I will approve of those who are faithful to God and will let them live in my palace. Those who are completely honest will be allowed to serve me.

We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks to you! We proclaim how great you are and tell of the wonderful things you have done.

"I have set a time for judgment," says God, "and I will judge with fairness.

I will keep my solemn promise to obey your just instructions.

Go away from me, you sinful people. I will obey the commands of my God.

and was successful in all he did, because the LORD was with him.

Saul noticed David's success and became even more afraid of him.

Ahimelech answered, "David is the most faithful officer you have! He is your own son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard, and highly respected by everyone in the royal court.

David ruled over all of Israel and made sure that his people were always treated fairly and justly.

God was also at work in Judah and united the people in their determination to obey his will by following the commands of the king and his officials.

Throughout all Judah, King Hezekiah did what was right and what was pleasing to the LORD his God.

He was successful, because everything he did for the Temple or in observance of the Law, he did in a spirit of complete loyalty and devotion to his God.

The LORD says, "The time is coming when I will choose as king a righteous descendant of David. That king will rule wisely and do what is right and just throughout the land.

When he is king, the people of Judah will be safe, and the people of Israel will live in peace. He will be called 'The LORD Our Salvation.'

I am weak and poor, O Lord, but you have not forgotten me. You are my savior and my God--- hurry to my aid!

Answer me now, LORD! I have lost all hope. Don't hide yourself from me, or I will be among those who go down to the world of the dead.

Remind me each morning of your constant love, for I put my trust in you. My prayers go up to you; show me the way I should go.

I have chosen him in order that he may command his sons and his descendants to obey me and to do what is right and just. If they do, I will do everything for him that I have promised."

Teach them to your children. Repeat them when you are at home and when you are away, when you are resting and when you are working.

If you are not willing to serve him, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your ancestors worshiped in Mesopotamia or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living. As for my family and me, we will serve the LORD."

he must be able to manage his own family well and make his children obey him with all respect.

For if a man does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of the church of God?

If you will serve me in honesty and integrity, as your father David did, and if you obey my laws and do everything I have commanded you,

and by the time he was old they had led him into the worship of foreign gods. He was not faithful to the LORD his God, as his father David had been.

Even though Asa did not destroy all the pagan places of worship in the land, he remained faithful to the LORD all his life.

"Remember, LORD, that I have served you faithfully and loyally, and that I have always tried to do what you wanted me to." And he began to cry bitterly.