2 Chronicles 11 Cross References - LEB

¹ When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand _⌊chosen warriors_⌋,* to fight against Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. ² But the word of Yahweh came to Shemaiah, the man of God, saying, ³ "Say to Rehoboam, son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, ⁴ '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. ⁵ And Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and he built cities as strongholds in Judah. ⁶ He built Bethlehem, Etah, Tekoa, ⁷ Beth-Zur, Socoh, Adullam, ⁸ Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, ⁹ Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, ¹⁰ Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, fortified cities that are in Judah and in Benjamin. ¹¹ And he strengthened the fortifications and put commanders in them, along with stores of food, olive oil, and wine. ¹² And in all the cities he put shields and spears, and he greatly strengthened them. So he had Judah and Benjamin. ¹³ Now the priests and the Levites who were throughout all Israel took their stand with him* from all their territories. ¹⁴ For the Levites left their pasturelands and their property and came to Judah and to Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests to Yahweh. ¹⁵ And he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat idols and for the bull calves that he had made. ¹⁶ Then after them, from all the tribes of Israel, those who set their heart to seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to offer to Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.* ¹⁷ And they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and made Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, secure for three years, for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years. ¹⁸ Then Rehoboam took to himself as a wife Mahalath, the daughter* of Yerimot son of David, and of Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse. ¹⁹ And she bore to him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. ²⁰ And after her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom, who bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. ²¹ And Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines (for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters). ²² And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah as chief and crown prince over his brothers, in order to make him king. ²³ And he dealt wisely and distributed some of his sons throughout all the land of Judah and Benjamin, through all the fortified cities, and gave abundant provisions to them and obtained many wives for them.

²¹ When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all of the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand _⌊choice troops_⌋* to fight with the house of Israel, to restore the kingship to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. ²² Then the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, ²³ "Say to Rehoboam the son of Solomon the king of Judah and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin and the remainder of the people, saying, ²⁴ 'Thus says Yahweh: "You shall not go up and you shall not fight with your brothers the _⌊Israelites_⌋.* Return each of you to his house, for this thing was from me." '" So they heeded the word of Yahweh, and they returned to go home according to the word of Yahweh.

¹⁰ Yahweh brings to nothing* the plan of nations; he frustrates* the intents of peoples.

¹⁶ The king is not saved by the greatness of an army. The warrior is not delivered by the greatness of strength.

³⁰ There is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel to oppose Yahweh. ³¹ A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but to Yahweh belongs the victory.

¹ Now* this is the blessing with which Moses, the man of God, blessed the _⌊Israelites_⌋* _⌊before_⌋* his death.

²⁷ Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him: "Thus says Yahweh: 'Did I not clearly reveal myself to the house of your ancestor* when they were in Egypt under the house of Pharaoh?

¹⁴ And in accord with the ordinance of David his father he appointed working groups of priests for their service, Levites for their responsibilities for praise and cultic service before the priests _⌊according to the daily requirement_⌋,* and the gatekeepers in their working groups, gate by gate. For thus David the man of God had commanded.

⁵ Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem from before Shishak. And he said to them, "Thus says Yahweh: 'You yourselves have abandoned me, and I myself have surely abandoned you into the hand of Shishak.'" ⁶ Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, "Yahweh is righteous." ⁷ And when Yahweh saw that they humbled themselves, the word of Yahweh came to Shemaiah, saying, "They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy. I will give to them some way of escape, that my anger not be poured out against Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

¹⁵ Now the words of Rehoboam from the first to the last, are they not written in the chronicles* of Shemaiah the prophet and Iddo the seer as a record? And there were battles between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their* days.

¹¹ But you, O man of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patient endurance, gentleness.

²⁸ All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, each according to their blessing.

⁴ And Moses wrote all the words of Yahweh, and he rose early in the morning, and he built an altar at the base of the mountain and set up twelve memorial stones for the twelve tribes of Israel.

³⁴ Until this day they are doing according to their former customs; none of them are fearing Yahweh, and none of them are doing according to their statutes, to their decisions, to the law, or to the commands that Yahweh commanded the descendants* of Jacob to which he had given the name Israel.

⁵ _⌊circumcised on the eighth day_⌋*, from the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born from Hebrews, according to the law a Pharisee,

⁴ And I heard the number of the ones who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: ⁵ from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand, ⁶ from the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand, ⁷ from the tribe of Simeon,* twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand, ⁸ from the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.

⁸ Then Abram said to Lot, "Please, let there not be quarreling between me and you, and between my shepherds and your shepherds, for we men are brothers.

²⁰ As for you, you planned evil against me, but God planned it for good, in order to do this—to keep many people alive—as it is today.

