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Stories, Genesis to Revelation
36 storiesKings
1 Samuel 17
David and GoliathFor forty days a giant mocks Israel’s army. Then a young shepherd arrives with a sling, five smooth stones, and complete trust in the Lord.
1 Samuel 9–10
Saul and the Lost DonkeysA tall young farmer goes looking for his father's lost donkeys and comes home as the anointed king of Israel, though when the moment comes, he hides among the baggage.
1 Samuel 15
Better Than SacrificeKing Saul is given a clear command and keeps the parts he likes. When Samuel confronts him, every excuse unravels, and Saul learns that God wants obedience more than offerings.
1 Samuel 16
The Lord Looks on the HeartSamuel goes to Bethlehem to anoint a new king. Seven tall sons of Jesse pass by, and God chooses none of them, until the youngest is called in from the sheep.
1 Samuel 18–20
David and Jonathan: The Arrow SignalThe king's son becomes the best friend of the man the king fears most. When Saul turns against David, Jonathan risks everything to keep his promise, and sends his warning with a bow and arrows.
1 Samuel 24
In the Cave at En-gediHunted by King Saul, David finds the king alone and unguarded in a dark cave. His men say this is his chance. David cuts a piece from Saul's robe, and lets him go.
1 Samuel 25
Abigail the PeacemakerA rich man insults David, and David sets out with four hundred armed men. Only one person stands in the way: Nabal's wise wife Abigail, riding out with gifts and the right words.
2 Samuel 5
King at LastYears after a prophet poured oil on a shepherd boy's head, all the tribes of Israel come to Hebron to make David king. He takes a hilltop fortress that everyone said could not be taken, and makes it his city, Jerusalem.
2 Samuel 6
David Dances Before the LordKing David sets out to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem with music and celebration. A sudden death stops everything. Three months later he tries again, God's way, and dances with all his might.
2 Samuel 9
A Seat at the King's TableKing David goes looking for someone from Saul's family, not to punish him but to keep a promise, and a lame man hiding far from the palace is given a place at the king's table for life.
2 Samuel 11–12
You Are the ManKing David stays home from war, takes another man's wife and tries to bury what he has done. Then the prophet Nathan tells him a story, and the king finds himself on trial.
2 Samuel 15–18
Absalom, My SonDavid's handsome son Absalom steals the hearts of Israel and takes his father's throne. David flees Jerusalem in tears, and when the rebellion ends, the king grieves for the son who turned against him.
1 Kings 3
Solomon Asks for WisdomGod tells young King Solomon to ask for anything he wants. Solomon asks for a wise and listening heart, and soon two mothers and one baby put his wisdom to the test.
1 Kings 5–8
A House for the Name of the LordSolomon builds the temple David dreamed of, with cedar from Lebanon and stone cut in silence. When the ark is carried in, a cloud fills the house, and the king prays a prayer for every nation on earth.
1 Kings 10:1–13
The Queen Who Came to SeeA queen from far-off Sheba hears rumours about Solomon and his God, and travels a long way with camels, gold and spices to find out for herself. What she sees leaves her breathless.
1 Kings 12
The Kingdom Splits in TwoThe people ask Solomon's son Rehoboam to lighten their load. He ignores wise advice, answers harshly, and in a single day the kingdom of David breaks apart.
1 Kings 17
Elijah, the Ravens and the WidowIn a terrible drought, God feeds the prophet Elijah by ravens at a brook, then sends him to a poor widow with one last handful of flour. Her jar never runs empty, and her son is given back to her.
1 Kings 18
Fire on Mount CarmelAfter three years of drought, Elijah stands alone against the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel and asks a wavering nation one question: who is really God?
1 Kings 19
The Still Small VoiceWorn out and afraid after Mount Carmel, Elijah runs into the desert and wants to give up. God feeds him, meets him on the mountain, and speaks, not in the storm, but in a quiet voice.
1 Kings 21
Naboth's VineyardKing Ahab wants his neighbour's vineyard, and Queen Jezebel arranges to take it by injustice. But God sees what happened in that quiet town, and sends Elijah to speak.
2 Kings 2:1–18
The Chariot of FireThree times Elijah tells Elisha to stay behind, and three times Elisha refuses. Then a chariot of fire comes between them, and Elisha picks up his master's cloak.
2 Kings 4:1–7
The Widow's OilA widow is about to lose her two sons to a creditor. All she has is a little jar of oil, until Elisha tells her to borrow every empty jar she can find.
2 Kings 4:8–37
It Is Well: The Shunammite WomanA generous woman builds a room for Elisha and is given the son she had stopped hoping for. When the boy dies, she rides to the prophet and will not let go until he comes.
2 Kings 5
Naaman Is HealedA mighty general from Aram comes to Israel for healing, expecting something grand. He is told to wash seven times in the muddy Jordan, and his pride has to go under first.
2 Kings 6:8–23
The Hidden ArmyAn enemy army surrounds Elisha's town by night. His terrified servant sees only soldiers, until God opens his eyes to the horses and chariots of fire all around them.
2 Kings 11–12
Joash: The Boy King Hidden in the TempleA baby prince is hidden in God’s temple for six years while a ruthless queen rules Judah, until a brave priest brings him out and crowns him king at seven years old.
2 Kings 18–19
Hezekiah Spreads Out the LetterThe mighty Assyrian army surrounds Jerusalem and its king sends a letter full of threats. King Hezekiah takes it into the temple, spreads it out before the Lord, and prays.
2 Kings 22–23
Josiah and the Lost BookWorkmen repairing the temple uncover a forgotten scroll of God’s law. When young King Josiah hears it read, he tears his robes, and then leads his whole nation back to God.
1 Chronicles 4:9–10
The Prayer of JabezIn the middle of a long list of names, the writer of Chronicles stops to tell us about one man. His name sounded like pain, but he prayed a short, honest prayer, and God granted it.
1 Chronicles 16
Give Thanks to the LORDThe ark of God arrives in Jerusalem. King David feeds the whole crowd, appoints Asaph and the Levites to lead worship with harps, cymbals and trumpets, and gives them a song of thanks for all the people to sing.
1 Chronicles 28
David's Plans for the TempleOld King David gathers all the leaders of Israel. He tells them God has chosen Solomon, not him, to build the temple, then hands his son the plans for a house he will never see, with a charge: be strong, and do it.
2 Chronicles 14
Asa Relies on the LORDKing Asa clears idols from Judah and builds up the land in years of peace. Then a vast army under Zerah the Cushite marches on Mareshah, and Asa prays: there is no one like you to help the powerless.
2 Chronicles 20:1–30
The Singers Went FirstA great alliance marches on Judah. King Jehoshaphat gathers the whole nation to pray, 'we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you', and the next morning he sends a choir ahead of the army. The battle is the LORD's.
2 Chronicles 26
Uzziah's PrideUzziah becomes king at sixteen. While he seeks God, he prospers: farms, wells, towers, a famous army. But when he grows strong, he grows proud, and walks into the temple to do what only the priests may do.
2 Chronicles 30
Hezekiah's Great PassoverKing Hezekiah sends runners from one end of the land to the other, inviting north and south alike to come home to God and keep the Passover in Jerusalem. Some laugh. Many come. And there is joy like nothing since Solomon's day.
2 Chronicles 33:1–20
Manasseh Humbles HimselfManasseh undoes all his father Hezekiah's good work and leads Judah further from God than ever. Then he is taken captive in chains to Babylon. There, at his lowest, he humbles himself and prays, and God hears him.