He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. ¹  His mother was Michaiah, the daughter of Uriel from Gibeah. ²  There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

Ahaziah was twenty-two ¹  years old when he became king and he reigned for one year in Jerusalem. His mother was Athaliah, the granddaughter ²  of Omri.

Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. He reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. ¹  His mother was Zibiah, who was from Beer Sheba.

Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. ¹  His mother was Jehoaddan, who was from Jerusalem.

Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. ¹  His mother was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok.

Night and day may you watch over this temple, the place where you promised you would live. ¹  May you answer your servant’s prayer for this place. ² 

“If your people Israel are defeated by an enemy ¹  because they sinned against you, then if they come back to you, renew their allegiance to you, ²  and pray for your help ³  before you in this temple,

“The time will come when ¹  the skies ²  are shut up tightly and no rain falls because your people ³  sinned against you. When they direct their prayers toward this place, renew their allegiance to you, ⁴  and turn away from their sin because you punish ⁵  them,

“When you direct your people to march out and fight their enemies, ¹  and they direct their prayers to you toward this chosen city and this temple I built for your honor, ² 

then I will remove you ¹  from my land I have given you, ²  I will abandon this temple I have consecrated with my presence, ³  and I will make you ⁴  an object of mockery and ridicule ⁵  among all the nations.

“Foreigners, who do not belong to your people Israel, will come from a distant land because of your great reputation ¹  and your ability to accomplish mighty deeds; ²  they will come and direct their prayers toward this temple.

On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berachah, where ¹  they praised the Lord. So that place is called the Valley of Berachah ²  to this very day.

Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king and he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. ¹  His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.

Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. ¹  His mother was Abijah, ²  the daughter of Zechariah.

He told David, ¹  ‘Since the day I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from all the tribes of Israel to build a temple in which to live. ²  Nor did I choose a man as leader of my people Israel.

The Lord has kept the promise he made. I have taken my father David’s place and have occupied the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised. I have built this temple for the honor of the Lord God of Israel

When they return to you with all their heart and being ¹  in the land where they are held prisoner and direct their prayers toward the land you gave to their ancestors, your chosen city, and the temple I built for your honor, ² 

‘If disaster comes on us in the form of military attack, ¹  judgment, plague, or famine, we will stand in front of this temple before you, for you are present in this temple. ²  We will cry out to you for help in our distress, so that you will ³  hear and deliver us.’

Oded, a prophet of the Lord, was there. He went to meet the army as they arrived in Samaria and said to them: “Look, because the Lord God of your ancestors was angry with Judah he handed them over to you. You have killed them so mercilessly that God has taken notice. ¹ 

He put an idolatrous image he had made in God’s temple, about which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, “This temple in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will be my permanent home. ¹