King Rehoboam consulted with the older advisers who had served ¹  his father Solomon when he had been alive. He asked them, ²  “How do you advise me to answer these people?”

In the cities of the priests, Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah faithfully assisted him in making disbursements to their fellow priests ¹  according to their divisions, regardless of age. ² 

So I gave orders, ¹  and it was determined ²  that this city from long ago has been engaging in insurrection against kings. It has continually engaged in ³  rebellion and revolt.

The people will treat each other harshly; men will oppose each other; neighbors will fight. ¹  Youths will proudly defy the elderly and riffraff will challenge those who were once respected. ² 

I was angry at my people; I defiled my special possession and handed them over to you. You showed them no mercy; ¹  you even placed a very heavy burden on old people. ² 

You did not hear, you do not know, you were not told beforehand. ¹  For I know that you are very deceitful; ²  you were labeled ³  a rebel from birth.

For you are our father, though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not recognize us. You, Lord, are our father; you have been called our protector from ancient times. ¹ 

known ¹  from long ago. ² 

They cast lots, both young and old, according to their families, to determine which gate they would be responsible for. ¹ 

The people continued to offer sacrifices at the high places, but only to the Lord their God.

In the second year after they had come to the temple of God in Jerusalem, ¹  in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak initiated the work, ²  along with the rest of their associates, ³  the priests and the Levites, and all those who were coming to Jerusalem from the exile. They appointed ⁴  the Levites who were at least twenty years old ⁵  to take charge of the work on the Lord’s temple.

By the brush ¹  they would gather ²  herbs from the salt marshes, ³  and the root of the broom tree was their food.

When I refused to confess my sin, ¹  my whole body wasted away, ²  while I groaned in pain all day long.

Where are your earlier faithful deeds, ¹  O Lord, ²  the ones performed in accordance with your reliable oath to David? ³ 

If they say, “Come with us! We will ¹  lie in wait ²  to shed blood; ³  we will ambush ⁴  an innocent person ⁵  capriciously. ⁶ 

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Absolutely not!

But if I build up again those things I once destroyed, ¹  I demonstrate that I am one who breaks God’s law. ² 

For where there is a will, the death of the one who made it must be proven. ¹ 

“‘When ¹  the days of her purification are completed for a son or for a daughter, she must bring a one year old lamb ²  for a burnt offering ³  and a young pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering ⁴  to the entrance of the Meeting Tent, to the priest.

Along with the loaves of bread, ¹  you must also present seven flawless yearling lambs, ²  one young bull, ³  and two rams. ⁴  They are to be a burnt offering to the Lord along with their grain offering ⁵  and drink offerings, a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord. ⁶