1 Kings 4:1–5:18

Solomon’s Officials and Governors

4 So King Solomon ruled over all Israel. 2 And these were his chief officials:y

Azariahz son of Zadok—the priest;

3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha—secretaries;a

Jehoshaphatb son of Ahilud—recorder;

4 Benaiahc son of Jehoiada—commander in chief;

Zadokd and Abiathar—priests;

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

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

6 Ahishar—palace administrator;e

Adoniramf son of Abda—in charge of forced labor.g

7 Solomon had twelve district governorsh 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. 8 These are their names:

Ben-Hur—in the hill countryi of Ephraim;

9 Ben-Deker—in Makaz, Shaalbim,j Beth Shemeshk and Elon Bethhanan;

10 Ben-Hesed—in Arubboth (Sokohl and all the land of Hepherm were his);

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

12 Baana son of Ahilud—in Taanach and Megiddo, and in all of Beth Shano next to Zarethanp below Jezreel, from Beth Shan to Abel Meholahq across to Jokmeam;r

13 Ben-Geber—in Ramoth Gilead (the settlements of Jairs son of Manasseh in Gileadt were his, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan and its sixty large walled citiesu with bronze gate bars);

14 Ahinadab son of Iddo—in Mahanaim;v

15 Ahimaazw—in Naphtali (he had married Basemath daughter of Solomon);

16 Baana son of Hushaix—in Asher and in Aloth;

17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah—in Issachar;

18 Shimeiy son of Ela—in Benjamin;

19 Geber son of Uri—in Gilead (the country of Sihonz king of the Amorites and the country of Oga king of Bashan). He was the only governor over the district.

Solomon’s Daily Provisions

20 The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sandb on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy.c 21 And Solomon ruledd over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates Rivere to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.f These countries brought tributeg and were Solomon’s subjects all his life.

22 Solomon’s daily provisionsh were thirty corsa of the finest flour and sixty corsb of meal, 23 ten 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.i 24 For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsahj to Gaza, and had peacek on all sides. 25 During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba,l lived in safety,m everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree.n

26 Solomon had fourc thousand stalls for chariot horses,o and twelve thousand horses.d

27 The district governors,p 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. 28 They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses.

Solomon’s Wisdom

29 God gave Solomon wisdomq and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sandr on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East,s and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.t 31 He was wiseru 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. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbsv and his songsw numbered a thousand and five. 33 He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssopx that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 34 From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kingsy of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.e

Preparations for Building the Temple

5:1–16pp—2Ch 2:1–18

5 a When Hiramz king of Tyre heard that Solomon had been anointed king to succeed his father David, he sent his envoys to Solomon, because he had always been on friendly terms with David. 2 Solomon sent back this message to Hiram:

3 “You know that because of the warsa waged against my father David from all sides, he could not buildb a temple for the Name of the Lord his God until the Lord put his enemies under his feet.c 4 But now the Lord my God has given me restd on every side, and there is no adversarye or disaster. 5 I intend, therefore, to build a templef for the Name of the Lord my God, as the Lord told my father David, when he said, ‘Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.’g

6 “So give orders that cedarsh of Lebanon be cut for me. My men will work with yours, and I will pay you for your men whatever wages you set. You know that we have no one so skilled in felling timber as the Sidonians.”

7 When Hiram heard Solomon’s message, he was greatly pleased and said, “Praise be to the Lordi today, for he has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation.”

8 So Hiram sent word to Solomon:

“I have received the message you sent me and will do all you want in providing the cedar and juniper logs. 9 My men will haul them down from Lebanon to the Mediterranean Seaj, and I will float them as rafts by sea to the place you specify. There I will separate them and you can take them away. And you are to grant my wish by providing foodk for my royal household.”

10 In this way Hiram kept Solomon supplied with all the cedar and juniper logs he wanted, 11 and Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand corsb of wheat as foodl for his household, in addition to twenty thousand bathsc,d of pressed olive oil. Solomon continued to do this for Hiram year after year. 12 The Lord gave Solomon wisdom,m just as he had promised him. There were peaceful relations between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.n

13 King Solomon conscripted laborerso from all Israel—thirty thousand men. 14 He sent them off to Lebanon in shifts of ten thousand a month, so that they spent one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniramp was in charge of the forced labor. 15 Solomon had seventy thousand carriers and eighty thousand stonecutters in the hills, 16 as well as thirty-three hundrede foremenq who supervised the project and directed the workers. 17 At the king’s command they removed from the quarryr large blocks of high-grade stones to provide a foundation of dressed stone for the temple. 18 The craftsmen of Solomon and Hiramt and workers from Byblosu cut and prepared the timber and stone for the building of the temple.