sothat the LORDmay carryout His promisewhichHe spokeconcerningme, saying,Ifyour sonsare carefulof their way,to walkbeforeMe in truthwith alltheir heartand with alltheir soul,you shall not lacka manon the throneof Israel.'
Now when Abramwas ninety-nineyearsold,the LORDappearedto Abramand saidto him, "I am GodAlmighty;WalkbeforeMe, and be blameless.
"For I have chosenhim, sothat he may commandhis childrenand his householdafterhim to keepthe wayof the LORDby doingrighteousnessand justice,sothat the LORDmay bringupon AbrahamwhatHe has spokenabouthim."
"Nowtherefore, O LORDGod,the wordthat You have spokenconcerningYour servantand his house,confirm[it] forever,and doas You have spoken,
"The kinghas alsosaidthus,'Blessedbe the LORD,the Godof Israel,whohas grantedone to siton my thronetodaywhile my own eyessee[it].'"
But to his sonI will giveonetribe,that My servantDavidmay havea lampalwaysbeforeMe in Jerusalem,the citywhereI have chosenfor Myself to putMy name.
"Ifyou walkin My ways,keepingMy statutesand commandments,as your fatherDavidwalked,then I will prolongyour days."
Now Solomonlovedthe LORD,walkingin the statutesof his fatherDavid,excepthe sacrificedand burnedincenseon the highplaces.
"[Concerning] thishousewhichyou are building,ifyou will walkin My statutesand executeMy ordinancesand keepallMy commandmentsby walkingin them, then I will carryout My wordwith you whichI spoketo Davidyour father.
He said,"O LORD,the Godof Israel,thereis noGodlikeYou in heavenaboveor on earthbeneath,keepingcovenantand [showing] lovingkindnessto Your servantswho walkbeforeYou with alltheir heart,
"Nowtherefore, O LORD,the Godof Israel,keepwith Your servantDavidmy fatherthat whichYou have promisedhim, saying,You shall not lacka manto siton the throneof Israel,ifonlyyour sonstakeheedto their wayto walkbeforeMe as you have walked.'
then I will establishthe throneof your kingdomoverIsraelforever,justas I promisedto your fatherDavid,saying,You shall not lacka manon the throneof Israel.'
"Remembernow,OLORD,I beseechYou, howI have walkedbeforeYou in truthand with a wholeheartand have donewhatis goodin Your sight."And Hezekiahweptbitterly.
Beforehim there was nokinglikehim whoturnedto the LORDwith allhis heartand with allhis souland with allhis might,according to allthe lawof Moses;nordid any likehim ariseafterhim.
The kingstoodby the pillarand madea covenantbeforethe LORD,to walkafterthe LORD,and to keepHis commandmentsand His testimoniesand His statuteswith all[his] heartand all[his] soul,to carryout the wordsof thiscovenantthat were writtenin thisbook.And allthe peopleenteredinto the covenant.
"As for you, my sonSolomon,knowthe Godof your father,and serveHim with a wholeheartand a willingmind;for the LORDsearchesallhearts,and understandseveryintentof the thoughts.Ifyou seekHim, He will let you findHim; but ifyou forsakeHim, He will rejectyou forever.
The LORDwas with Jehoshaphatbecausehe followedthe exampleof his fatherDavid'searlierdays and did not seekthe Baals,
"Nowtherefore, O LORD,the Godof Israel,keepwith Your servantDavid,my father,that whichYou have promisedhim, saying,You shall not lacka manto siton the throneof Israel,ifonlyyour sonstakeheedto their way,to walkin My lawas you have walkedbeforeMe.'
then I will establishyour royalthroneas I covenantedwith your fatherDavid,saying,You shall not lacka man[to be] rulerin Israel.'
Howcan a youngmankeephis waypure?By keeping[it] according to Your word.
For those blessedby Him will inheritthe land,But those cursedby Him will be cutoff.
For evildoerswill be cutoff,But those who waitfor the LORD,they will inheritthe land.
I said,"I will guardmy waysThat I may not sinwith my tongue;I will guardmy mouthas with a muzzleWhilethe wickedare in my presence."
"For thussaysthe LORD,Davidshall neverlacka manto siton the throneof the houseof Israel;
Ifyou walkin My statutesand keepMy commandmentsso as to carrythem out,
For I will gatherallthe nationsagainstJerusalemto battle,and the citywill be captured,the housesplundered,the womenravishedand halfof the cityexiled,but the restof the peoplewill not be cutofffrom the city.
And He saidto him, "'YOU SHALL LOVETHE LORDYOUR GODWITH ALLYOUR HEART,AND WITH ALLYOUR SOUL,AND WITH ALLYOUR MIND.'
They were bothrighteousin the sightof God,walkingblamelesslyin allthe commandmentsand requirementsof the Lord.
"Now,Israel,whatdoes the LORDyour Godrequirefrom you, but to fearthe LORDyour God,to walkin allHis waysand loveHim, and to servethe LORDyour Godwith allyour heartand with allyour soul,
"It shall comeabout, ifyou listenobedientlyto my commandmentswhichI am commandingyou today,to lovethe LORDyour Godand to serveHim with allyour heartand allyour soul,
"You shall lovethe LORDyour Godwith allyour heartand with allyour souland with allyour might.
"Then it shall comeabout, becauseyou listento thesejudgmentsand keepand dothem, that the LORDyour Godwill keepwith you His covenantand His lovingkindnesswhichHe sworeto your forefathers.
Nowto Him who is ableto keepyou from stumbling,and to make you standin the presenceof His gloryblamelesswith great joy,
