Josiah's servants drove his corpse in a chariot from Megiddo to Jerusalem and buried him in a tomb made for him.

The people of the land took Josiah's son Jehoahaz, anointed him, and installed him as king in his father's place. Jehoahaz was 23 years old when he became king. He reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal. She was the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

Pharaoah Neco placed him in custody at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, so that he would not reign in Jerusalem, and imposed a tribute of 100 talents of silver and a talent of gold.

but the Chaldean army pursued the king and overtook him in the Jericho plains, where his entire army was scattered.

The Chaldeans captured the king and brought him to Riblah, where the king of Babylon determined his sentence.

They executed Zedekiah's sons in his presence, blinded Zedekiah, bound him with bronze chains, and transported him to Babylon.

Nevertheless, seven months later, Nethaniah's son Ishmael, the grandson of Elishama from the royal family, came with ten men and attacked Gedaliah. As a result, he died along with the Jews and Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.

He spoke kindly to him and elevated his position above the thrones of the kings with him in Babylon.

and a regular stipend was provided to him by the king in accordance with his needs for as long as he lived.

After Bela died, Zerah's son Jobab from Bozrah succeeded him.

After Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites succeeded him.

After Husham died, Bedad's son Hadad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, succeeded him. His city was named Avith.

After Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah succeeded him.

After Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the Euphrates River succeeded him.

After Shaul died, Achbor's son Baal-hanan succeeded him.

After Baal-hanan died, Hadad succeeded him. His city was named Pai, and his wife's name was Mehetabel. She was the daughter of Matred, who was the daughter of Me-zahab.

Judah's three sons Er, Onan, and Shelah were born to him through Bath-shua, a Canaanite. Er, Judah's firstborn, became wicked in the LORD's sight, so he put him to death.

Judah's daughter-in-law Tamar also bore him Perez and Zerah, so Judah had five sons in all.

Hezron's sons born to him were Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai.

When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who bore him Hur.

Later, Hezron married the daughter of Machir, who had fathered Gilead. He married her when he was 60 years old, and she bore him Segub.

After Hezron died in Caleb-ephrathah, Abijah wife of Hezron bore him Ashhur, who fathered Tekoa.

Abishur's wife was named Abihail. She bore him Ahban and Molid.

So Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to his slave Jarha, and she bore him Attai.

These are David's descendants who were born to him in Hebron: Amnon his firstborn by Ahinoam the Jezreelite, Daniel his second born by Abigail the Carmelite,

These six were born to him in Hebron, where he reigned for seven years and six months.

Naarah bore him these sons: Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari.

Jabez enjoyed more honor than his relatives his mother named him Jabez, she said, "because I bore him in pain."

Later on, Jabez called on the God of Israel, asking him, ""whether you would bless me again and again, enlarge my territory, keep your power with me, keep me from evil, and keep me from harm!" And God granted what he had requested.

When they received assistance against them, the Hagrites and all of their allies were handed over to their control, because they cried out to God during the battle. He honored their entreaty, because they had placed their trust in him.

So their father Ephraim mourned many days, and his relatives came to comfort him.

Eleazar's son Phinehas used to be Commander-in-Chief over them the LORD was with him.

They stripped him, took his head and armor, and sent messengers throughout the territory of the Philistines to report the news to their idols and to the people.

and by not seeking counsel from the LORD, who therefore put him to death and turned the kingdom over to Jesse's son David.

David occupied the fortress, so it was named the City of David after him.

David became more and more prestigious because the LORD of the Heavenly Armies was with him.

Next to him among the Three Warriors was Dodo the Ahohite's son Eleazar.

He also killed a soldier from Egypt of enormous height five cubits tall. The Egyptian carried a spear comparable in size to a weaver's beam, but Benaiah attacked him with a staff, snatched the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear.

He was well known among the platoons, but he didn't measure up to the Three Warriors. David placed him in charge of his security detail.

Shiza the Reubenite's son Adina, a leader of the descendants of Reuben, along with thirty others with him,

Here's a list of those who came to David at Ziklag when he was unable to travel freely due to Saul son of Kish. They were among the elite soldiers who assisted him in battle.