²⁶ Then Abner called to Joab and said, "Will the sword devour forever? Do you not know that there will be bitterness in the end? _⌊How long_⌋* will you not tell the people to turn _⌊away from pursuing_⌋* their brothers?"

²⁹ It happened at that time that Jeroboam went out from Jerusalem, and he accidentally met Ahijah the Shilonite the prophet on the way. Now he had clothed himself with new clothing. While the two of them were alone in the field, ³⁰ Ahijah took hold of the new cloak which was on him and tore it into twelve pieces. ³¹ Then he said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and I will give to you ten tribes, ³² but one tribe shall be for him, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel; ³³ because he has forsaken me, and they bowed down to Ashtoreth, the god of the Sidonians, to Chemosh, the god of Moab, and to Molech, the god of the _⌊Ammonites_⌋.* They did not walk in my ways to do right in my eyes, my ordinances, or my judgments, as did David his father. ³⁴ But I will not take all of the kingdom from his hand, but I will make him a leader all the days of his life for the sake of David my servant whom I chose, who kept my commandments and my ordinances. ³⁵ But I will take the kingship from the hand of his son, and I will give ten tribes to you. ³⁶ To his son I will give one tribe in order to be a lamp for my servant David, always before my face, in Jerusalem the city in which I have chosen to place my name. ³⁷ You I will take, and you shall reign over all your soul desires, and you shall be king over Israel. ³⁸ It shall be that if you listen to all that I command you and you walk in my ways and you do right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, then I will be with you, and I will build an enduring house for you as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.

³⁶ Then the shout passed through the camp about sunset, saying, "Each man to his city and each to his land!"

¹⁵ So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turning of events from God, so that Yahweh might fulfill his word that he had spoken by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. ¹⁶ So all Israel saw that the king would not listen to them, and the people answered the king, saying, "What portion is there for us in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Each to your tents, O Israel! Now look to your own house, David!" And all Israel went to their own tents.

⁷ But a man of God came to him, saying, "O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for Yahweh is not with Israel, all the Ephraimites. ⁸ But even still, you yourself go, do! Be strong for the battle else God will make you stumble before the enemy! For there is power with God to help and to cause stumbling." ⁹ And Amaziah said to the man of God, "Now what should I do with the one hundred talents that I have given to the troops of Israel?" And the man of God said, "_⌊Yahweh is able to give_⌋* to you more than this." ¹⁰ Then Amaziah dismissed the troops that came to him from Ephraim to go to their home.* And _⌊they became very angry_⌋* with Judah, and they returned to their home _⌊in great anger_⌋.*

⁸ And the Israelites captured two hundred thousand of their brothers, women, sons, and daughters. And they also plundered much booty from them and brought the booty to Samaria. ⁹ Now a prophet of Yahweh was there; Oded was his name. And he went out before the army that was coming to Samaria and said to them, "Look, it is on account of the anger of Yahweh, the God of your ancestors,* against Judah that he gave them into your hands, and you killed them in a rage reaching to the heavens. ¹⁰ So now, you yourselves plan to subdue people of Judah and Jerusalem as slaves and female servants for yourselves. _⌊Is there not also guilt on your part_⌋* against Yahweh your God? ¹¹ So now, listen to me and return the captives of your brothers whom you have taken captive, for the fierce anger of Yahweh is against you." ¹² Then men from the heads of Ephraim—Azariah the son of Jehohanan, Berekiah the son of Meshillemoth, Hezekiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai—stood against those returning from the fight. ¹³ And they said to them, "You shall not bring the captives here, for it is as guilt against Yahweh upon us. You yourselves plan to add to our sins and to our guilt, but our guilt is very great, and there is great anger against Israel." ¹⁴ So the soldiers left the captives and the plunder before the commanders and all the assembly. ¹⁵ Then the men designated by name arose and took the captives and from the plunder clothed all their nakedness. So they clothed them, gave them sandals, gave them food to eat, gave them water to drink, anointed them, and guided them with the donkeys provided for all those who stumbled, and brought them to Jericho, the city of the palm trees, next to their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.

¹¹ The plan of Yahweh stands firm forever, the intents of his heart _⌊from one generation to the next_⌋.*

⁴ They appointed kings, but not through me; they made officials, but without my knowledge. With their silver and gold they made idols for themselves for their* own _⌊destruction_⌋.*

²⁶ And on the following day, he made an appearance to them while they* were fighting and was attempting to reconcile* them in peace, saying, 'Men and brothers, why are you doing wrong to one another?'

⁵ I say this to your shame. So is there not anyone wise among you who will be able to render a decision between his brothers? ⁶ But brother goes to court with brother, and this before unbelievers! ⁷ Therefore it is already completely a loss for you that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? ⁸ But you wrong and defraud, and do this to brothers!

