Study Desk

But please listen to my prayer and my request, because I am your servant. Lord my God, hear this prayer your servant prays to you today.

then hear in heaven. Judge the case, punish the guilty, but declare that the innocent person is not guilty.

"When your people, the Israelites, sin against you, their enemies will defeat them. But if they come back to you and praise you and pray to you in this Temple,

"But you must serve me as your father David did; he was fair and sincere. You must obey all I have commanded and keep my laws and rules.

"But you and your children must follow me and obey the laws and commands I have given you. You must not serve or worship other gods.

People will answer, ‘This happened because they left the Lord their God. This was the God who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, but they decided to follow other gods. They worshiped and served those gods, so the Lord brought all this disaster on them.'"

So Hiram traveled from Tyre to see the towns Solomon had given him, but when he saw them, he was not pleased.

But Solomon did not make slaves of the Israelites. They were his soldiers, government leaders, officers, captains, chariot commanders, and drivers.

I could not believe it then, but now I have come and seen it with my own eyes. I was not told even half of it! Your wisdom and wealth are much greater than I had heard.

The Lord had told the Israelites, "You must not marry people of other nations. If you do, they will cause you to follow their gods." But Solomon fell in love with these women.

The Lord had appeared to Solomon twice, but the king turned away from following the Lord , the God of Israel. The Lord was angry with Solomon,

because he had commanded Solomon not to follow other gods. But Solomon did not obey the Lord 's command.

But I will not take it away while you are alive because of my love for your father David. I will tear it away from your son when he becomes king.

I will not tear away all the kingdom from him, but I will leave him one tribe to rule. I will do this because of David, my servant, and because of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen."

"Why do you want to go back to your own country?" the king asked. "What haven't I given you here?" "Nothing," Hadad answered, "but please, let me go."

But I will allow him to control one tribe. I will do this for the sake of my servant David and for Jerusalem, the city I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel.

"‘But I will not take all the kingdom away from Solomon. I will let him rule all his life because of my servant David, whom I chose, who obeyed all my commands and laws.

But I will take the kingdom away from his son, and I will allow you to rule over the ten tribes.

But I will make you rule over everything you want. You will rule over all of Israel,

I will punish David's children because of this, but I will not punish them forever.'"