So David received them and assigned them to be officers over troops. Some of the descendants of Manasseh joined David when he was going to fight against Saul, accompanied by the Philistines. Even so, David was of no help to them, because the Philistine rulers were counseled to send him away. They told themselves, "He's going to go over to his master Saul at the cost of our heads."

As he traveled toward Ziklag, these descendants of Manasseh joined him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, leaders in charge thousands in Manasseh.

Indeed people kept coming to David every day to help him, until his army became a great, vast army.

What follows is a listing of the divisions of battle-ready troops who joined David in Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, in accordance with what the LORD had spoken.

Jehoiada, a senior officer in the house of Aaron, brought with him 3,700.

Just then, the anger of the LORD blazed against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark, and he died right there in the presence of God.

After this, King Hiram of Tyre sent a delegation to David, accompanied by cedar logs, stone masons, and wood workers, to construct a palace for him.

David realized that the LORD was affirming him as king over Israel, and that his government was being exalted in order to benefit his people Israel.

So David asked God, "Am I to go out against the Philistines? Will you give me victory over them?" "Go out," the LORD replied to him, "and I'll put them right into your hand."

When David asked God about it, God told him, "Don't directly attack them. Instead, go around them and come up against them opposite those balsam trees.

Then David ordered that the Ark of God was to be carried by no one except the descendants of Levi, because the LORD had chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to serve him forever.

But as the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD approached the City of David, Saul's daughter Michal was peering out a window, watching King David dancing and cavorting around, and she despised him in her heart.

Their director Asaph played cymbals, and next to him was Zechariah, followed by Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, who played harps and lyres.

Sing to him, sing psalms to him, and think about all of his miraculous deeds.

Seek the LORD and his strength. Always look to him.

Splendor and majesty surround him, and strength and joy fill his palace.

I will be a father to him and he will be a son to me. I will never remove my gracious love from him as I did from the one who preceded you.

I will confirm him in my Temple and in my kingdom forever, and his throne will remain secure forever."'"

"Because of you, my God, I have been bold to pray to you, as you have told your servant that you will build him a dynasty.

David confiscated 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers from him, and hamstrung all of the chariot horses except for a reserve force of 100 chariots.

he sent his son Hadoram to King David to meet and congratulate him, because he had fought against and defeated Hadadezer. Since Hadadezer had often been to war against Tou, he sent all sorts of gold, silver, and bronze goods

Some time later, King Nahash of Ammon died and his son succeeded him,

so David told himself, "I will be loyal to Nahash's son Hanun, since his father showed loyal, gracious love to me." So David sent a delegation to console him about his loss of his father.

But when David's delegation arrived to visit Hanun in Ammonite territory to console him, the Ammonite officials asked Hanun, "Do you think that because David has sent a delegation of consolers to you that he is honoring your father? His delegation has arrived to search, overthrow, and scout the land, hasn't it?"

When Joab observed that the battle lines were set up to oppose him both in front and behind, he appointed some special forces from Israel and arrayed them to oppose the Arameans,

So Joab and the soldiers who were with him attacked the Arameans in battle formation, and the Arameans retreated in front of him.

When David learned this, he mustered all of Israel, crossed the Jordan, approached the Arameans, and drew up his forces against them. After David had assembled in battle array against the Arameans, the Arameans attacked him.

When Hadadezer's officials saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sought terms of peace with David and became subservient to him. After this, the Arameans were unwilling to help the Ammonites anymore.

When he challenged Israel, Shimei's son Jonathan, David's nephew, killed him.

Gad went to David and told him, "This is what the LORD says: "Make a choice for yourself:

Ornan turned around and saw the angel. While his four sons with him ran away to hide, Ornan continued to thresh wheat.

But Ornan replied to David, "Take it! Let your majesty the king do whatever seems like a good idea to him. Look here! I'm giving the oxen for burnt offerings, the threshing machinery for the wood, and the wheat for a grain offering. I'm giving all of it."

built an altar to the LORD there, and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings. He called out to the LORD, and he answered him from heaven with fire on the altar of burnt offerings.

