Benaiah son of Jehoiada responded<n id="1" /> to the king: &#8220;So be it!<n id="2" /> May the <sc>Lordsc> God of my master the king confirm it!<n id="3" />

As the <sc>Lordsc> is with my master the king, so may he be with Solomon, and may he make him an even greater king than my master King David!&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Treat fairly<n id="1" /> the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and provide for their needs,<n id="2" /> because they helped me<n id="3" /> when I had to flee from your brother Absalom.p>

Shimei said to the king, &#8220;My master the king&#8217;s proposal is acceptable.<n id="1" /> Your servant will do as you say.&#8221;<n id="2" /> So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.<n id="3" />p>

On these frames and joints were ornamental lions, bulls, and cherubs. Under the lions and bulls were decorative wreaths.<n id="1" />

There were twelve statues of lions on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. There was nothing like it in any other kingdom.<n id="1" />p>

For the <sc>Lordsc> gave me strict orders,<n id="1" /> &#8216;Do not eat or drink<n id="2" /> there and do not go home the way you came.&#8217;&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">Jeroboam&#8217;s wife did as she was told. She went to Shiloh and visited Ahijah.<n id="1" /> Now Ahijah could not see; he had lost his eyesight in his old age.<n id="2" />

Well, it just so happened that while your servant was doing this and that, he disappeared.&#8221; The king of Israel said to him, &#8220;Your punishment is already determined by your own testimony.&#8221;<n id="1" />

All the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, &#8220;Attack Ramoth Gilead! You will succeed; the <sc>Lordsc> will hand it over to the king.&#8221;

I will keep<n id="1" /> today the oath I swore to you by the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel: &#8216;Surely Solomon your son will be king after me; he will sit in my place on my throne.&#8217;&#8221;

Inside the stand was a round opening that was a foot-and-a-half deep; it had a support that was two and one-quarter feet long.<n id="1" /> On the edge of the opening were carvings in square frames.<n id="2" />

Others will then answer,<n id="1" /> &#8216;Because they abandoned the <sc>Lordsc> their God, who led their ancestors<n id="2" /> out of Egypt. They embraced other gods whom they worshiped and served.<n id="3" /> That is why the <sc>Lordsc> has brought all this disaster down on them.&#8217;&#8221;p>

With the timber the king made supports<n id="1" /> for the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple and for the royal palace and stringed instruments<n id="2" /> for the musicians. No one has seen so much of this fine timber to this very day.<n id="3" />)

Now the advisers<n id="1" /> of the king of Syria said to him: &#8220;Their God is a god of the mountains. That&#8217;s why they overpowered us. But if we fight them in the plains, we will certainly overpower them.

Muster an army like the one you lost, with the same number of horses and chariots.<n id="1" /> Then we will fight them in the plains; we will certainly overpower them.&#8221; He approved their plan and did as they advised.<n id="2" />p>

He replied, &#8216;I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.&#8217; The <sc>Lordsc><n id="1" /> said, &#8216;Deceive and overpower him.<n id="2" /> Go out and do as you have proposed.&#8217;

Jeroboam inaugurated a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month,<n id="1" /> like the festival celebrated in Judah.<n id="2" /> On the altar in Bethel he offered sacrifices to the calves he had made.<n id="3" /> In Bethel he also appointed priests for the high places he had made.p>

The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, &#8220;There is still one man through whom we can seek the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s will.<n id="1" /> But I despise<n id="2" /> him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.<n id="3" /> Jehoshaphat said, &#8220;The king should not say such things.&#8221;