22 Then David said, “The house of the Lord God^(A) is to be here, and also the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”

Preparations for the Temple

² So David gave orders to assemble the foreigners^(B) residing in Israel, and from among them he appointed stonecutters^(C) to prepare dressed stone for building the house of God. ³ He provided a large amount of iron to make nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, and more bronze than could be weighed.^{(D) 4} He also provided more cedar logs^(E) than could be counted, for the Sidonians and Tyrians had brought large numbers of them to David.

⁵ David said, “My son Solomon is young^(F) and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the Lord should be of great magnificence and fame and splendor^(G) in the sight of all the nations. Therefore I will make preparations for it.” So David made extensive preparations before his death.

⁶ Then he called for his son Solomon and charged him to build^(H) a house for the Lord, the God of Israel. ⁷ David said to Solomon: “My son, I had it in my heart^(I) to build^(J) a house for the Name^(K) of the Lord my God. ⁸ But this word of the Lord came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and have fought many wars.^(L) You are not to build a house for my Name,^(M) because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. ⁹ But you will have a son who will be a man of peace^(N) and rest,^(O) and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon,^[a](P) and I will grant Israel peace and quiet^(Q) during his reign. ¹⁰ He is the one who will build a house for my Name.^(R) He will be my son,^(S) and I will be his father. And I will establish^(T) the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’^(U)

¹¹ “Now, my son, the Lord be with^(V) you, and may you have success and build the house of the Lord your God, as he said you would. ¹² May the Lord give you discretion and understanding^(W) when he puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God. ¹³ Then you will have success^(X) if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws^(Y) that the Lord gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous.^(Z) Do not be afraid or discouraged.

¹⁴ “I have taken great pains to provide for the temple of the Lord a hundred thousand talents^[b] of gold, a million talents^[c] of silver, quantities of bronze and iron too great to be weighed, and wood and stone. And you may add to them.^{(AA) 15} You have many workers: stonecutters, masons and carpenters,^(AB) as well as those skilled in every kind of work ¹⁶ in gold and silver, bronze and iron—craftsmen^(AC) beyond number. Now begin the work, and the Lord be with you.”

¹⁷ Then David ordered^(AD) all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon. ¹⁸ He said to them, “Is not the Lord your God with you? And has he not granted you rest^(AE) on every side?^(AF) For he has given the inhabitants of the land into my hands, and the land is subject to the Lord and to his people. ¹⁹ Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God.^(AG) Begin to build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the sacred articles belonging to God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the Lord.”

The Levites

23 When David was old and full of years, he made his son Solomon^(AH) king over Israel.^(AI)

² He also gathered together all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites. ³ The Levites thirty years old or more^(AJ) were counted,^(AK) and the total number of men was thirty-eight thousand.^{(AL) 4} David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand are to be in charge^(AM) of the work^(AN) of the temple of the Lord and six thousand are to be officials and judges.^{(AO) 5} Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the Lord with the musical instruments^(AP) I have provided for that purpose.”^(AQ)

⁶ David separated^(AR) the Levites into divisions corresponding to the sons of Levi:^(AS) Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

Gershonites

⁷ Belonging to the Gershonites:^(AT)

Kohathites

¹² The sons of Kohath:^(AU)

Merarites

²¹ The sons of Merari:^(BF)

²⁴ These were the descendants of Levi by their families—the heads of families as they were registered under their names and counted individually, that is, the workers twenty years old or more^(BI) who served in the temple of the Lord. ²⁵ For David had said, “Since the Lord, the God of Israel, has granted rest^(BJ) to his people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem forever, ²⁶ the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the articles used in its service.”^{(BK) 27} According to the last instructions of David, the Levites were counted from those twenty years old or more.

²⁸ The duty of the Levites was to help Aaron’s descendants in the service of the temple of the Lord: to be in charge of the courtyards, the side rooms, the purification^(BL) of all sacred things and the performance of other duties at the house of God. ²⁹ They were in charge of the bread set out on the table,^(BM) the special flour for the grain offerings,^(BN) the thin loaves made without yeast, the baking and the mixing, and all measurements of quantity and size.^{(BO) 30} They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord. They were to do the same in the evening^{(BP) 31} and whenever burnt offerings were presented to the Lord on the Sabbaths, at the New Moon^(BQ) feasts and at the appointed festivals.^(BR) They were to serve before the Lord regularly in the proper number and in the way prescribed for them.

³² And so the Levites^(BS) carried out their responsibilities for the tent of meeting,^(BT) for the Holy Place and, under their relatives the descendants of Aaron, for the service of the temple of the Lord.^(BU)

Life Through the Spirit

8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation^(A) for those who are in Christ Jesus,^{(B) 2} because through Christ Jesus^(C) the law of the Spirit who gives life^(D) has set you^[a] free^(E) from the law of sin^(F) and death. ³ For what the law was powerless^(G) to do because it was weakened by the flesh,^[b](H) God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh^(I) to be a sin offering.^[c](J) And so he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirement^(K) of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.^(L)

⁵ Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires;^(M) but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.^{(N) 6} The mind governed by the flesh is death,^(O) but the mind governed by the Spirit is life^(P) and peace. ⁷ The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God;^(Q) it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. ⁸ Those who are in the realm of the flesh^(R) cannot please God.