From that time on, after David had observed that the LORD had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he made his sacrifices there.

Later, David called for his son Solomon and directed him to build a temple to the LORD God of Israel.

"You have shed a lot of blood and fought great battles. You won't be building a house for my name, since you have shed so much blood on the earth in my sight. But look! A son born to you will live comfortably, because I will give him rest from all his enemies that surround him on every side, since his name will be "Solomon" - I will give peace and quiet for Israel during his lifetime.

He will build a temple to my name. He will be a son to me, I myself will be a father to him, and I will secure his royal throne in Israel forever.'

The descendants of Amram included Aaron and Moses. Aaron had been set apart to consecrate the most holy things, with the intent that he and his sons should present offerings in the LORD's presence forever, ministering to him and pronouncing blessings in his name forever.

All of these were descendants of Heman the king's seer, according to God's promise to exalt him, since God had given Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

Asaph's first lottery was cast in favor of Joseph; the second went to Gedaliah, that is, to him, to his relatives, and his sons, for a total of twelve;

Ammiel his sixth, Issachar his seventh, and Peullethai his eighth, since God had blessed him.

Furthermore, his son Shemaiah had sons born to him who wielded authority in their ancestral households, since they were mighty men of valor.

Hosah, one of Merari's sons, had these sons: Shimri their chief (though not the firstborn, his father had appointed him chief),

Nevertheless, the LORD God of Israel chose me from my entire ancestral household to be king over Israel forever, since he had chosen Judah as Commander-in-Chief. In my ancestor Judah's household, from my father's household, and from among my father's sons it pleased him to make me king over all of Israel.

"I chose your son Solomon to be the one who will construct my Temple and my courts, because I have chosen him to be a son to me, and I will be a father to him. I will establish his kingdom forever, assuming he remains strongly committed to carry out my commandments and ordinances, as he is doing today.'

"Now as for you, my son Solomon, get to know the God of your father. Serve him with a sound heart and a devoted soul, because the LORD is searching every heart, every plan and thought. He will be found by you, assuming you are seeking him, but if you abandon him, he will abandon you forever.

David also transferred to him by weight the gold that was to be used to craft the service utensils, the silver that was to be used to craft the service utensils,

They crowned David's son Solomon king a second time and anointed him to serve as Commander-in-Chief to the LORD and Zadok to serve as priest. So Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king in the place of his father David. He prospered, and all of Israel obeyed him.

and the LORD exalted Solomon magnificently in the sight of all Israel, bestowing upon him royal majesty such as had not been given to any king in Israel before him.

including details regarding his reign, his power, the circumstances that attended his life, Israel, and all of the kingdoms of the countries that surrounded him.

As David's son Solomon consolidated his administration, the LORD his God was with him to make him very successful.

Solomon, along with the whole assembly with him, met at the high place in Gibeon because that's where God's Tent of Meeting that the LORD's servant Moses had constructed in the wilderness was located.

That very night God appeared to Solomon and told him, "Ask what I am to give you."

"Just as you did with my father David, sending him cedars to build him a palace to live in, do the same for me. Look, I'm building a temple dedicated to the name of the LORD my God, to his glory, so we can burn fragrant incense in his presence, display rows of the bread of his presence continuously, and make burnt offerings in the morning, evening, on Sabbath days, during New Moon festivals, and during appointed festivals scheduled by the LORD our God. This is mandated forever in Israel.

But who can build a temple for him, since neither heaven nor the highest of the heavens can contain him? So who am I, that I should build a temple to him, except to burn incense in his presence?

"LORD God of Israel, there is no one like you, God of heaven and earth, who watches over his covenant, showing gracious love to your servants who live their lives in your presence with all their hearts. It is you, LORD God, who has kept your promise to my father, your servant David, that you made to him. Indeed, you made a commitment to my father David and then personally fulfilled what you had promised today.

then listen from heaven, act, and judge your servants, recompensing the wicked by bringing back to him the consequences of his choices and by justifying the righteous by recompensing him according to his righteousness.

Later, the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night and told him:

During this time, he also rebuilt the towns that Hiram had restored to him, and he settled Israelis in them.