¹ Brotherly love must continue.

⁸ And finally, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, showing mutual affection, compassionate, humble,

¹¹ For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning: that we should love one another, ¹² not as Cain, who was of the evil one and violently murdered his brother. And _⌊for what reason_⌋* did he violently murder him? Because his deeds were evil and the deeds of his brother were righteous. ¹³ Do not marvel,* brothers, if the world hates you.

² Solomon also built the cities that Huram* had given to him, and he settled the _⌊Israelites_⌋* in them. ³ And Solomon went to Hamath-Zobah and laid siege upon it. ⁴ And he built Tadmor in the desert, and he built all the storage cities in Hamath. ⁵ He also built Upper Beth-Horon and Lower Beth-Horon, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars; ⁶ Baalath and all the storage cities that belonged to Solomon; all the cities for chariots* and cities for horses; and any desire of Solomon that he desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

²³ And he dealt wisely and distributed some of his sons throughout all the land of Judah and Benjamin, through all the fortified cities, and gave abundant provisions to them and obtained many wives for them.

⁶ And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land was at rest. Under* him there was no war in those years, for Yahweh had given rest to him. ⁷ 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.

⁶ Then King Asa took all of Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building, and he built Geba and Mizpah with them.

¹² And Jehoshaphat _⌊grew greater and greater_⌋,* and he built fortresses and storage cities in Judah.

⁶ And he went out and made war against the Philistines, and he broke down the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod, and he built cities in Ashdod and among the Philistines.

⁴ And he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and he built forts and towers in the wooded places.

⁸ And he uncovered the covering of Judah. And you looked, on that day, to the weapons* of the House of the Forest, ⁹ and you saw that the breaches in the walls of the city of David were many, and you gathered the waters of the lower pool. ¹⁰ And you counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall. ¹¹ And you made a reservoir between the walls for the waters of the old pool, but you did not look to its maker, and you did not see _⌊the one who created it long ago_⌋.*

¹⁹ And Rachel died and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).

⁸ And _⌊he gave them a thorough beating_⌋,* and he went down and stayed in the cleft of the rock of Etam.

¹² Now David was the son of an Ephrathite. This man was from Bethlehem of Judah, and his name was Jesse. _⌊He had_⌋* eight sons; in the days of Saul this man was old, yet he still walked among* the men.

² So Joab sent to Tekoa and took from there a wise woman, and he said to her, "Please pretend to mourn and put on garments of mourning. You should not anoint yourself with oil, and you must act like this woman who has been mourning over the dead for _⌊a long time_⌋.*

³² And their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Token, and Ashan, five cities

²⁰ And they rose up early in the morning and went out to the desert of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in Yahweh your God, and you shall be established! Believe in his prophets, and you shall succeed!"

⁵ _⌊Next to them_⌋* the Tekoites repaired, but their nobles did not put their neck to the work of their lord.

²⁷ After him the Tekoites repaired a second section of a wall opposite the projecting tower that goes out as far as the wall of Ophel.

¹ Flee for safety, O children of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem. And in Tekoa blow a horn, and on Beth-haccherem lift up a signal, for evil looks down from the north, and a great destruction.

¹ The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds from Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah the king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Jehoash, two years _⌊before_⌋* the earthquake.

⁵ So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet, ⁶ 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for from you will go out a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'"*

¹⁵ the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;

³⁵ Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah,

⁵⁸ Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor,

¹ David went from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and all his father's household* heard, they came down to him there.

¹³ Then three* of the thirty leaders went down and came to David _⌊at the time of the harvest_⌋* to the cave of Adullam, while a group of the Philistines were camping in the valley of the Rephaim.

¹⁵ I will again bring the conqueror upon you, O inhabitants of Mareshah; the glory of Israel will come to Adullam.

²⁴ Ziph, Telem, Bealoth,

⁴⁴ Keilah, Aczib, and Mareshah; nine cities and their villages.

¹⁴ David remained in the wilderness, in the strongholds, and in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him _⌊continually_⌋,* but God did not give him into his hand.

¹⁹ Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, which is south of Jeshimon?

¹ And it happened that after David struck the Philistines and subdued them, he captured Gath and its villages out of the hand of the Philistines.

¹ For the music director, with stringed instruments. A maskil of David, when the Ziphites went and said to Saul, "Is not David hiding himself among us?"*
O God, by your name save me, and by your power vindicate me.

⁵ And the five kings of the Amorites,* the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they and all their forces, and _⌊they laid siege to Gibeon_⌋* and made war against it.

¹¹ And as they were fleeing from Israel, they were on the slope of Beth-horon, and Yahweh threw huge stones from the heavens on them as far as Azekah; and more died by the hail stones than those whom the _⌊Israelites_⌋* killed by the sword.