⁹ You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh^(S) but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.^(T) And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,^(U) they do not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you,^(V) then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life^[d] because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead^(W) is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies^(X) because of^[e] his Spirit who lives in you.

¹² Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.^{(Y) 13} For if you live according to the flesh, you will die;^(Z) but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body,^(AA) you will live.^(AB)

¹⁴ For those who are led by the Spirit of God^(AC) are the children of God.^{(AD) 15} The Spirit^(AE) you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again;^(AF) rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.^[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,^[g] Father.”^{(AG) 16} The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit^(AH) that we are God’s children.^{(AI) 17} Now if we are children, then we are heirs^(AJ)—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings^(AK) in order that we may also share in his glory.^(AL)

Present Suffering and Future Glory

¹⁸ I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.^{(AM) 19} For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God^(AN) to be revealed. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it,^(AO) in hope ²¹ that^[h] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay^(AP) and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.^(AQ)

²² We know that the whole creation has been groaning^(AR) as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,^(AS) groan^(AT) inwardly as we wait eagerly^(AU) for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.^{(AV) 24} For in this hope we were saved.^(AW) But hope that is seen is no hope at all.^(AX) Who hopes for what they already have? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.^(AY)

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit^(AZ) himself intercedes for us^(BA) through wordless groans. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts^(BB) knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes^(BC) for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good^(BD) of those who love him, who^[i] have been called^(BE) according to his purpose.^{(BF) 29} For those God foreknew^(BG) he also predestined^(BH) to be conformed to the image of his Son,^(BI) that he might be the firstborn^(BJ) among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And those he predestined,^(BK) he also called;^(BL) those he called, he also justified;^(BM) those he justified, he also glorified.^(BN)

More Than Conquerors

³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to these things?^(BO) If God is for us,^(BP) who can be against us?^{(BQ) 32} He who did not spare his own Son,^(BR) but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge^(BS) against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns?^(BT) No one. Christ Jesus who died^(BU)—more than that, who was raised to life^(BV)—is at the right hand of God^(BW) and is also interceding for us.^{(BX) 35} Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?^(BY) Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?^{(BZ) 36} As it is written:

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors^(CB) through him who loved us.^{(CC) 38} For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[k] neither the present nor the future,^(CD) nor any powers,^{(CE) 39} neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God^(CF) that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.^(CG)

Paul’s Anguish Over Israel

9 I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying,^(CH) my conscience confirms^(CI) it through the Holy Spirit— ² I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. ³ For I could wish that I myself^(CJ) were cursed^(CK) and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people,^(CL) those of my own race,^{(CM) 4} the people of Israel.^(CN) Theirs is the adoption to sonship;^(CO) theirs the divine glory,^(CP) the covenants,^(CQ) the receiving of the law,^(CR) the temple worship^(CS) and the promises.^{(CT) 5} Theirs are the patriarchs,^(CU) and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah,^(CV) who is God over all,^(CW) forever praised!^[l](CX) Amen.

God’s Sovereign Choice

⁶ It is not as though God’s word^(CY) had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.^{(CZ) 7} Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”^{[m](DA) 8} In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children,^(DB) but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.^{(DC) 9} For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”^[n](DD)

¹⁰ Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac.^{(DE) 11} Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad^(DF)—in order that God’s purpose^(DG) in election might stand: ¹² not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”^{[o](DH) 13} Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”^[p](DI)

¹⁴ What then shall we say?^(DJ) Is God unjust? Not at all!^{(DK) 15} For he says to Moses,

¹⁶ It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.^{(DM) 17} For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”^{[r](DN) 18} Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.^(DO)

¹⁹ One of you will say to me:^(DP) “Then why does God still blame us?^(DQ) For who is able to resist his will?”^{(DR) 20} But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?^(DS) “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it,^(DT) ‘Why did you make me like this?’”^{[s](DU) 21} Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?^(DV)

²² What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience^(DW) the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?^{(DX) 23} What if he did this to make the riches of his glory^(DY) known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory^(DZ)— ²⁴ even us, whom he also called,^(EA) not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?^{(EB) 25} As he says in Hosea:

²⁶ and,

²⁷ Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:

²⁹ It is just as Isaiah said previously:

Israel’s Unbelief

³⁰ What then shall we say?^(EJ) That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;^{(EK) 31} but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness,^(EL) have not attained their goal.^{(EM) 32} Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.^{(EN) 33} As it is written: