<p class="bodytext">But he refused, saying, &#8220;I won&#8217;t eat!&#8221; Both his servants and the woman urged<n id="1" /> him to eat, so he gave in.<n id="2" /> He got up from the ground and sat down on the bed.

<t /><p class="bodytext">After the death of Saul,<n id="1" /> when David had returned from defeating the Amalekites,<n id="2" /> he stayed at Ziklag<n id="3" /> for two days.

Her husband went along behind her, weeping all the way to Bahurim. Finally Abner said to him, &#8220;Go back!&#8221;<n id="1" /> So he returned home.p>

<p class="bodytext">So David lived in the fortress and called it the City of David. David built all around it, from the terrace inwards.

The ark of the <sc>Lordsc> remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months. The <sc>Lordsc> blessed Obed-Edom and all his family.<n id="1" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">King David went in, sat before the <sc>Lordsc>, and said, &#8220;Who am I, O <sc>Lordsc> God, and what is my family,<n id="1" /> that you should have brought me to this point?

When the Ammonites saw the Arameans flee, they fled before his brother Abishai and went into the city. Joab withdrew from fighting the Ammonites and returned to<n id="1" /> Jerusalem.<n id="2" />p>

So David said to Uriah, &#8220;Stay here another day. Tomorrow I will send you back.&#8221; So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem both that day and the following one.<n id="1" />

<p class="bodytext">Then Joab blew the trumpet<n id="1" /> and the army turned back from chasing Israel, for Joab had called for the army to halt.

So the king returned and came to the Jordan River.<n id="1" />p> <p class="bodytext">Now the people of Judah<n id="2" /> had come to Gilgal to meet the king and to help him<n id="3" /> cross the Jordan.

<p class="bodytext">So all the people crossed the Jordan, as did the king. After the king had kissed him and blessed him, Barzillai returned to his home.<n id="1" />

Then follow him up as he comes and sits on my throne. He will be king in my place; I have decreed<n id="1" /> that he will be ruler over Israel and Judah.&#8221;

Shimei said to the king, &#8220;My master the king&#8217;s proposal is acceptable.<n id="1" /> Your servant will do as you say.&#8221;<n id="2" /> So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.<n id="3" />p>

All the people of Judah and Israel had security; everyone from Dan to Beer Sheba enjoyed the produce of their vines and fig trees throughout Solomon&#8217;s lifetime.<n id="1" />

<n id="1" /> When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the news, he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since.<n id="2" />

<t /><n id="1" /><p class="bodytext">Jeroboam built up Shechem in the Ephraimite hill country and lived there. From there he went out and built up Penuel.

The <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s angelic messenger came back again, touched him, and said, &#8220;Get up and eat, for otherwise you won&#8217;t be able to make the journey.&#8221;<n id="1" />

<p class="bodytext">The king<n id="1" /> sent another captain and his fifty soldiers to retrieve Elijah. He went up and told him,<n id="2" /> &#8220;Prophet, this is what the king says, &#8216;Come down at once!&#8217;&#8221;<n id="3" />

Elisha sent out a messenger who told him, &#8220;Go and wash seven times in the Jordan; your skin will be restored<n id="1" /> and you will be healed.&#8221;

So he went down and dipped in the Jordan seven times, as the prophet had instructed.<n id="1" /> His skin became as smooth as a young child&#8217;s<n id="2" /> and he was healed.p>