“ ‘But I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon’s hand. I have made him ruler all the days of his life. I have done it because of my servant David. I chose him, and he obeyed my commands and rules.
But the Lord didn’t want to destroy Judah. That’s because the Lord had made a covenant with his servant David. The Lord had promised to keep the lamp of David’s kingdom burning brightly. The Lord had promised that for him and his children after him forever.
A single day in your courtyards is better than a thousand anywhere else. I would rather guard the door of the house of my God than live in the tents of sinful people.
After that, the people of Israel will return to the Lord their God. They will look to him and to a king from the family line of David. In the last days, they will tremble with fear as they come to the Lord. And they will receive his full blessing.