³⁹ Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon,

⁹ After this Sennacherib the king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem (now he and all his armies with him were against Lachish) to Hezekiah king of Judah and to all of Judah that was in Jerusalem, saying,

² And Sarah died in Kiriath Arba; that is Hebron, in the land of Canaan.

²² They went up through the Negev* and came to Hebron, where* Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai the descendants of the Anakites were. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)

¹⁴ Thus Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he remained true to Yahweh the God of Israel.

³³ In the Shephelah:* Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah,

⁴¹ The border of their inheritance was Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh, ⁴² Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah,

⁷ So _⌊they set apart_⌋* Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba* (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.

¹¹ The number of days that David was king over Hebron, over the house of Judah, was seven years and six months.

¹⁹ These were serving the king, besides those whom the king had placed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.

¹⁹ Tamar put ashes on her head, and she tore the long-sleeved robe which was on her. She put her hand on her head, and _⌊she went away, crying out as she went_⌋.*

²² Absalom did not speak with Amnon _⌊either bad or good_⌋,* for Absalom hated Amnon _⌊over the matter when_⌋* he raped Tamar his sister.

¹⁴ And Uzziah prepared small shields, spears, helmets, breastplates, bows, and slingstones for the whole army. ¹⁵ And he made siege machines in Jerusalem designed by skillful men to be set upon the towers and upon the corners to shoot arrows and large slingstones. And his fame* went out far, for he helped marvelously, for he was strong.

⁵ Then he strengthened himself and built up all the walls that were broken down, and raised towers upon them and another wall _⌊outside_⌋.* And he strengthened the Millo of the city of David and made much weaponry and small shields.

³⁰ " 'And any tithe of the land from the land's seed or from the fruit of the trees is for Yahweh; it is a holy object for Yahweh. ³¹ And if a man indeed redeems from his tithe, he shall add a fifth of its value onto it. ³² As for* every tithe of cattle or* of the flock,* all which crosses under the rod, the tenth shall be a holy object for Yahweh. ³³ He shall not inspect between the good and the bad, and he shall not exchange it; but* if he indeed exchanges it, then* _⌊it and its substitution shall be_⌋* a holy object—it shall not be redeemed.'" ³⁴ These are the commands that Yahweh commanded Moses for the _⌊Israelites_⌋* on _⌊Mount Sinai_⌋.*

²¹ "Behold, I have given to the descendants* of Levi every tithe in Israel as an inheritance in return for their service, which they are doing, the work of the tent of assembly. ²² The _⌊Israelites_⌋* will not come near again to the tent of assembly, or _⌊they will bear sin_⌋* and die. ²³ The Levites* will perform the service of the tent of assembly, and they will bear their guilt, an eternal decree for all your generations. But they will not receive an inheritance in the midst of the _⌊Israelites_⌋* ²⁴ because the tithes* of the _⌊Israelites_⌋* that are _⌊offered_⌋* to Yahweh as a contribution, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance; therefore I said to them, 'They will not receive an inheritance in the midst of the _⌊Israelites_⌋.'"* ²⁵ Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, ²⁶ "You will speak to the Levites and say to them, 'When you receive the tithe from the _⌊Israelites_⌋* that I have given to you from them for your inheritance, _⌊you will present_⌋* a contribution from it to Yahweh, a tithe from a tithe. ²⁷ Your contribution will be credited to you like the grain from the threshing floor and like the produce from the press. ²⁸ So _⌊you will present_⌋* your own contribution to Yahweh from all your tithes that you receive from the _⌊Israelites_⌋;* from it you will give the contribution of Yahweh to Aaron the priest.

² "Command the _⌊Israelites_⌋* that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their property cities to live in; and you will give to the Levites pastureland all around the cities.* ³ The cities will be theirs to live in, and their pasturelands will be for their domestic animals, for their possessions, and their animals.* ⁴ "The pasturelands of the cities that you will give to the Levites will extend from the wall of the city to a distance of a thousand cubits all around. ⁵ You will measure outside the city the eastern edge two thousand cubits, for the southern edge two thousand cubits, for the western edge two thousand cubits, and for the northern edge two thousand cubits, with the city in the middle; this will be for them the pasturelands of the cities.

