Solomon had twelve district governors(A) 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. These are their names:

Ben-Hur—in the hill country(B) of Ephraim;

Ben-Deker—in Makaz, Shaalbim,(C) Beth Shemesh(D) and Elon Bethhanan;

10 Ben-Hesed—in Arubboth (Sokoh(E) and all the land of Hepher(F) were his);

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

12 Baana son of Ahilud—in Taanach and Megiddo, and in all of Beth Shan(H) next to Zarethan(I) below Jezreel, from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah(J) across to Jokmeam;(K)

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

14 Ahinadab son of Iddo—in Mahanaim;(O)

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

16 Baana son of Hushai(Q)—in Asher and in Aloth;

17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah—in Issachar;

18 Shimei(R) son of Ela—in Benjamin;

19 Geber son of Uri—in Gilead (the country of Sihon(S) king of the Amorites and the country of Og(T) 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 sand(U) on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy.(V) 21 And Solomon ruled(W) over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River(X) to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.(Y) These countries brought tribute(Z) and were Solomon’s subjects all his life.

22 Solomon’s daily provisions(AA) were thirty cors[a] of the finest flour and sixty cors[b] 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.(AB) 24 For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah(AC) to Gaza, and had peace(AD) on all sides. 25 During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba,(AE) lived in safety,(AF) everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree.(AG)

26 Solomon had four[c] thousand stalls for chariot horses,(AH) and twelve thousand horses.[d]

27 The district governors,(AI) 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.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 4:22 That is, probably about 5 1/2 tons or about 5 metric tons
  2. 1 Kings 4:22 That is, probably about 11 tons or about 10 metric tons
  3. 1 Kings 4:26 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 2 Chron. 9:25); Hebrew forty
  4. 1 Kings 4:26 Or charioteers

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.

And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim:

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.

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