The Lord told my father David, ‘It is right for you to have a strong desire to build a temple to honor me. ¹ 

But you will not build the temple; your very own son will build the temple for my honor.’ ¹ 

“If your people Israel are defeated by an enemy ¹  because they sinned against you, then if they come back to you, renew their allegiance to you, ²  and pray for your help ³  before you in this temple,

Now I have chosen and consecrated this temple by making it my permanent home; ¹  I will be constantly present there. ² 

He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. ¹  His mother was Michaiah, the daughter of Uriel from Gibeah. ²  There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

The king said to him, “How many times must I make you solemnly promise in ¹  the name of the Lord to tell me only the truth?”

Ahaziah was twenty-two ¹  years old when he became king and he reigned for one year in Jerusalem. His mother was Athaliah, the granddaughter ²  of Omri.

Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. He reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. ¹  His mother was Zibiah, who was from Beer Sheba.

Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. ¹  His mother was Jehoaddan, who was from Jerusalem.

Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. ¹  His mother’s name was Jecholiah, who was from Jerusalem.

The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah and his fame reached ¹  the border of Egypt, for he grew in power.

Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. ¹  His mother was Jerusha the daughter of Zadok.

Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. ¹  His mother was Abijah, ²  the daughter of Zechariah.

And from among ¹  the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai (who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that ²  name).

and some of the temple servants that David and his officials had established for the work of the Levites – 220 of them. They were all designated by name.

He had been hired to scare me so that I would do this and thereby sin. They would thus bring reproach on me and I ¹  would be discredited. ² 

And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai (who had married a woman from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name).

“You are the LORD God who chose Abram and brought him forth from Ur of the Chaldeans. You changed his name to Abraham.

Now there happened to be a Jewish man in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai. ¹  He was the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjaminite,

Mordecai ¹  wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king’s signet ring. He then sent letters by couriers on horses, who rode royal horses that were very swift.