<t /><p class="bodytext">Solomon made an alliance by marriage with Pharaoh, king of Egypt; he married Pharaoh&#8217;s daughter. He brought her to the City of David<n id="1" /> until he could finish building his residence and the temple of the <sc>Lordsc> and the wall around Jerusalem.<n id="2" />

&#8220;As for this temple you are building, if you follow<n id="1" /> my rules, observe<n id="2" /> my regulations, and obey all my commandments,<n id="3" /> I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father David.<n id="4" />

Now King Solomon and all the Israelites who had assembled with him went on ahead of the ark and sacrificed more sheep and cattle than could be counted or numbered.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Three times a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings<n id="1" /> on the altar he had built for the <sc>Lordsc>, burning incense along with them before the <sc>Lordsc>. He made the temple his official worship place.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">King Rehoboam consulted with the older advisers who had served<n id="1" /> his father Solomon when he had been alive. He asked them,<n id="2" /> &#8220;How do you advise me to answer these people?&#8221;

The young advisers with whom Rehoboam<n id="1" /> had grown up said to him, &#8220;Say this to these people who have said to you, &#8216;Your father made us work hard, but now lighten our burden.&#8217;<n id="2" /> Say this to them: &#8216;I am a lot harsher than my father!<n id="3" />

The old prophet then said,<n id="1" /> &#8220;I too am a prophet like you. An angel told me with the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s authority,<n id="2" /> &#8216;Bring him back with you to your house so he can eat and drink.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="3" /> But he was lying to him.<n id="4" />

&#8220;I want to make a treaty with you, like the one our fathers made.<n id="1" /> See, I have sent you silver and gold as a present. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel, so he will retreat from my land.&#8221;<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">The rest of the events of Asa&#8217;s reign, including all his successes and accomplishments, as well as a record of the cities he built, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah.<n id="1" /> Yet when he was very old he developed a foot disease.<n id="2" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now King Ben Hadad of Syria assembled all his army, along with thirty-two other kings with their horses and chariots. He marched against Samaria<n id="1" /> and besieged and attacked it.<n id="2" />

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.

Then he said to Jehoshaphat, &#8220;Will you go with me to attack Ramoth Gilead?&#8221; Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, &#8220;I will support you; my army and horses are at your disposal.&#8221;<n id="1" />