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Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years old. He had taken care of the king when David was staying at Mahanaim, because Barzillai was a very rich man.

All the people of Judah answered the Israelites, "We did this because the king is our close relative. Why are you angry about it? We have not eaten food at the king's expense or taken anything for ourselves!"

During the time David was king, there was a shortage of food that lasted for three years. So David prayed to the Lord . The Lord answered, "Saul and his family of murderers are the reason for this shortage, because he killed the Gibeonites."

(Now the Gibeonites were not Israelites; they were a group of Amorites who were left alive. The Israelites had promised not to hurt the Gibeonites, but Saul had tried to kill them, because he was eager to help the people of Israel and Judah.) King David called the Gibeonites together and spoke to them.

But the king protected Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the promise he had made to Jonathan in the Lord 's name.

"The earth trembled and shook. The foundations of heaven began to shake. They trembled because the Lord was angry.

He saved me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me, because they were too strong for me.

He took me to a safe place. Because he delights in me, he saved me.

"The Lord spared me because I did what was right. Because I have not done evil, he has rewarded me.

The Lord rewarded me because I did what was right, because I did what the Lord said was right.

David felt ashamed after he had counted the people. He said to the Lord , "I have sinned greatly by what I have done. Lord , I beg you to forgive me, your servant, because I have been very foolish."

David said to Gad, "I am in great trouble. Let the Lord punish us, because the Lord is very merciful. Don't let my punishment come from human beings!"

Then come back up here with him. He will sit on my throne and rule in my place, because he is the one I have chosen to be the ruler over Israel and Judah."

"You remember that at one time the kingdom was mine," Adonijah said. "All the people of Israel recognized me as their king, but things have changed. Now my brother is the king, because the Lord chose him.

King Solomon said to Abiathar the priest, "I should kill you too, but I will allow you to go back to your fields in Anathoth. I will not kill you at this time, because you helped carry the Ark of the Lord God while marching with my father David. And I know you shared in all the hard times with him."

King Solomon went to Gibeon to offer a sacrifice, because it was the most important place of worship. He offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

Then King Solomon said, "Don't kill him. Give the baby to the first woman, because she is the real mother."

People from all nations came to listen to King Solomon's wisdom. The kings of all nations sent them to him, because they had heard of Solomon's wisdom.

Solomon never weighed the bronze used to make these things, because there was too much to weigh. So the total weight of all the bronze was never known.

The priests could not continue their work, because the Temple was filled with the glory of the Lord .