But the ark of God had David brought up from Kiriath-jearim to the place which David had prepared for it: for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.

Moreover the bronze altar, that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the tabernacle of the LORD: and Solomon and the congregation sought the LORD there.

And God said to Solomon, Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches, wealth, or honor, nor the life of your enemies, neither yet have asked long life; but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge my people, over whom I have made you king:

But who is able to build him a house, seeing the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him a house, except only to burn sacrifices before him?

And he made chains, as in the inner sanctuary, and put them on the tops of the pillars; and made a hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains.

He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them: such things as they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in.

Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the furnishings, put he in the treasuries of the house of God.

And the poles of the ark extended out, so that the ends of the poles were seen from the ark in front of the inner sanctuary; but they were not seen outside. And there it is unto this day.

There was nothing in the ark except the two tables which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

But I have built a house of habitation for you, and a place for your dwelling forever.

But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel.

But the LORD said to David my father, Since it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well in that it was in your heart:

Nevertheless you shall not build the house; but your son who shall come forth out of your body, he shall build the house for my name.

And in it have I put the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD, that he made with the children of Israel.

But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain you; how much less this house which I have built!

That your eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place of which you have said that you would put your name there; to hearken unto the prayer which your servant prays toward this place.

Moreover concerning the foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, but has come from a far country for your great name's sake, and your mighty hand, and your outstretched arm; if they come and pray in this house;

But if you turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;

But of their descendants, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, them did Solomon put to forced labor until this day.

But of the children of Israel Solomon made no slaves for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen.

And three hundred shields made he of hammered gold: three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart.

Your father made our yoke heavy: now therefore ease you somewhat the heavy service of your father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve you.

But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him.

And he said unto them, What advice do you give that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that your father did put upon us?

And the young men that were brought up with him spoke unto him, saying, Thus shall you answer the people that spoke unto you, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it somewhat lighter for us; thus shall you say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's waist.

For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will add more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

And answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram who was over the forced labor; and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, so that he died. But king Rehoboam made haste to get himself up into his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and store of food, and of oil and wine.

And in every city he put shields and spears, and made them very strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.

And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess.

But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, who minister unto the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to their service:

And they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the showbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the lampstand of gold with its lamps, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the LORD our God; but you have forsaken him.

But Jeroboam sent an ambush to come around behind them: so they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them.

But Abijah grew mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begot twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters.

And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, {} Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while you are with him; and if you seek him, he will be found of you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.

But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.

And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great turmoil was upon all the inhabitants of the countries.

And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken in the mountains of Ephraim, and repaired the altar of the LORD, that was before the vestibule of the LORD.

That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.

Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time.

And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease became severe: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.

And they buried him in his own sepulcher, which he had made for himself in the city of David, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet ointments and various kinds of spices prepared by the perfumer's art: and they made a very great fire in honor of him.

But sought to the LORD God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.

These served the king, besides those whom the king put in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.

But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might inquire of him?

And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.

And the king said to him, How many times shall I make you swear that you say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the LORD?

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good unto me, but evil?

Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, and the LORD has spoken evil against you.

And say, Thus says the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with little bread and with little water, until I return in peace.

And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and will go to the battle; but put you on your robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went to the battle.

And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel. Therefore they surrounded him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God led them to depart from him.

And said to the judges, Take heed what you do: for you judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment.

And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;

O our God, will you not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that comes against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon you.

And he said, Hearken you, all Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you king Jehoshaphat, Thus says the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.

And their father gave them great gifts of silver, and of gold, and of precious things, with fortified cities in Judah: but the kingdom gave he to Jehoram; because he was the firstborn.

But have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot, like the harlotries of the house of Ahab, and also have slain your brothers of your father's house, who were better than yourself:

Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years, and departed without anyone's regret. However they buried him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchers of the kings.

But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal descendants of the house of Judah.

But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king's sons that were being slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest, (for she was the sister of Ahaziah,) hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not.

But let none come into the house of the LORD, except the priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall go in, for they are holy: but all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD.

And the Levites shall surround the king, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever else comes into the house, he shall be put to death: but you be with the king when he comes in, and when he goes out.

Then they brought out the king's son, and put upon him the crown, and gave him the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, Long live the king.

And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that you hasten the matter. But the Levites hastened it not.

So the workmen labored, and the work was completed by them, and they put the house of God in order, and strengthened it.

But Jehoiada grew old, and was full of days when he died; a hundred and thirty years old was he when he died.

Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.

Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The LORD look upon it, and repay it.

And when they were departed from him, (for they left him severely wounded,) his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchers of the kings.

And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.

But he slew not their children, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin.

But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with you; for the LORD is not with Israel, not with all the children of Ephraim.

But if you will go, do it, be strong for the battle: but God shall make you fall before the enemy: for God has power to help, and to cast down.

And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The LORD is able to give you much more than this.

But the soldiers of the army which Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell upon the cities of Judah, from Samaria even unto Beth-horon, and killed three thousand of them, and took much spoil.

But Amaziah would not hear; for it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom.

Now after the time that Amaziah did turn away from following the LORD they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they sent to Lachish after him, and slew him there.

But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.

And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It belongs not unto you, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for you have trespassed; neither shall it be for your honor from the LORD God.

And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah did: although he entered not into the temple of the LORD. But the people acted yet corruptly.

Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD, like David his father:

But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out before the army that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the LORD God of your fathers was angry with Judah, he has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage that reaches up unto heaven.

And now you purpose to subjugate the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you: but are there not with you, even with you, sins against the LORD your God?

For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the LORD, and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria: but he helped him not.

For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which had defeated him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem: but they brought him not into the sepulchers of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.

Also they have shut up the doors of the vestibule, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel.

But the priests were too few, so that they could not skin all the burnt offerings: therefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the other priests had sanctified themselves: for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.

Now be you not stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he has sanctified forever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.

So the runners passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.

For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon everyone

With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people encouraged themselves by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem, (but he himself laid siege against Lachish, and all his forces with him,) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying,