<t /><p class="bodytext">After Solomon finished building the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple and the royal palace, and accomplished all his plans for the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple and his royal palace,<n id="1" />

but have instead followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel. You encouraged the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem to be unfaithful to the <sc>Lordsc>, just as the family of Ahab does in Israel.<n id="1" /> You also killed your brothers, members of your father&#8217;s family,<n id="2" /> who were better than you.

<p class="bodytext">In the seventh year Jehoiada made a bold move. He made a pact<n id="1" /> with the officers of the units of hundreds: Azariah son of Jehoram, Ishmael son of Jehochanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zikri.

He took away all the gold and silver, all the items found in God&#8217;s temple that were in the care of Obed-Edom, the riches in the royal palace, and some hostages. Then he went back to Samaria.p>

Ahaz gathered the items in God&#8217;s temple and removed them. He shut the doors of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple and erected altars on every street corner in Jerusalem.

The king stood by his pillar<n id="1" /> and renewed<n id="2" /> the covenant before the <sc>Lordsc>, agreeing to follow<n id="3" /> the <sc>Lordsc> and to obey his commandments, laws, and rules with all his heart and being,<n id="4" /> by carrying out the terms<n id="5" /> of this covenant recorded on this scroll.

Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the areas belonging to the Israelites and encouraged<n id="1" /> all who were in Israel to worship the <sc>Lordsc> their God. Throughout the rest of his reign<n id="2" /> they did not turn aside from following the <sc>Lordsc> God of their ancestors.p>

The king of Egypt made Jehoahaz&#8217;s<n id="1" /> brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. Necho seized his brother Jehoahaz and took him to Egypt.p>

Now don&#8217;t let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you like this. Don&#8217;t believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to rescue his people from my power or the power of my predecessors. So how<n id="1" /> can your gods rescue<n id="2" /> you from my power?&#8217;&#8221;p>

He told the Levites, who instructed all Israel about things consecrated to the <sc>Lordsc>, &#8220;Place the holy ark in the temple which King Solomon son of David of Israel built. Don&#8217;t carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the <sc>Lordsc> your God and his people Israel!

He decorated the temple with precious stones; the gold he used came from Parvaim.<n id="1" />

He overlaid the temple&#8217;s rafters, thresholds, walls and doors with gold; he carved decorative cherubim on the walls.p>

In the most holy place he made two images of cherubim and plated them with gold.

He made the curtain out of violet, purple, crimson, and white fabrics, and embroidered on it decorative cherubim.p>

<p class="bodytext">He made ten gold lampstands according to specifications and put them in the temple, five on the right and five on the left.

the pure gold lampstands and their lamps which burned as specified at the entrance to the inner sanctuary,

When the queen of Sheba saw for herself Solomon&#8217;s extensive wisdom,<n id="1" /> the palace<n id="2" /> he had built,

Your attendants, who stand before you at all times and hear your wise sayings, are truly happy!<n id="1" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, for all Israel had gathered in<n id="1" /> Shechem to make Rehoboam<n id="2" /> king.

The king responded to the people harshly. He<n id="1" /> rejected the advice of the older men