1 Kings 4:1-20 - Solomon's Wisdom: Political Administration

¹ And king Solomon was king over all Israel. ² And these are the princes whom he had: Azariah the son of Zadok was priest; ³ Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, chronicler; ⁴ and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests; ⁵ and Azariah the son of Nathan was over the superintendents; and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer, the king's friend; ⁶ and Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the levy-service.

⁷ And Solomon had twelve superintendents over all Israel; and they provided food for the king and his household: each man his month in the year had to make provision. ⁸ And these are their names: Ben-Hur, in mount Ephraim. ⁹ Ben-Deker in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth-shemesh, and Elon-Beth-hanan. ¹⁰ Ben-Hesed, in Arubboth; he had Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher. ¹¹ Ben-Abinadab had all the upland of Dor; Taphath the daughter of Solomon was his wife. ¹² Baana the son of Ahilud had Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean, which is by Zaretan beneath Jizreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-Meholah, as far as beyond Jokneam. ¹³ Ben-Geber, in Ramoth-Gilead; he had the villages of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; he had the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bars of bronze. ¹⁴ Ahinadab the son of Iddo, at Mahanaim. ¹⁵ Ahimaaz, in Nephtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon as wife. ¹⁶ Baanah the son of Hushai, in Asher and in Aloth. ¹⁷ Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar. ¹⁸ Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin. ¹⁹ Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the land of Sihon the king of the Amorites, and of Og the king of Bashan; and he was the only superintendent that 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.