²⁰ For the families of the descendants* of Kohath, the remaining Levites of the descendants* of Kohath, they received the cities of their lot from the tribe of Ephraim. ²¹ They gave them Shechem, the city of refuge for the killer, and its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer and its pasturelands, ²² Kibzaim and its pasturelands, and Beth-horon and its pasturelands; four cities. ²³ From the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh and its pasturelands, Gibbethon and its pasturelands, ²⁴ Aijalon and its pasturelands, and Gath Rimmon and its pasturelands; four cities. ²⁵ From the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach and its pasturelands and Gath Rimmon with its pasturelands; two cities. ²⁶ All the cities and their pasturelands for the remaining families of the descendants* of Kohath were ten. ²⁷ To the descendants* of Gershon, one of the families of the Levites, from the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan, a city of refuge for the killer, and its pasturelands, and Eshtarah and its pasturelands; two cities. ²⁸ From the tribe of Issachar, Kishion and its pasturelands, Daberath and its pasturelands, ²⁹ Jarmuth and its pasturelands, En Gannim and its pasturelands; four cities. ³⁰ From the tribe of Asher, Mishal and its pasturelands, Abdon and its pasturelands, ³¹ Helkath and its pasturelands, Rehob and its pasturelands; four cities. ³² From the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee, the city of refuge for the killer, and its pasturelands, Hammoth Dor and its pasturelands, and Kartan and its pasturelands; three cities. ³³ All the cities of the Gershonites* according to their families were thirteen cities and their pasturelands. ³⁴ To the families of the descendants* of Merarite, the remaining Levites, from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam and its pasturelands, Kartah and its pasturelands, ³⁵ Dimnah and its pasturelands, and Nahalal and its pasturelands; four cities. ³⁶ From the tribe of Reuben, Bezer and its pasturelands, Jahaz and its pasturelands, ³⁷ Kedemoth and its pasturelands, and Mephaath and its pasturelands; four cities. ³⁸ From the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead, the city of refuge for the killer, and its pasturelands, Mahanaim and its pasturelands, ³⁹ Heshbon and its pasturelands, and Jazer and its pasturelands; four cities in all. ⁴⁰ All these were the cities of the descendants* of Merarite according to their families, the remaining families of the Levites; their allotment was twelve cities. ⁴¹ All the cities of the Levites among the property of the _⌊Israelites_⌋* were forty-eight cities and their pasturelands. ⁴² Each of these cities had pasturelands surrounding them; so it was for all of these cities.

²⁸ And the king had decided, so he made two golden calves and he said to them,* "_⌊You have been going up to Jerusalem long enough_⌋;* here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt." ²⁹ He put one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. ³⁰ This thing became a sin, and the people walked before the one as far as Dan. ³¹ Then he built the houses on the high places, and he appointed priests _⌊from all walks of life_⌋* who were not from the sons of Levi. ³² Jeroboam also inaugurated a religious feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month, like the religious feast which was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar. Thus he did in Bethel, by sacrificing to the calves that he had made; and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. ³³ He offered sacrifices on the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month which his heart had devised. He inaugurated a religious feast for the _⌊Israelites_⌋,* and he went up to the altar to offer incense.

³³ After this event, Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but he returned and again made priests for the high places of people from _⌊all walks of life_⌋.* He filled his hand with all his desire and became one of the priests of the high places himself.

⁶⁶ And of the clans of the sons of Kohath were cities of their territory out of the tribe of Ephraim. ⁶⁷ And they gave them the cities of refuge: Shechem with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasturelands, ⁶⁸ Jokmeam with its pasturelands, Beth-Horon with its pasturelands, ⁶⁹ Aijalon with its pasturelands, and Gath-Rimmon with its pasturelands. ⁷⁰ And out of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Aner with its pasturelands, and Bileam with its pasturelands for the remaining the clans of the Kohathites. ⁷¹ To the Gershomites were given out of the clan of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan with its pasturelands and Ashtaroth with its pasturelands. ⁷² And out of the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh with its pasturelands, Daberath with its pasturelands, ⁷³ Ramoth with its pasturelands, and Anem with its pasturelands. ⁷⁴ And out of the tribe of Asher: Mashal with its pasturelands, Abdon with its pasturelands, ⁷⁵ Hukok with its pasturelands, and Rehob with its pasturelands. ⁷⁶ And out of the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its pasturelands, Hammon with its pasturelands, and Kiriathaim with its pasturelands. ⁷⁷ To the remainder of the Merarites were allotted out of the tribe of Zebulun: Rimmono with its pasturelands, Tabor with its pasturelands. ⁷⁸ And beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, out of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness with its pasturelands, Jahzah with its pasturelands, ⁷⁹ Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands. ⁸⁰ And out of the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its pasturelands, Mahanaim with its pasturelands, ⁸¹ Heshbon with its pasturelands, and Jazer with its pasturelands.

⁹ Did you not drive out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, the Levites? Have you not made for yourselves priests like all the peoples of the lands? All who come _⌊to be consecrated for priestly service_⌋* with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what is not a god.

