The king then gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada who went and executed Shimei. ¹  So Solomon took firm control of the kingdom. ² 

The altar split open and the ashes ¹  fell from the altar to the ground, ²  in fulfillment of the sign the prophet had announced with the Lord’s authority. ³ 

If you ever do leave and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will certainly die! You will be responsible for your own death.” ¹ 

However, for your father David’s sake I will not do this while you are alive. I will tear it away from your son’s hand instead.

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. ¹ 

King Solomon conscripted ¹  work crews ²  from throughout Israel, 30,000 men in all.

He removed the male cultic prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the disgusting idols ¹  his ancestors ²  had made.

Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in my father David’s place, even though I am only a young man and am inexperienced. ¹ 

At that time, when Jeroboam had left Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road; the two of them were alone in the open country. Ahijah ¹  was wearing a brand new robe,

That day he also announced ¹  a sign, “This is the sign the Lord has predetermined: ²  The altar will be split open and the ashes ³  on it will fall to the ground.” ⁴ 

The king swore an oath: “As certainly as the Lord lives (he who has rescued me ¹  from every danger),

By royal order ¹  they supplied large valuable stones in order to build the temple’s foundation with chiseled stone.

I will take the kingdom from the hand of his son and give ten tribes to you. ¹ 

They went from Midian to Paran; they took some men from Paran and went to Egypt. Pharaoh, king of Egypt, supplied him with a house and food and even assigned him some land. ¹ 

After the king had consulted with his advisers, ¹  he made two golden calves. Then he said to the people, ²  “It is too much trouble for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look, Israel, here are your gods who brought you up from the land of Egypt.”

“I raised you up ¹  from the dust and made you ruler over my people Israel. Yet you followed in Jeroboam’s footsteps ²  and encouraged my people Israel to sin; their sins have made me angry. ³ 

Now an archer shot an arrow at random, ¹  and it struck the king of Israel between the plates of his armor. The king ²  ordered his charioteer, “Turn around and take me from the battle line, ³  because I’m wounded.”

then I will remove Israel from the land ¹  I have given them, I will abandon this temple I have consecrated with my presence, ²  and Israel will be mocked and ridiculed ³  among all the nations.

I will not take the whole kingdom from his hand. I will allow him to be ruler for the rest of his life for the sake of my chosen servant David who kept my commandments and rules.

In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites left Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, during the month Ziv ¹  (the second month), he began building the Lord’s temple.