O Lord, for the sake of your servant and according to your will, you have done this great thing in order to reveal your greatness.

Later David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. He took Gath and its surrounding towns away from the Philistines.

So Hanun seized David’s servants and shaved their beards off. He cut off the lower part of their robes so that their buttocks were exposed and then sent them away.

They were in charge of the meeting tent and the holy place, and helped their relatives, the descendants of Aaron, in the service of the Lord’s temple.

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.

Then the king turned around and pronounced a blessing over the whole Israelite assembly as they stood there.

then listen from your heavenly dwelling place to their prayers for help, vindicate them, and forgive your sinful people.

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

He made upper Beth Horon and lower Beth Horon fortified cities with walls and barred gates,

All the kings of the earth wanted to visit Solomon to see him display his God-given wisdom.

The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones; cedar was as plentiful as sycamore fig trees are in the lowlands.

and followed the advice of the younger ones. He said, “My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier. My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.”

Those among all the Israelite tribes who were determined to worship the Lord God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their ancestors.

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.

Jehoram crossed over to Zair with his officers and all his chariots. The Edomites, who had surrounded him, attacked at night and defeated him and his chariot officers.

He also built high places on the hills of Judah; he encouraged the residents of Jerusalem to be unfaithful to the Lord and led Judah away from the Lord.

When Athaliah heard the royal guard shouting and praising the king, she joined the crowd at the Lord’s temple.

All the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in his father Amaziah’s place.

Ahaz gathered riches from the Lord’s temple, the royal palace, and the officials and gave them to the king of Assyria, but that did not help.

He said to them: “Listen to me, you Levites! Now consecrate yourselves, so you can consecrate the temple of the Lord God of your ancestors! Remove from the sanctuary what is ceremonially unclean!