⁴ And he took from their hand, and he shaped it with a tool, and he made it a cast-image bull calf, and they said, "These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt." ⁵ And Aaron saw, and he built an altar before it, and Aaron called, and he said, "A feast for Yahweh tomorrow." ⁶ And they started early the next day, and they offered burnt offerings, and they presented fellowship offerings, and the people sat to eat and drink, and they rose up to revel. ⁷ And Yahweh spoke to Moses, "Go, go down because your people behave corruptly, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt. ⁸ They have turned aside quickly from the way that I commanded them; they have made for themselves a cast-image bull calf, and they bowed to it, and they sacrificed to it, and they said, 'These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.'"

³¹ And Moses returned to Yahweh, and he said, "Alas, this people has sinned a great sin and made for themselves gods of gold.

¹⁷ They sacrificed to the demons, not God, to gods whom* they had not known, new gods who* came from recent times; _⌊their ancestors had not known them_⌋.*

²⁸ And the king had decided, so he made two golden calves and he said to them,* "_⌊You have been going up to Jerusalem long enough_⌋;* here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt."

³¹ Then he built the houses on the high places, and he appointed priests _⌊from all walks of life_⌋* who were not from the sons of Levi.

⁹ But you did more evil than all who were before you. You have gone and made for yourself other gods and molten idols to provoke me, but me you have _⌊completely disregarded_⌋.*

¹⁹ They made a calf at Horeb and bowed down to a cast image. ²⁰ And so they exchanged their glory for an image of an ox that eats grass.

⁵ Your calf is rejected,* O Samaria; my anger burns against them. How long* will they be incapable of innocence? ⁶ Because it is from Israel, an artisan made it, it is not a god; for the calf of Samaria will be broken to pieces.

² And now they sin again, and they make for themselves a molten idol, idols from their silver metal according to their understanding, all of them the work of skilled craftsmen. To these they say, "Sacrifice!" People are kissing bull calves.

²⁰ No, but that the things which they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to become sharers with demons. ²¹ You are not able to drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You are not able to share the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

¹ Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the last times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,

¹⁴ For they are the spirits of demons performing signs that go out to the kings of the whole inhabited world, to gather them for the battle of the great day of God the All-Powerful.

²¹ But whoever did not _⌊give regard to_⌋* the word of Yahweh abandoned his servants and his livestock in the field.

⁵ _⌊But only_⌋* to the place that Yahweh your God will choose from all of your tribes to place his name there as his dwelling shall you seek, and there you shall go. ⁶ And you shall bring there your burnt offerings and your sacrifices and your tithes and _⌊your donations_⌋* and your votive gifts and your freewill offerings and the firstling of your herd and your flock.

¹¹ _⌊and then_⌋* at the place that Yahweh your God will choose, to let his name dwell there, there you shall bring all the things I am commanding you, your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and _⌊your donations_⌋,* and all of the choice things, your votive gifts that you vow to Yahweh.

¹³ "Take care for yourself so that you do not offer your burnt offerings at just any place that you happen to see, ¹⁴ _⌊but only_⌋* at the place that Yahweh will choose among one of your tribes; there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all the things that I am commanding you.

⁴⁶ then he said to them, "_⌊Take to heart all the words_⌋* that I am admonishing against you _⌊today_⌋* concerning which you should instruct them with respect to your children* _⌊so that they will observe diligently_⌋* all the words of this law,

¹⁹ if, however, the land of your property is unclean, cross over to the land of Yahweh's property, where Yahweh's tabernacle resides,* and take possession among us. But you must not rebel against Yahweh or against us by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of Yahweh our God.

³ And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If with all your heart you are turning to Yahweh, remove the foreign gods and Ashtoreths* from your midst. Commit your hearts to Yahweh and serve him alone. Then he will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines." ⁴ So the _⌊Israelites_⌋* removed the Baals* and the Ashtoreths, and they served Yahweh alone.

²⁹ Ascribe to Yahweh the glory of his name! Lift up an offering and come before him! Bow down to Yahweh in the splendor of holiness!

¹ Then David said, "This will be the house of Yahweh God, and this altar of burnt offering for Israel."

¹⁹ Now set your heart and mind to seek Yahweh your Go, and arise and build the sanctuary of Yahweh God, that the ark of the covenant of Yahweh and the holy vessels of God might be brought into the house built for the name of Yahweh.

⁹ And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin and those sojourning with them, from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, for many had deserted to him from Israel when they saw that Yahweh his God was with him.

¹¹ Only men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.

¹⁸ For a majority of the people, many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves. But they ate the Passover sacrifice _⌊otherwise than prescribed_⌋,* but Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, "May the good Yahweh make atonement unto ¹⁹ everyone whose heart is set to seek God, Yahweh the God of his ancestors,* though not according to the cleansing for the sanctuary."

