Now Yahweh has fulfilled his word that he spoke. I have risen in the place of David my father and am seated on the throne of Israel as Yahweh has spoken. I have built the house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

that your eyes may be open day and night to this house, to the place that you have promised to place your name there, that you may hear the prayer that your servant has prayed to this place.

And [as for] this house, which was exalted, all who pass by it will be appalled and will say, 'Why has Yahweh done thus to this land and to this house?'

Then they will say, 'Because they forsook Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out from the land of Egypt, and [they] laid hold of other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore he has brought upon them all this evil.'"

And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh from the city of David to the house that he had built for her, for he said, "My wife shall not dwell in the house of David, king of Israel, for those [places] to which the ark of Yahweh has come [are] holy.

Blessed be Yahweh your God who took delight in you, to put you on his throne as king for Yahweh your God! Because your God loved Israel, he established him forever and has put you over them as king to do justice and righteousness!"

And he said to them, "What do you advise that we should say in return to this people, who said to me, 'Lighten the yoke that your father has put upon us'?"

So Israel has rebelled against the house of David until this day.

'Thus says Yahweh: "Do not go up, and do not fight against your brothers. Return, each man to his house, for this matter has come from me." '" So they obeyed the words of Yahweh and turned back from going against Jeroboam.

So now you yourselves are considering [that you are] strong before the kingdom of Yahweh [which is] in the hand the sons of David, since you yourselves are a great multitude and you have bull calves of gold that Jeroboam has made for idols.

And he said to Judah, "Let us build these cities and surround [them with] walls, towers, gates, and bars while the land [is] before us, because we have sought Yahweh our God. We have sought and he has given rest to us on every side." So they built and had success.

Now Israel [has been] without the true God many days, and without a teaching priest, and without law,

But Micaiah said, "As Yahweh lives, only what my God has said, that will I speak."

So now, behold, Yahweh has put a spirit of deception into the mouths of these your prophets. Yahweh has spoken disaster against you."

And Micaiah said, "If you surely return in peace Yahweh has not spoken with me." Then he said, "Hear, peoples, all of them!"

And Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him. And he said to King Jehoshaphat, "Should you [be] a help to the wicked and love those who hate Yahweh? On account of this, wrath [has come] against you from Yahweh.

And all the assembly {made} a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said to them, "Behold, the son of the king shall reign as Yahweh has spoken concerning the sons of David.

And it happened [that] while he was speaking to him, he said to him, "Have we appointed you as a counselor to the king? Stop--{why should you be killed}?" So the prophet stopped and said, "I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my advice."

And Joash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, "The thorn bush that [is] in Lebanon has sent to the cedar which [is] in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son as wife.' But a wild animal of the field that [was] in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thorn bush.

Look, you say [that] you have struck Edom, and your heart has lifted you up to boast. Now remain at your home. Why stir up disaster that you fall, you and Judah with you?"

Now, my sons, do not be negligent, for Yahweh has chosen you to stand before him to serve him and to be his servants and incense burners."

Now, do not stiffen your neck as your fathers, but give a hand to Yahweh and come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve Yahweh your God that his fierce anger may turn away from you.

And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him, saying, "Since the offerings began to be brought to the house of Yahweh, [we have] eaten and been satisfied, and have much to spare, for Yahweh has blessed his people. Now [see] this abundant remainder!"

Has not Hezekiah himself removed his high places and his altars and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, saying, "You must bow down before one altar and upon it you must make offerings"?

So now, do not let Hezekiah deceive you. Do not let him urge you according to this. Do not put trust in him, for no god of any nation and kingdom has been able to save his people from my hand and from the hand of my ancestors. Surely then your God will not save you from my hand!'"

And he sent messengers to him, saying, "{What is there between us}, O king of Judah? [I am] not against you yourself this day, but against the house making war against me. And God has commanded me to make haste. Stop [opposing] God, who [is] with me that he will not destroy you."

to fulfill the word of Yahweh by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land has enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days of desolation it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

"Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia: 'Yahweh the God of heaven has given to me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has appointed me to build a house for him at Jerusalem, which [is] in Judah. Whoever [is] among you from all his people, may Yahweh his God go up with him.'"

"Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: Yahweh, the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. And he himself has appointed me to build a house for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of the {families} of Israel said to them, "[It is] not for you but for us to build a house for our God. For we ourselves alone will build [it] for Yahweh the God of Israel, just as Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us."

the letter that you sent to us has been translated [and] read before me.

And {I issued} a decree, and they searched and found that this city from ancient days revolted against kings, and rebellion and sedition has been made in it.

Mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem, [governing] all [the province] Beyond the River, to whom tribute, duty, and tax has been given.

May the God who has set his name there overthrow any king or people who sets his hand to alter [or] to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, issue forth a decree. Let it be done with diligence."

For they have taken from their daughters for themselves and their sons. So the holy seed has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands, and the hand of the officials and prefects were foremost in this sin.

and said, "My God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to you, my God. For our sins have risen above our heads and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.

But now for a brief moment mercy has been shown by Yahweh our God, who left behind for us a remnant, and given us security in his holy place--for our God to brighten our eyes and to give us brief relief in our bondage.

For we are slaves and in our bondage our God did not forsake us, and he has extended to us loyal love in the presence of the kings of Persia, to give to us deliverance [and] to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judea and Jerusalem.

