And Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands, of hundreds, and to the judges and to every leader in all Israel, the heads of the fathers’ households.

Now then, let my lord send his servants wheat and barley, oil and wine, of which he has spoken.

He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and fulfilled it with His hands, saying,

Now the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for I have risen in place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

You who have kept with Your servant, my father David, that which You promised him; You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day.

Now then, Lord, God of Israel, let Your word be confirmed which You have spoken to Your servant David.

Visit of the Queen of Sheba

Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with riddles. She had a very large entourage, with camels carrying balsam oil and a large amount of gold and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about everything that was on her heart.

So they sent word and summoned him. When Jeroboam and all Israel came, they spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

They spoke to him, saying, “If you are kind to this people and please them and speak pleasant words to them, then they will be your servants always.”

He said to them, “What advice do you give, so that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?”

The young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “This is what you should say to the people who spoke to you, saying: ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us!’ You should speak this way to them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!

He spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”

So the king did not listen to the people, because it was a turn of events from God so that the Lord might establish His word, which He spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

Asa’s Reforms

Now when Asa heard these words and the prophecy which Azariah the son of Oded the prophet spoke, he took courage and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and from the cities which he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of the Lord which was in front of the porch of the Lord.

Micaiah Brings Word from God

Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets are unanimously favorable to the king. So please let your word be like one of them, and speak favorably.”

But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, whatever my God says, I will speak it.”

Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah approached and struck Micaiah on the cheek; and he said, “How did the Spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?”

But Micaiah said, “If you actually return safely, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Listen, all you people!”

Then all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And Jehoiada said to them, “Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the Lord has spoken concerning the sons of David.

Then Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good insight in the things of the Lord. So they ate for the appointed seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the Lord God of their fathers.

He appointed military officers over the people and gathered them to him in the public square at the city gate, and spoke encouragingly to them, saying,

His servants spoke further against the Lord God and against His servant Hezekiah.

He also wrote letters to insult the Lord God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, “As the gods of the nations of the lands have not saved their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not save His people from my hand.”

They spoke of the God of Jerusalem as they did against the gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of human hands.

In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill; and he prayed to the Lord, and the Lord spoke to him and gave him a sign.