¹⁴ If he should set his heart to it, and he should gather his spirit and his breath to himself,

¹⁰ Do not trust in extortion, and do not put vain confidence in robbery. If wealth increases, do not set your heart on it.

⁵ Blessed is the man whose strength is in you; in their heart are the highways to Zion. ⁶ Passing through the Valley of Baca,* they make it a spring. The early rain covers it with blessings* as well. ⁷ They go from strength to strength, until each appears before God in Zion.*

¹ A song. A psalm of David.*
My heart is steadfast, O God. I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.

¹⁴ Then the king, when* he heard that _⌊report_⌋,* he was extremely distressed over it; and _⌊concerning Daniel_⌋* _⌊he was determined_⌋* to rescue him. And until the setting of the sun he was making every effort to deliver him.

⁸ _⌊They feed on the sin of my people_⌋,* _⌊they are greedy_⌋* for their iniquity.

⁵ And so then, thus says Yahweh of hosts: '_⌊Consider your ways_⌋!*

²³ who, when he* arrived and saw the grace of God, rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with _⌊devoted hearts_⌋,*

¹ And Solomon the son of David strengthened himself concerning his kingdom, and Yahweh his God was with him and made him exceedingly great. ² And Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to all the leaders for all Israel, the heads of the _⌊families_⌋.* ³ And Solomon and the whole assembly with him went to the high place that was at Gibeon, for the tent of assembly* of God that Moses the servant of Yahweh had made in the desert was there. ⁴ (But the ark of God David had brought up from Kiriath-Jearim to the place David had prepared for it, for David had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.) ⁵ And the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made was there before the tabernacle of Yahweh. And Solomon and the assembly sought it out. ⁶ And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before Yahweh, which was at the tent of assembly,* and he offered upon it a thousand burnt offerings. ⁷ On that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, "Ask what I shall give to you." ⁸ Then Solomon said to God, "You yourself have shown steadfast* loyal love to David my father and have made me king in his place. ⁹ Now, O Yahweh God, let your word to David my father be fulfilled, for you yourself have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. ¹⁰ Now, give to me wisdom and knowledge that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can judge this, your great people?" ¹¹ Then God said to Solomon, "Because this was with your heart and you did not ask for wealth, possessions, honor, and the lives of your enemies, and also did not ask for _⌊long life_⌋,* but have asked for wisdom and knowledge that you might judge my people over whom I have made you king, ¹² wisdom and knowledge is given to you. And I will also give to you wealth, possessions, and honor, the like of which was not had by the kings who were before you, nor will there be the like after you."

¹⁷ Now as for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked and do according to all that I have commanded you and will keep my ordinances and judgments, ¹⁸ then I will establish the throne of your kingdom as I promised* to David your father, saying, 'A man shall not be cut off for you from ruling over Israel.' ¹⁹ "But if you turn yourselves away and forsake my ordinances and my commandments which I have given before you all and will go and serve other gods and bow down to them,

¹³ _⌊as was the daily requirement_⌋,* to offer up according to the commandments of Moses for Sabbaths, new moon festivals, and the three _⌊annual_⌋* feasts: the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths. ¹⁴ And in accord with the ordinance of David his father he appointed working groups of priests for their service, Levites for their responsibilities for praise and cultic service before the priests _⌊according to the daily requirement_⌋,* and the gatekeepers in their working groups, gate by gate. For thus David the man of God had commanded. ¹⁵ And they did not turn aside from the commandment of the king concerning the priests and the Levites concerning anything, and concerning the treasury rooms. ¹⁶ And Solomon accomplished all the work from the day the foundation stone was laid for the house of Yahweh until its completion, and the house of Yahweh was finished.

¹ And when the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and when he was strengthened, he forsook the law of Yahweh, and all Israel with him.

⁴ What will I do with you, O Ephraim? What will I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early in the morning.

²⁰ And what was sown on the rocky ground—this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. ²¹ But he does not have a root in himself, but _⌊lasts only a little while_⌋,* and when* affliction or persecution happens because of the word, immediately he falls away.

⁶ _⌊When they came_⌋,* he* saw Eliab and said, "Surely his anointed one is before Yahweh!"

¹³ The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone and _⌊followed_⌋* Saul to the battle. The names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, his second oldest was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah.

²⁸ His oldest brother Eliab heard while he was speaking to the men, _⌊and Eliab became very angry against David_⌋* and said, "Why have you come down today, and with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumptuousness and the evil of your heart! For you have come down in order to see the battle!"

