Study Desk

‘Since the day I brought my people out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built so that my Name might be there, nor have I chosen anyone to be ruler over my people Israel.

so that they will fear you and walk in obedience to you all the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors.

then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.

"When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,

I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.

They will, however, become subject to him, so that they may learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands."

Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah the ambush was behind them.

Abijah and his troops inflicted heavy losses on them, so that there were five hundred thousand casualties among Israel's able men.

The Lord established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honor.

The fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not go to war against Jehoshaphat.

He also stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the Lord 's temple so that no one who was in any way unclean might enter.

The army of Judah also captured ten thousand men alive, took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces.

In Jerusalem he made devices invented for use on the towers and on the corner defenses so that soldiers could shoot arrows and hurl large stones from the walls. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.

Now I intend to make a covenant with the Lord , the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us.

Do not be like your parents and your fellow Israelites, who were unfaithful to the Lord , the God of their ancestors, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see.

Do not be stiff-necked, as your ancestors were; submit to the Lord . Come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you.

But Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.

Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and gave food and drink and olive oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so that they would bring cedar logs by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia.

so that a search may be made in the archives of your predecessors. In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place with a long history of sedition. That is why this city was destroyed.

Now issue an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order.