1 Kings 4:1–20

Solomon’s Administration

4So King Solomon was king over all Israel. ²And these were his officials: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest; ³Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, ¹scribes; ^aJehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder; ^4bBenaiah the son of Jehoiada, over the army; Zadok and ^cAbiathar, the priests; ⁵Azariah the son of Nathan, over ^dthe officers; Zabud the son of Nathan, ^ea priest and ^fthe king’s friend; ⁶Ahishar, over the household; and ^gAdoniram the son of Abda, over the labor force.

⁷And Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household; each one made provision for one month of the year. ⁸These are their names: ²Ben-Hur, in the mountains of Ephraim; ⁹³Ben-Deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan; ¹⁰⁴Ben-Hesed, in Arubboth; to him belonged Sochoh and all the land of Hepher; ¹¹⁵Ben-Abinadab, in all the regions of Dor; he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as wife; ¹²Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth Shean, which is beside Zaretan below Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah, as far as the other side of Jokneam; ¹³⁶Ben-Geber, in Ramoth Gilead; to him belonged ^hthe towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, in Gilead; to him also belonged ⁱthe region of Argob in Bashan—sixty large cities with walls and bronze gate-bars; ¹⁴Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; ^15jAhimaaz, in Naphtali; he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon as wife; ¹⁶Baanah the son of ^kHushai, in Asher and Aloth; ¹⁷Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; ^18lShimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin; ¹⁹Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, in ^mthe country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan. He was the only governor who was in the land.

Prosperity and Wisdom of Solomon’s Reign

²⁰Judah and Israel were as numerous ⁿas the sand by the sea in multitude, ^oeating and drinking and rejoicing.