20Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand that is by the sea. They were eating and drinking and rejoicing.

21Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines and as far as the border of Egypt, bringing tribute and serving Solomon all the days of his life. 22Solomon’s provisions for one day were thirty cors of fine flour and sixty cors of flour, 23ten fattened cattle, twenty pasture-fed cattle, and one hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened birds. 24For he ruled over all the region beyond the River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings beyond the River. And he had peace on every side around him. 25Judah and Israel lived in security, each under their vine and under their fig tree, from Dan to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon. 26Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.

27These officials provided for King Solomon and for all who came near King Solomon’s table, each in their month; they let nothing be lacking. 28They brought the barley and the straw for the horses and the steeds to the place where they were, each according to their assignment.

29God gave Solomon wisdom and very great understanding, and breadth of heart like the sand on the seashore. 30Solomon’s wisdom exceeded the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31He was wiser than every other person—wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. His name was known among all the nations around him. 32He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered one thousand and five. 33He spoke about the trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also about animals, birds, creeping things, and fish. 34People came from all peoples to hear Solomon’s wisdom, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.