“I am about to die. ¹  Be strong and become a man!

Now my father David had a strong desire ¹  to build a temple to honor the Lord God of Israel. ² 

The Lord told my father David, ‘It is right for you to have a strong desire to build a temple to honor me. ¹ 

When they hear about your great reputation ¹  and your ability to accomplish mighty deeds, ²  they will come and direct their prayers toward this temple.

The Lord ¹  said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord. Look, the Lord is ready to pass by.” A very powerful wind went before the Lord, digging into the mountain and causing landslides, ²  but the Lord was not in the wind. After the windstorm there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.

The prophet ¹  visited the king of Israel and instructed him, “Go, fortify your defenses. ²  Determine ³  what you must do, for in the spring ⁴  the king of Syria will attack ⁵  you.”

Solomon sat on his father David’s throne, and his royal authority ¹  was firmly solidified.

¹ Jeroboam built up Shechem in the Ephraimite hill country and lived there. From there he went out and built up Penuel.

They marched out of the city with the servants of the district governors in the lead and the army behind them.

He said, “The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because he has fulfilled ¹  what he promised ²  my father David.

Nevertheless for David’s sake the Lord his God maintained his dynasty ¹  in Jerusalem by giving him a son ²  to succeed him ³  and by protecting Jerusalem. ⁴ 

Now the Lord energized Elijah with power; ¹  he tucked his robe into his belt ²  and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

Now the advisers ¹  of the king of Syria said to him: “Their God is a god of the mountains. That’s why they overpowered us. But if we fight them in the plains, we will certainly overpower them.

“Note well, you still have to contend with Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, ¹  who tried to call down upon me a horrible judgment when I went to Mahanaim. ²  He came down and met me at the Jordan, and I solemnly promised ³  him by the Lord, ‘I will not strike you down ⁴  with the sword.’