Pharaoh liked Hadad so well<n id="1" /> he gave him his sister-in-law (Queen Tahpenes&#8217; sister) as a wife.<n id="2" />

&#8220;Your father made us work too hard.<n id="1" /> Now if you lighten the demands he made and don&#8217;t make us work as hard, we will serve you.&#8221;<n id="2" />

That day he also announced<n id="1" /> a sign, &#8220;This is the sign the <sc>Lordsc> has predetermined:<n id="2" /> The altar will be split open and the ashes<n id="3" /> on it will fall to the ground.&#8221;<n id="4" />

The altar split open and the ashes<n id="1" /> fell from the altar to the ground,<n id="2" /> in fulfillment of the sign the prophet had announced with the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s authority.<n id="3" />

Go, tell Jeroboam, &#8216;This is what the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel says: &#8220;I raised you up<n id="1" /> from among the people and made you ruler over my people Israel.

Nevertheless for David&#8217;s sake the <sc>Lordsc> his God maintained his dynasty<n id="1" /> in Jerusalem by giving him a son<n id="2" /> to succeed him<n id="3" /> and by protecting Jerusalem.<n id="4" />

King Baasha of Israel attacked Judah and established Ramah as a military outpost to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the land of King Asa of Judah.<n id="1" />

So I am ready to burn up<n id="1" /> Baasha and his family, and make your family<n id="2" /> like the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat.

He said to her, &#8220;Hand me your son.&#8221; He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him down on his bed.

Elijah took the boy, brought him down from the upper room to the house, and handed him to his mother. Elijah then said, &#8220;See, your son is alive!&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">The messengers came again and said, &#8220;This is what Ben Hadad says, &#8216;I sent this message to you, &#8220;You must give me your silver, gold, wives, and sons.&#8221;

I will make your dynasty<n id="1" /> like those of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah because you angered me and made Israel sin.&#8217;<n id="2" />

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;

So now, look, the <sc>Lordsc> has placed a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours; but the <sc>Lordsc> has decreed disaster for you.&#8221;

So give your servant a discerning mind<n id="1" /> so he can make judicial decisions for<n id="2" /> your people and distinguish right from wrong.<n id="3" /> Otherwise<n id="4" /> no one is able<n id="5" /> to make judicial decisions for<n id="6" /> this great nation of yours.&#8221;<n id="7" />

&#8220;You know that my father David was unable to build a temple to honor the <sc>Lordsc><n id="1" /> his God, for he was busy fighting battles on all fronts while the <sc>Lordsc> subdued his enemies.<n id="2" />

So I have decided<n id="1" /> to build a temple to honor the <sc>Lordsc><n id="2" /> my God, as the <sc>Lordsc> instructed my father David, &#8216;Your son, whom I will put on your throne in your place, is the one who will build a temple to honor me.&#8217;<n id="3" />

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.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">When Hiram heard Solomon&#8217;s message, he was very happy. He said, &#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> is worthy of praise today because he<n id="1" /> has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation.&#8221;

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>