<p class="bodytext">Solomon took a census<n id="1" /> of all the male resident foreigners in the land of Israel, after the census his father David had taken. There were 153,600 in all.

He told David,<n id="1" /> &#8216;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.<n id="2" /> Nor did I choose a man as leader of my people Israel.

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;God does not really live with humankind on the earth!<n id="1" /> Look, if the sky and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this temple I have built!

then listen from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Certainly<n id="1" /> you will then teach them the right way to live<n id="2" /> and send rain on your land that you have given your people to possess.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Foreigners, who do not belong to your people Israel, will come from a distant land because of your great reputation<n id="1" /> and your ability to accomplish mighty deeds;<n id="2" /> they will come and direct their prayers toward this temple.

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;The time will come when your people<n id="1" /> will sin against you (for there is no one who is sinless!) and you will be angry at them and deliver them over to their enemies, who will take them as prisoners to their land, whether far away or close by.

When all the Israelites saw the fire come down and the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s splendor over the temple, they got on their knees with their faces downward toward the pavement. They worshiped and gave thanks to the <sc>Lordsc>, saying,<n id="1" /> &#8220;Certainly he is good; certainly his loyal love endures!&#8221;p>

if my people, who belong to me,<n id="1" /> humble themselves, pray, seek to please me,<n id="2" /> and repudiate their sinful practices,<n id="3" /> then I will respond<n id="4" /> from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.<n id="5" />

Others will then answer,<n id="1" /> &#8216;Because they abandoned the <sc>Lordsc> God of their ancestors,<n id="2" /> who led them out of Egypt. They embraced other gods whom they worshiped and served.<n id="3" /> That is why he brought all this disaster down on them.&#8217;&#8221;p>

and built up Baalath, all the storage cities that belonged to him,<n id="1" /> and all the cities where chariots and horses were kept.<n id="2" /> He built whatever he wanted in Jerusalem,<n id="3" /> Lebanon, and throughout his entire kingdom.<n id="4" />p>

With the timber the king made steps<n id="1" /> for the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple and royal palace as well as stringed instruments<n id="2" /> for the musicians. No one had seen anything like them in the land of Judah prior to that.<n id="3" />)

King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she requested, more than what she had brought him.<n id="1" /> Then she left and returned<n id="2" /> to her homeland with her attendants.p>

But you banished<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s priests, Aaron&#8217;s descendants, and the Levites, and appointed your own priests just as the surrounding nations do! Anyone who comes to consecrate himself with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of these fake gods!<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext"><v id="(13:23)" /><n id="1" /> Abijah passed away<n id="2" /> and was buried in the City of David.<n id="3" /> His son Asa replaced him as king. During his reign<n id="4" /> the land had rest for ten years.p>

He said to the people of Judah:<n id="1" /> &#8220;Let&#8217;s build these cities and fortify them with walls, towers, and barred gates.<n id="2" /> The land remains ours because we have followed<n id="3" /> the <sc>Lordsc> our God and he has made us secure on all sides.&#8221;<n id="4" /> So they built the cities<n id="5" /> and prospered.p>

<p class="bodytext">When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he was encouraged.<n id="1" /> He removed the detestable idols from the entire land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had seized in the Ephraimite hill country. He repaired the altar of the <sc>Lordsc> in front of the porch of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple.<n id="2" />p>

Certainly<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> watches the whole earth carefully<n id="2" /> and is ready to strengthen those who are devoted to him.<n id="3" /> You have acted foolishly in this matter; from now on you will have war.

Now the Ammonites, Moabites, and men from Mount Seir are coming!<n id="1" /> When Israel came from the land of Egypt, you did not allow them to invade these lands.<n id="2" /> They bypassed them and did not destroy them.

Then she saw<n id="1" /> the king standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officers and trumpeters stood beside the king and all the people of the land were celebrating and blowing trumpets, and the musicians with various instruments were leading the celebration. Athaliah tore her clothes and yelled, &#8220;Treason! Treason!&#8221;<n id="2" />

He summoned<n id="1" /> the officers of the units of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of land, and he then led the king down from the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple. They entered the royal palace through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the royal throne.