The Prophet Nathan

1 The next prophet was Nathan,

and while David was king,

Nathan spoke God's message.

King David

2 The Lord set David apart

from Israel, his people,

just as the fat

is taken from sacrifices

and is given to the Lord.

3David played with lions and bears

as if they were young goats

or lambs from his flock.

4When David was a boy,

he put a stone in his sling

and swung it around.

Then he let the stone fly,

and it brought down Goliath,

the giant whose boasting

had put Israel to shame.

5David had prayed

to the Lord Most High,

and the Lord gave David strength

to defeat this mighty soldier

and give victory to Israel.

6Israel praised David

for killing enemies

by the thousands

and for being blessed

by the Lord.

And when he became king,

7he conquered his enemies

on every side,

especially the Philistines,

who have never recovered.

8Whenever David won a victory,

he thanked the Holy God

and sang songs of praise

with all his heart,

expressing love for his Creator,

the Lord Most High.

9David also commanded singers

to stand in front of the altar

and sing beautiful songs.

10And so, all day long,

at every festival,

Israel hears songs of praise

in the temple courtyard.

11The Lord forgave David's sins

and made him a glorious king,

and he also promised

that the kings of Israel

would be David's descendants

for all time.

King Solomon

* 12Solomon, the wise son of David,

became the next king,

and for David's sake,

13 the Lord kept enemies

from attacking Israel.

And so, Solomon ruled

in a time of peace,

because he had been chosen

to build the Lord a temple

that would last forever.

14When Solomon was young,

his wisdom overflowed

like a river

15and spread across the land,

filling it with proverbs

and riddles.

16He was famous in faraway islands;

he brought peace,

and so he was loved.

17His songs, proverbs, stories,

and answers

amazed many nations.

18 Solomon ruled in the name

of the Lord God of Israel

and gathered silver and gold

as if they were tin or lead.

19 But he married lots of wives,

and they used his desire for sex

to gain control over him.

20Solomon ruined his reputation

and that of his descendants.

The Lord punished them

for Solomon's sins,

and they mourned,

21 because the northern kingdom

broke away, dividing Israel.

22 But the Lord will continue

to have mercy;

he will never abandon

those he has chosen

and who love him.

And so, the Lord has kept alive

a few of David's descendants

for the sake of Israel.

King Rehoboam and King Jeroboam

23 Solomon died, and the next king

was his son Rehoboam,

the nation's worst fool,

and his senseless decisions

caused the people to rebel.

Then Jeroboam son of Nebat

led the northern kingdom

into sin.

* 24Israel sinned so much

and in so many ways,

that the Lord

finally punished them,

25and they were led as prisoners

from their land.