During Ahab’s reign, ¹  Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho. ²  Abiram, his firstborn son, died when he laid the foundation; ³  Segub, his youngest son, died when he erected its gates, ⁴  just as the Lord had warned ⁵  through Joshua son of Nun. ⁶ 

When it was time for the evening offering, ¹  Elijah the prophet approached the altar ²  and prayed: “O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, prove ³  today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.

When Hiram heard Solomon’s message, he was very happy. He said, “The Lord is worthy of praise today because he ¹  has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation.”

When David was close to death, ¹  he told ²  Solomon his son:

David reigned over Israel forty years; he reigned in Hebron seven years, and in Jerusalem ¹  thirty-three years.

Your attendants, who stand before you at all times and hear your wise sayings, are truly happy! ¹ 

Solomon ruled over all Israel from Jerusalem ¹  for forty years.

They observed a time of fasting and put Naboth in front of the people.

For today he has gone down and sacrificed many cattle, steers, and sheep and has invited all the king’s sons, the army commanders, and Abiathar the priest. At this moment ¹  they are having a feast ²  in his presence, and they have declared, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ ³ 

King David was very old; ¹  even when they covered him with blankets, ²  he could not get warm.

Jeroboam ruled for twenty-two years; then he passed away. ¹  His son Nadab replaced him as king.

After a while, ¹  the stream dried up because there had been no rain in the land.

But Elijah said, “As certainly as the Lord who rules over all ¹  lives (whom I serve), ²  I will make an appearance before him today.”

This is what she wrote: ¹  “Observe a time of fasting and seat Naboth in front of the people.

Then Jehoshaphat added, ¹  “First seek an oracle from the Lord.” ² 

Haggith’s son Adonijah visited Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. She asked, “Do you come in peace?” He answered, “Yes.” ¹ 

Throughout the afternoon they were in an ecstatic frenzy, ¹  but there was no sound, no answer, and no response. ² 

They marched out at noon, while Ben Hadad and the thirty-two kings allied with him were drinking heavily ¹  in their quarters. ² 

(Now his father had never corrected ¹  him ²  by saying, “Why do you do such things?” He was also very handsome and had been born right after Absalom. ³ )

Solomon was told, “Look, Adonijah fears you; ¹  see, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘May King Solomon solemnly promise ²  me today that he will not kill his servant with the sword.’”