“Treat fairly ¹  the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and provide for their needs, ²  because they helped me ³  when I had to flee from your brother Absalom.

King Solomon fell in love with many foreign women (besides Pharaoh’s daughter), including Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites.

The high places were not eliminated, yet Asa was wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord throughout his lifetime. ¹ 

Later King Ben Hadad of Syria assembled his entire army and attacked ¹  and besieged Samaria. ² 

Elisha said to him, “Go and tell him, ‘You will surely recover,’ ¹  but the Lord has revealed to me that he will surely die.”

But the Lord was unwilling to destroy Judah. He preserved Judah for the sake of ¹  his servant David to whom he had promised a perpetual dynasty. ² 

Yet the Lord’s great anger against Judah did not subside; he was still infuriated by all the things Manasseh had done. ¹ 

But the king’s edict stood, despite Joab’s objections. ¹  So Joab left and traveled throughout Israel before returning to Jerusalem. ² 

(Now David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim to the place he had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. ¹ 

While the battle raged throughout the day, the king stood propped up in his chariot opposite the Syrians. He died in the evening as the sun was setting.

Their father gave them many presents, including silver, gold, and other precious items, along with fortified cities in Judah. But he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.

But Amaziah did not heed the warning, ¹  for God wanted to hand them over to Joash because they followed the gods of Edom. ² 

But then Hezekiah and the residents of Jerusalem humbled themselves and abandoned their pride, and the Lord was not angry with them for the rest of Hezekiah’s reign. ¹ 

From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. However, the Lord’s temple was not at that time established. ¹ 

However, due to your abundant mercy you did not do away with them altogether; you did not abandon them. For you are a merciful and compassionate God.

During all this time I was not in Jerusalem, ¹  for in the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes of Babylon, I had gone back to the king. After some time ²  I had requested leave of the king,

But the Jews who were in Susa assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth days, and rested on the fifteenth, making it a day for banqueting and happiness.

But extend your hand and strike his bone and his flesh, ¹  and he will no doubt ²  curse you to your face!”

“Surely one does not stretch out his hand against a broken man ¹  when he cries for help in his distress. ² 

However, ¹  because ²  I called but you refused to listen, ³  because ⁴  I stretched out my hand ⁵  but no one paid attention,