¹³ And Jesse fathered Eliab his firstborn, Abinadab the second, Shimea the third,

¹⁸ For Judah: Elihu, from the brothers of David. For Issachar: Omri the son of Michael.

¹ In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah. ² Three years he reigned in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

²¹ And Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines (for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters).

¹⁶ And Rehoboam slept with his ancestors,* and he was buried in the city of David, and Abijah his son reigned in his place.

² He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. And the name of his mother was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel from Gibeah.
Now there was war between Abijah and between Jeroboam.

⁷ and Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam became the father of Abijah, and Abijah became the father of Asa,*

¹⁷ And he must not _⌊acquire many_⌋* wives for himself, so that his heart would turn aside; and _⌊he must not accumulate silver and gold for himself excessively_⌋.*

³⁰ Now Gideon had seventy sons, _⌊his own offspring_⌋,* for he had many wives.

² And sons were born to David in Hebron; his firstborn was Amnon by Ahinoam _⌊from Jezreel_⌋*. ³ His second was Kileab by Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; the third was Absalom the son of Maacah, who was the daughter of Talmai the king of Geshur. ⁴ The fourth was Adonijah the son of Haggith; the fifth was Shephatiah the son of Abital. ⁵ The sixth was Ithream by Eglah the wife of David. These were born to David in Hebron.

¹³ David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to him.

³ He had seven hundred princesses and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart.

¹ These were the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn, Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelite; the second, Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelite; ² the third, Absalom, the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah, the son of Haggith; ³ the fifth, Shephatiah, by Abital; the sixth, Ithream, by his wife Eglah. ⁴ Six were born to him in Hebron. And he reigned there seven years and six months. And he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem. ⁵ And these were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon, four by Bathshua the daughter of Ammiel; ⁶ then Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, ⁷ Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, ⁸ Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine. ⁹ All these were the sons of David, besides the sons of the concubines. And Tamar was their sister.

⁸ Sixty queens there are, eighty concubines, and maidens beyond number. ⁹ My dove, _⌊she is the one_⌋;** my perfect, _⌊she is the only one_⌋;** she is _⌊the favorite of_⌋** her mother who bore her. Maidens see her and consider her fortunate;* queens and concubines praise her:

¹⁵ "If a man has two wives, and the one is loved and the other one is disliked and the one loved and the one that is disliked have borne for him sons, if it happens that the firstborn son _⌊belongs to the one that is disliked_⌋,* ¹⁶ nevertheless _⌊it will be the case that_⌋* on the day of bestowing his inheritance upon his sons, he will not be allowed to treat as the firstborn son the son of the beloved wife _⌊in preference to_⌋* the son of the disliked wife, who is the firstborn son. ¹⁷ But he shall acknowledge the firstborn son of the disliked wife _⌊by giving_⌋* him a double portion of _⌊all that he has_⌋,* for he is the firstfruit of his vigor;* to him is the legal claim of the birthright.*

¹ The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but when he defiled the couch of his father, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, so that he was not enrolled in the genealogy as the firstborn, ² though Judah became strong among his brothers and a chief came from him, but the birthright belonged to Joseph).

¹ Then David the king said to all the assembly, "God has chosen Solomon my son alone, a young man and inexperienced, and the work is great, for the citadel is not for humankind, but for Yahweh God.

⁶ But to the sons of Abraham's concubines Abraham gave gifts. And while he was still living he sent them away eastward, away from his son Isaac, to the land of the east.

⁵ Now Adonijah the son of Haggith was exalting himself, saying, "I will be king," so he prepared for himself a chariot and horsemen and fifty men running before him. ⁶ His father did not rebuke him _⌊at any time_⌋* by saying, "Why did you do so?" Now he was also very handsome of appearance; she had borne him after Absalom.*

⁸ But he forsook the advice of the elders that advised him and took counsel of the young men who had grown up with him who were _⌊serving_⌋* before him. ⁹ 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'?" ¹⁰ Then the young men who had grown up with him said to him, "Thus you should say to this people who have said to you, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, so you yourself should lighten it for us.' Thus you should say to them, 'My little finger is thicker than the loins of my father. ¹¹ So now, my father laid upon you a heavy yoke, but I myself will add to the yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I myself will do so with scorpions.'" ¹² Then Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had spoken, saying, "Return to me on the third day." ¹³ And the king answered them harshly, and King Rehoboam forsook the advice of the elders. ¹⁴ And he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, "I will make your yoke heavy, and I myself will add to it. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will do so with scorpions." ¹⁵ So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turning of events from God, so that Yahweh might fulfill his word that he had spoken by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.

³ And their father gave to them many gifts of silver, gold, and valuables, with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, for he was the firstborn.

⁸ And the master praised the dishonest manager, because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are shrewder than the sons of light with regard to their own generation.*