So now order some cedars of Lebanon to be cut for me. My servants will work with your servants. I will pay your servants whatever you say is appropriate, for you know that we have no one among us who knows how to cut down trees like the Sidonians.”p>

My servants will bring the timber down from Lebanon to the sea. I will send it by sea in raft-like bundles to the place you designate.<n id="1" /> There I will separate the logs<n id="2" /> and you can carry them away. In exchange you will supply the food I need for my royal court.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

He told David,<n id="1" /> &#8216;Since the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from all the tribes of Israel to build a temple in which to live.<n id="2" /> But I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.&#8217;

They came from nations about which the <sc>Lordsc> had warned the Israelites, &#8220;You must not establish friendly relations with them!<n id="1" /> If you do, they will surely shift your allegiance to their gods.&#8221;<n id="2" /> But Solomon was irresistibly attracted to them.<n id="3" />p>

He asked them, &#8220;How do you advise me<n id="1" /> to respond to these people who said to me, &#8216;Lessen the demands your father placed on us&#8217;?&#8221;<n id="2" />

When the old prophet who had invited him to his house heard the news,<n id="1" /> he said, &#8220;It is the prophet<n id="2" /> who rebelled against the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="3" /> The <sc>Lordsc> delivered him over to the lion and it ripped him up<n id="4" /> and killed him, just as the <sc>Lordsc> warned him.&#8221;<n id="5" />

&#8220;I raised you up<n id="1" /> from the dust and made you ruler over my people Israel. Yet you followed in Jeroboam&#8217;s footsteps<n id="2" /> and encouraged my people Israel to sin; their sins have made me angry.<n id="3" />

The king of Israel summoned all the leaders<n id="1" /> of the land and said, &#8220;Notice how this man is looking for trouble.<n id="2" /> Indeed, he demanded my wives, sons, silver, and gold, and I did not resist him.&#8221;

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.

The men took this as a good omen and quickly accepted his offer, saying, &#8220;Ben Hadad is your brother.&#8221; Ahab<n id="1" /> then said, &#8220;Go, get him.&#8221; So Ben Hadad came out to him, and Ahab pulled him up into his chariot.

Now an archer shot an arrow at random,<n id="1" /> and it struck the king of Israel between the plates of his armor. The king<n id="2" /> ordered his charioteer, &#8220;Turn around and take me from the battle line,<n id="3" /> because I&#8217;m wounded.&#8221;

He followed in his father Asa&#8217;s footsteps and was careful to do what the <sc>Lordsc> approved.<n id="1" /> <v id="(22:44)" /><n id="2" /> However, the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places.

May the <sc>Lordsc> punish him for the blood he shed;<n id="1" /> behind my father David&#8217;s back he struck down and murdered with the sword two men who were more innocent and morally upright than he<n id="2" /> &#8211; Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel&#8217;s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah&#8217;s army.

Ahab said to Naboth, &#8220;Give me your vineyard so I can make a vegetable garden out of it, for it is adjacent to my palace. I will give you an even better vineyard in its place, or if you prefer,<n id="1" /> I will pay you silver for it.&#8221;<n id="2" />