Study Desk

‘I will bring you to be with your ancestors. You will die and go to your grave in peace. So your eyes will not see all the trouble that I am bringing on this place.'" Then Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah gave that message to the king.

After David had moved into his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, "Look, I am living in this nice palace made of cedar, but the Box of the Lord 's Agreement sits in a tent."

I am giving this place to my people Israel. They will plant their trees, and they will sit in peace under those trees. They will not be bothered anymore. Evil people will not hurt them as they did at first.

What more can I say? You have done so much for me. And I am only your servant. You know that.

Keep your promise so that people will honor your name forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord All-Powerful is Israel's God!' I am your servant. Please let my family be strong and continue to serve you.

"My God, you spoke to me, your servant. You made it clear that you would make my family a family of kings. That is why I am being so bold—that is why I am asking you to do these things.

Gad was David's seer. The Lord said to Gad, "Go and tell David: ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to give you three choices. You must choose one of them. Then I will punish you the way you choose.'"

David said to Gad, "I am in trouble! I don't want some man to decide my punishment. The Lord is very merciful, so let him decide how to punish me."

David said to God, "I am the one who sinned. I gave the order for the people to be counted! I was wrong. The Israelites did not do anything wrong. Lord my God, punish me and my family, but stop the terrible sicknesses that are killing your people."

I am making a special gift of gold and silver things for my God's Temple. I am doing this because I really want the Temple of my God to be built. I am giving all these things to build this holy Temple.

I will need lots of wood because the Temple I am building will be very large and beautiful.

Now, the Lord has done what he said he would do. I am the new king in my father's place. David was my father. Now I am Israel's king. That is what the Lord promised, and I have built the Temple for the name of the Lord , the God of Israel.

But please listen to my prayer and my request. I am your servant, and you are the Lord my God. Hear this prayer that I am praying to you today.

Asa sent this message: "My father and your father had a peace agreement. Now I want to make a peace agreement with you. I am sending you this gift of gold and silver. Please break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel and make him leave us alone."

Then King Josiah was shot by arrows while he was in the battle. He told his servants, "Take me away, I am wounded badly!"

Then I prayed this prayer: "My God, I am too ashamed and embarrassed to look at you. I am ashamed because our sins are higher than our heads. Our guilt has reached all the way up to the heavens.

"Please open your eyes and ears and listen to the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night. I am praying for your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins we Israelites have done against you. I am confessing that I have sinned against you and that the other people in my father's family have sinned against you.

But even though I was afraid, I said to the king, "May the king live forever! I am sad because the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and the gates of that city have been destroyed by fire."

So I sent messengers to them with this answer: "I am doing important work, so I cannot come down. I don't want the work to stop just so I can come down and meet with you."

Just as the king was coming back in from the garden to the party room, he saw Haman falling on the couch where Esther was lying. The king said with anger in his voice, "Will you attack the queen even while I am in the house?" As soon as the king had said this, servants came in and killed Haman.