He said, &#8220;You know that the kingdom<n id="1" /> was mine and all Israel considered me king.<n id="2" /> But then the kingdom was given to my brother, for the <sc>Lordsc> decided it should be his.<n id="3" />

King Solomon answered his mother, &#8220;Why just request Abishag the Shunammite for him?<n id="1" /> Since he is my older brother, you should also request the kingdom for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah!&#8221;p>

Then the king said to Shimei, &#8220;You are well aware of the way you mistreated my father David.<n id="1" /> The <sc>Lordsc> will punish you for what you did.<n id="2" />

&#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 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>

&#8220;As for this temple you are building, if you follow<n id="1" /> my rules, observe<n id="2" /> my regulations, and obey all my commandments,<n id="3" /> I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father David.<n id="4" />

Respond to the request of your servant and your people Israel for this place.<n id="1" /> Hear from inside your heavenly dwelling place<n id="2" /> and respond favorably.<n id="3" />p>

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>

After all,<n id="1" /> you picked them out of all the nations of the earth to be your special possession,<n id="2" /> just as you, O sovereign <sc>Lordsc>, announced through your servant Moses when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;But if you or your sons ever turn away from me, fail to obey the regulations and rules I instructed you to keep,<n id="1" /> and decide to serve and worship other gods,<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">King Rehoboam consulted with the older advisers who had served<n id="1" /> his father Solomon when he had been alive. He asked them,<n id="2" /> &#8220;How do you advise me to answer these people?&#8221;

He asked them, &#8220;How do you advise me<n id="1" /> to respond to these people who said to me, &#8216;Lessen the demands your father placed on us&#8217;?&#8221;<n id="2" />

The young advisers with whom Rehoboam<n id="1" /> had grown up said to him, &#8220;Say this to these people who have said to you, &#8216;Your father made us work hard, but now lighten our burden.&#8217;<n id="2" /> Say this to them: &#8216;I am a lot harsher than my father!<n id="3" />

Jeroboam told his wife, &#8220;Disguise<n id="1" /> yourself so that people cannot recognize you are Jeroboam&#8217;s wife. Then go to Shiloh; Ahijah the prophet, who told me I would rule over this nation, lives there.<n id="2" />

When Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps as she came through the door, he said, &#8220;Come on in, wife of Jeroboam! Why are you pretending to be someone else? I have been commissioned to give you bad news.<n id="1" />

Elijah approached all the people and said, &#8220;How long are you going to be paralyzed by indecision?<n id="1" /> If the <sc>Lordsc> is the true God,<n id="2" /> then follow him, but if Baal is, follow him!&#8221; But the people did not say a word.

<p class="bodytext">Elijah told the prophets of Baal, &#8220;Choose one of the bulls for yourselves and go first, for you are the majority. Invoke the name of your god, but do not light a fire.&#8221;<n id="1" />

When it was time for the evening offering,<n id="1" /> Elijah the prophet approached the altar<n id="2" /> and prayed: &#8220;O <sc>Lordsc> God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, prove<n id="3" /> today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.

Muster an army like the one you lost, with the same number of horses and chariots.<n id="1" /> Then we will fight them in the plains; we will certainly overpower them.&#8221; He approved their plan and did as they advised.<n id="2" />p>

He answered her, &#8220;While I was talking to Naboth the Jezreelite, I said to him, &#8216;Sell me your vineyard for silver, or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.&#8217; But he said, &#8216;I will not sell you my vineyard.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="1" />