The fourth, assigned the fourth month, was Asahel, brother of Joab; his son Zebadiah succeeded him. His division consisted of 24,000 men.

The seventh, assigned the seventh month, was Helez the Pelonite, an Ephraimite. His division consisted of 24,000 men.

The eleventh, assigned the eleventh month, was Benaiah the Pirathonite, an Ephraimite. His division consisted of 24,000 men.

David did not count the males twenty years old and under, for the Lord had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky.

Shitrai the Sharonite was in charge of the cattle grazing in Sharon; Shaphat son of Adlai was in charge of the cattle in the valleys.

David gave to his son Solomon the blueprints for the temple porch, its buildings, its treasuries, its upper areas, its inner rooms, and the room for atonement.

Make my son Solomon willing to obey your commands, rules, and regulations, and to complete building the palace for which I have made preparations.”

They held a feast before the Lord that day and celebrated. Then they designated Solomon, David’s son, as king a second time; before the Lord they anointed him as ruler and Zadok as priest.

All the officers and warriors, as well as all of King David’s sons, pledged their allegiance to King Solomon.

There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets Moses had placed there in Horeb. (It was there that the Lord made an agreement with the Israelites after he brought them out of the land of Egypt.)

But you will not build the temple; your very own son will build the temple for my honor.’

and set up in it a place for the ark containing the covenant the Lord made with the Israelites.”

Solomon rebuilt the cities that Huram had given him and settled Israelites there.

Solomon did not assign Israelites to these work crews; the Israelites served as his soldiers, officers, charioteers, and commanders of his chariot forces.

When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the news, he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon. Jeroboam returned from Egypt.

“Say this to King Rehoboam son of Solomon of Judah and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin,

The Levites even left their pasturelands and their property behind and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons prohibited them from serving as the Lord’s priests.

They supported the kingdom of Judah and were loyal to Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years; they followed the edicts of David and Solomon for three years.

He wisely placed some of his many sons throughout the regions of Judah and Benjamin in the various fortified cities. He supplied them with abundant provisions and acquired many wives for them.

Don’t you realize that the Lord God of Israel has given David and his dynasty lasting dominion over Israel by a formal agreement?