“The Lord who rules over all also says, ‘Gather strength, you who are listening to these words today from the mouths of the prophets who were there at the founding of the house of the Lord who rules over all, ¹  so that the temple might be built.

Solomon’s and Hiram’s construction workers, ¹  along with men from Byblos, ²  did the chiseling and prepared the wood and stones for the building of the temple. ³ 

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

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 priests should receive the silver they need from the treasurers and repair any damage to the temple they discover.” ¹ 

By the twenty-third year of King Jehoash’s reign the priests had still not repaired the damage to the temple.

The priests agreed ¹  not to collect silver from the people and relieved themselves of personal responsibility for the temple repairs. ² 

He built altars in the Lord’s temple, about which the Lord had said, “Jerusalem will be my home.” ¹ 

He tore down the quarters ¹  of the male cultic prostitutes in the Lord’s temple, where women were weaving shrines ²  for Asherah.

to supply me with large quantities of timber, for I am building a great, magnificent temple.

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

The priests were unable to enter the Lord’s temple because the Lord’s splendor filled the Lord’s temple.

When Athaliah heard the royal guard ¹  shouting and praising the king, she joined the crowd ²  at the Lord’s temple.

The ¹  chief priests took the silver and said, “It is not lawful to put this into the temple treasury, since it is blood money.”

The king and Jehoiada gave it to the construction foremen ¹  assigned to the Lord’s temple. They hired carpenters and craftsmen to repair the Lord’s temple, as well as those skilled in working with iron and bronze to restore the Lord’s temple.

When the builders established the Lord’s temple, the priests, ceremonially attired and with their clarions, ¹  and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with their cymbals, stood to praise the Lord according to the instructions left by ²  King David of Israel. ³ 

Many of the priests, the Levites, and the leaders ¹  – older people who had seen with their own eyes the former temple while it was still established ²  – were weeping loudly, ³  and many others raised their voice in a joyous shout.

The Lord showed me two baskets of figs sitting before his temple. This happened after King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deported Jehoiakim’s son, King Jeconiah of Judah. He deported him and the leaders of Judah, along with the craftsmen and metal workers, and took them to Babylon. ¹ 

“Sharpen ¹  your arrows! Fill your quivers! ²  The Lord will arouse a spirit of hostility in ³  the kings of Media. ⁴  For he intends to destroy Babylonia. For that is how the Lord will get his revenge – how he will get his revenge for the Babylonians’ destruction of his temple. ⁵ 

The Lord said to me: “Son of man, pay attention, ¹  watch closely and listen carefully to ²  everything I tell you concerning all the statutes of the Lord’s house and all its laws. Pay attention to the entrances ³  to the temple with all the exits of the sanctuary.