After all that has come upon us for our evil practices and for our great guilt--you, our God, have held back less than our guilt [deserved] and you have given us a remainder such as this.

Then I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has [found] favor in your presence, [I ask] that you send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors' burial sites, so that I may rebuild it."

In it was written, "It has been reported among the nations, and Gashmu also is saying it, that you and the Jews are considering rebellion. Therefore, truly you are building the wall and you are becoming their king, according to these words.

So I sent to him saying, "None of these words you have spoken has happened. You are indeed saying [things] created in your own mind"--

You are righteous in everything that has come on us, for you dealt faithfully, and we have acted wickedly.

"According to [the] law, what is to be done with Queen Vashti, because she has not done the command of King Ahasuerus {conveyed by} the eunuchs?

And Memucan said before the king and the officials, "Not only has Queen Vashti done wrong to the king, but to all the officials and all of the people who [are] in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus.

and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact amount of money that Haman has promised to pay to the treasury of the king for the destruction of the Jews.

"All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that [if] any man or woman who goes to the king to the inner courtyard, who is not called, he has one law, to be killed, except if the king extends to him the gold scepter so that he may live. I have not been called to come to the king {for thirty days}."

And the king asked, "What has been done to bestow honor to Mordecai for this?" And the king's servants who attended him said, "Nothing has been done for him."

let them bring {royal clothing} with which the king has clothed himself, and a horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal head-dress has been given.

Have you not put a fence around him and his household and around {all that belongs to him} {on every side}? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock has increased in the land.

Then Satan answered him and said, "Skin for skin! All that {that} man has he will give for his life.

[Why does he give light] to a man whose way is hidden, and God has fenced him in [all] around?

because the dread that I {feel} has come upon me, and what I feared befalls me.

I am not at ease, and I am not at peace, and I do not have rest, thus turmoil has come."

But now it has come to you, and you are worn out; it touches you, and you are horrified.

"{Think} now, who has perished [who is] innocent? Or where [are] the upright destroyed?

[He is] wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has resisted him and succeeded?

You have granted me life and loyal love, and your care has preserved my spirit.

and [that] he would tell you [the] secrets of wisdom, for {insight has many sides}. And know that God {on your behalf} has forgotten {some of} your guilt.

For you yourself will forget your misery; you will remember [it] as water [that] has flowed past.

Who among all of these does not know that Yahweh's hand has done this?

"Look, my eye has seen everything; my ear has heard and has understood it.

And he himself wastes away like something rotten, like a garment that [the] moth has eaten.

"Because he has covered his face with his fat and has gathered fat upon [his] loins,

"Surely now he has worn me out; you have devastated all my company.

Thus you shriveled me up; it became a witness. And my leanness has risen up against me; it testifies to my face.

His wrath has torn, and he has been hostile toward me; he gnashed at me with his teeth. My foe sharpens his eyes against me.

"And he has made me a proverb for [the] peoples, {and I am one before whom people spit}.

And my eye has grown dim from grief, and the limbs of my body [are] all like a shadow.

But [the] righteous holds on to his way, and {he who has clean hands} increases in strength.

know then that God has wronged me and has surrounded me [with] his net.

He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass; and he has set darkness upon my paths.

He has taken my glory from me, and he has removed the crown of my head.

He has broken me down all around, and I am gone. And he has uprooted my hope like a tree,

and he has kindled his wrath against me, and {he has counted me as one of his foes}.

"He has removed my kinsfolk from me, and my acquaintances have only turned aside from me.

"Pity me, pity me, you my friends, for God's hand has touched me.

And after my skin has been thus destroyed, but from my flesh I will see God,

for he has oppressed; he has abandoned [the] poor; he has seized a house but did not build it.

Because he has not known satisfaction in his stomach, {he lets nothing escape that he desires}.

{There is nothing left after he has eaten}; therefore his prosperity will not endure.

Yet another dies with a bitter inner self and has not tasted prosperity.

Who denounces his way to his face? And who repays him [for what] he has done?

{Surely} our foe perishes, and fire has consumed their remainder.

My foot has held on to his steps; I have kept his way, and I have not turned aside.

Indeed, God has made my heart faint, and Shaddai has terrified me.

"How you have helped {one who has no power}! [How] you have assisted [the] arm {that has no strength}!

How you have advised {one who has no wisdom}! And [what] sound wisdom you have made known {in abundance}!

{With whose help} have you uttered words, and whose breath has come forth from you?

{He has described a circle} on [the] face of [the] water {between light and darkness}.

"{As God lives}, he has removed my justice, and Shaddai has made my inner self bitter.

"He builds his house like the moth, and like a booth [that] a watchman has made.

And it hurls at him, and it has no compassion; he will quickly flee from its power.

Its stones [are the] place of sapphire, and [the] earthen dirt {has} gold.

"[It is] a path a bird of prey does not know and [the] black kite's eye has not seen.

{Proud wild animals} have not trodden it; [the] lion in its prime has not prowled over it.

because he has loosened his bowstring and humbled me, and they have thrown off restraint {in my presence}.

He has cast me into the dirt, and I have become like dust and ashes.

"If I have walked with falseness, and my foot has hastened to deceit,

If my steps have turned aside from the way, and my heart has walked after my eyes, and my hand has clung to a spot,