Now Saul had a concubine named Rizpah daughter of Aiah. Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why did you have sexual relations with my father’s concubine?”

So David lived in the fortress and called it the City of David. David built all around it, from the terrace inwards.

So now assemble the rest of the army and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I will capture the city and it will be named for me.”

But my servant has slandered me to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like an angel of God. Do whatever seems appropriate to you.

The one who touches them must use an iron instrument or the wooden shaft of a spear. They are completely burned up right where they lie!”

But he made a stand in the middle of that area. He defended it and defeated the Philistines; the Lord gave them a great victory.

As he was still speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in, for an important man like you must be bringing good news.”

Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord. They made him more jealous by their sins than their ancestors had done.

Each one struck down an enemy soldier; the Syrians fled and Israel chased them. King Ben Hadad of Syria escaped on horseback with some horsemen.

Now the king of Syria was at war with Israel. He consulted his advisers, who said, “Invade at such and such a place.”

He went to Samaria and exterminated all the members of Ahab’s family who were still alive in Samaria, just as the Lord had announced to Elijah.

He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok.

Jotham passed away and was buried with his ancestors in the city of his ancestor David. His son Ahaz replaced him as king.

So one of the priests whom they had deported from Samaria went back and settled in Bethel. He taught them how to worship the Lord.

Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power, so that all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you, Lord, are the only God.”

He sacrificed all the priests of the high places on the altars located there, and burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

During Jehoiakim’s reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked. Jehoiakim was his subject for three years, but then he rebelled against him.

The Lord greatly magnified Solomon before all Israel and bestowed on him greater majesty than any king of Israel before him.

King Huram of Tyre sent this letter to Solomon: “Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you their king.”

Lawless good-for-nothing men gathered around him and conspired against Rehoboam son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was an inexperienced young man and could not resist them.