Now, <sc>Lordsc> God, may your promise<n id="1" /> to my father David be realized,<n id="2" /> for you have made me king over a great nation as numerous as the dust of the earth.

and the pots, shovels, and meat forks.<n id="1" /> All the items King Solomon assigned Huram Abi to make for the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple<n id="2" /> were made from polished bronze.

He said, &#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel is worthy of praise because he has fulfilled<n id="1" /> what he promised<n id="2" /> my father David.

The <sc>Lordsc> told my father David, &#8216;It is right for you to have a strong desire to build a temple to honor me.<n id="1" />

You have kept your word to your servant, my father David;<n id="1" /> this very day you have fulfilled what you promised.<n id="2" />

then listen from heaven, forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them back to the land you gave to them and their ancestors.<n id="1" />p>

Then they will honor<n id="1" /> you by obeying you<n id="2" /> throughout their lifetimes as<n id="3" /> they live on the land you gave to our ancestors.p>

You must serve me as your father David did. Do everything I commanded and obey my rules and regulations.<n id="1" />

Then I will establish your dynasty,<n id="1" /> just as I promised your father David, &#8216;You will not fail to have a successor ruling over Israel.&#8217;<n id="2" />p>

and followed the advice of the younger ones. He said, &#8220;My father imposed heavy demands on you;<n id="1" /> I will make them even heavier.<n id="2" /> My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.&#8221;<n id="3" />

Those among all the Israelite tribes who were determined to worship the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem<n id="1" /> to sacrifice to the <sc>Lordsc> God of their ancestors.<n id="2" />

That day<n id="1" /> the Israelites were defeated; the men of Judah prevailed because they relied on the <sc>Lordsc> God of their ancestors.p>

He placed troops in all of Judah&#8217;s fortified cities and posted garrisons<n id="1" /> throughout the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had seized.p>

<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> was with Jehoshaphat because he followed in his ancestor<n id="1" /> David&#8217;s footsteps at the beginning of his reign.<n id="2" /> He did not seek the Baals,

These were their divisions by families:p> <p class="bodytext">There were a thousand officers from Judah.<n id="1" /> Adnah the commander led 300,000 skilled warriors,

<t /><p class="bodytext">Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem.<n id="1" /> He went out among the people from Beer Sheba to the hill country of Ephraim and encouraged them to follow<n id="2" /> the <sc>Lordsc> God of their ancestors.<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed some Levites, priests, and Israelite family leaders to judge on behalf of the <sc>Lordsc><n id="1" /> and to settle disputes among the residents of Jerusalem.<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">Jehoram took control of his father&#8217;s kingdom and became powerful.<n id="1" /> Then he killed all his brothers,<n id="2" /> as well as some of the officials of Israel.

He did evil in the sight of<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> like Ahab&#8217;s dynasty because, after his father&#8217;s death, they<n id="2" /> gave him advice that led to his destruction.

They traveled throughout Judah and assembled the Levites from all the cities of Judah, as well as the Israelite family leaders.p> <p class="bodytext">They came to Jerusalem,<n id="1" />