24 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel,^(A) he did not resort to divination^(B) as at other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness.^{(C) 2} When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him^{(D) 3} and he spoke his message:

¹⁰ Then Balak’s anger burned^(S) against Balaam. He struck his hands together^(T) and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies,^(U) but you have blessed them^(V) these three times.^{(W) 11} Now leave at once and go home!^(X) I said I would reward you handsomely,^(Y) but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.”

¹² Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me,^{(Z) 13} ‘Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord^(AA)—and I must say only what the Lord says’?^{(AB) 14} Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come.”^(AC)

Gifts for Building the Temple

29 Then King David said to the whole assembly: “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced.^(A) The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God. ² With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God—gold^(B) for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise,^[a](C) stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble—all of these in large quantities.^{(D) 3} Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided^(E) for this holy temple: ⁴ three thousand talents^[b] of gold (gold of Ophir)^(F) and seven thousand talents^[c] of refined silver,^(G) for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, ⁵ for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the Lord today?”

⁶ Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials^(H) in charge of the king’s work gave willingly.^{(I) 7} They^(J) gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents^[d] and ten thousand darics^[e] of gold, ten thousand talents^[f] of silver, eighteen thousand talents^[g] of bronze and a hundred thousand talents^[h] of iron. ⁸ Anyone who had precious stones^(K) gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite.^{(L) 9} The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly^(M) to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

David’s Prayer

¹⁰ David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,

¹⁴ “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this?^(S) Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.^{(T) 15} We are foreigners and strangers^(U) in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow,^(V) without hope. ¹⁶ Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. ¹⁷ I know, my God, that you test the heart^(W) and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.^{(X) 18} Lord, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. ¹⁹ And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion^(Y) to keep your commands, statutes and decrees^(Z) and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided.”^(AA)

²⁰ Then David said to the whole assembly, “Praise the Lord your God.” So they all praised the Lord, the God of their fathers; they bowed down, prostrating themselves before the Lord and the king.

Solomon Acknowledged as King^(AB)

²¹ The next day they made sacrifices to the Lord and presented burnt offerings to him:^(AC) a thousand bulls, a thousand rams and a thousand male lambs, together with their drink offerings, and other sacrifices in abundance for all Israel.^{(AD) 22} They ate and drank with great joy^(AE) in the presence of the Lord that day.

Then they acknowledged Solomon son of David as king a second time, anointing him before the Lord to be ruler and Zadok^(AF) to be priest. ²³ So Solomon sat^(AG) on the throne^(AH) of the Lord as king in place of his father David. He prospered and all Israel obeyed him. ²⁴ All the officers and warriors, as well as all of King David’s sons,^(AI) pledged their submission to King Solomon.

²⁵ The Lord highly exalted^(AJ) Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him royal splendor^(AK) such as no king over Israel ever had before.^(AL)

The Death of David^(AM)

²⁶ David son of Jesse was king^(AN) over all Israel.^{(AO) 27} He ruled over Israel forty years—seven in Hebron^(AP) and thirty-three in Jerusalem.^{(AQ) 28} He died^(AR) at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor. His son Solomon succeeded him as king.^(AS)

²⁹ As for the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, they are written in the records of Samuel the seer,^(AT) the records of Nathan^(AU) the prophet and the records of Gad^(AV) the seer, ³⁰ together with the details of his reign and power, and the circumstances that surrounded him and Israel and the kingdoms of all the other lands.

¹⁹ Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven^(A) times hotter than usual ²⁰ and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego^(B) and throw them into the blazing furnace. ²¹ So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. ²² The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,^{(C) 23} and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

²⁴ Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”

They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

²⁵ He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

²⁶ Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God,^(D) come out! Come here!”

So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, ²⁷ and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers^(E) crowded around them.^(F) They saw that the fire^(G) had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

²⁸ Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel^(H) and rescued^(I) his servants! They trusted^(J) in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.^{(K) 29} Therefore I decree^(L) that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble,^(M) for no other god can save^(N) in this way.”

³⁰ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.^(O)

²³ but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. ²⁴ Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”^(A)

²⁵ He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”^{(B) 27} And beginning with Moses^(C) and all the Prophets,^(D) he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.^(E)

²⁸ As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. ²⁹ But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

³⁰ When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it^(F) and began to give it to them. ³¹ Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him,^(G) and he disappeared from their sight. ³² They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us^(H) while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures^(I) to us?”

³³ They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together ³⁴ and saying, “It is true! The Lord^(J) has risen and has appeared to Simon.”^{(K) 35} Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.^(L)

The Man of Lawlessness

2 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ^(A) and our being gathered to him,^(B) we ask you, brothers and sisters, ² not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter^(C)—asserting that the day of the Lord^(D) has already come.^{(E) 3} Don’t let anyone deceive you^(F) in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion^(G) occurs and the man of lawlessness^[a] is revealed,^(H) the man doomed to destruction. ⁴ He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God^(I) or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.^(J)

⁵ Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?^{(K) 6} And now you know what is holding him back,^(L) so that he may be revealed at the proper time. ⁷ For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back^(M) will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed,^(N) whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth^(O) and destroy by the splendor of his coming.^{(P) 9} The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan^(Q) works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders^(R) that serve the lie, ¹⁰ and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.^(S) They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.^{(T) 11} For this reason God sends them^(U) a powerful delusion^(V) so that they will believe the lie^{(W) 12} and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.^(X)