1 Chronicles 29
International Children’s Bible
Gifts for Building the Temple
29 King David spoke to all the Israelites who were gathered. He said, “God chose my son Solomon. Solomon is young and hasn’t yet learned what he needs to know. But the work is important. This palace is not for people. It is for the Lord God. 2 I have done my best to prepare for building the Temple of God. I have given gold for the things made of gold. I have given silver for the things made of silver. I have given bronze for the things made of bronze. I have given iron for the things made of iron. I have given wood for the things made of wood. I have given onyx for the settings and turquoise. I have given gems of many different colors. I have given valuable stones and white marble. I have given much of all these things. 3 I have already given this for the Temple. But now I am also giving my own treasures of gold and silver. I am doing this because I really want the Temple of my God to be built. 4 I have given about 220,000 pounds of pure gold from Ophir. And I have given about 520,000 pounds of pure silver. They will be used to cover the walls of the buildings. 5 They will also be used for all the gold and silver work. Skilled men may use the gold and silver to make things for the Temple. Now, who is ready to give himself to the service of the Lord today?”
6 The family leaders and the leaders of the tribes of Israel gave their valuable things. The commanders of 1,000 men and of 100 men gave their valuable things. And the leaders responsible for the king’s work gave their valuable things. 7 These are the things they gave for the Temple of God: about 380,000 pounds of gold, about 750,000 pounds of silver, about 1,350,000 pounds of bronze and about 7,500,000 pounds of iron. 8 People who had valuable gems gave them to the treasury of the Temple of the Lord. Jehiel, from the Gershon family, took care of the valuable gems. 9 The leaders gave freely and completely to the Lord. The people were happy to see their leaders give so gladly. King David was also very happy.
David’s Prayer
10 David praised the Lord in front of all of the people who were gathered. He said:
“We praise you, Lord.
You are the God of our father Israel.
We praise you forever and ever.
11 Lord, you are great and powerful.
You have glory, victory and honor.
Everything in heaven and on earth belongs to you.
The kingdom belongs to you, Lord.
You are the ruler over everything.
12 Riches and honor come from you.
You rule everything.
You have the power and strength
to make anyone great and strong.
13 Now, our God, we thank you.
And we praise your glorious name.
14 “These things did not really come from me and my people.
Everything comes from you.
We have given you back what you gave us.
15 We are like foreigners and strangers.
All our ancestors were also foreigners and strangers.
Our time on earth is like a shadow.
There is no hope.
16 Lord our God, we have gathered all this to build your Temple.
We will build it for worship to you.
But everything has come from you.
Everything belongs to you.
17 I know, my God, that you test people’s hearts.
You are happy when people do what is right.
I was happy to give all these things.
I gave with an honest heart.
Your people gathered here are happy to give to you.
I am happy to see their giving.
18 Lord, you are the God of our ancestors.
You are the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Please help your people to want to serve you always.
And help them to want to obey you always.
19 Give my son Solomon a strong desire to serve you.
Help him always obey your commands, laws and rules.
Help him build the Temple
for which I have prepared.”
20 Then David said to all the people who were gathered, “Praise the Lord your God.” So they all praised the Lord, the God their ancestors worshiped. They bowed to the ground to give honor to the Lord and the king.
Solomon Becomes King
21 The next day the people made sacrifices to the Lord. They offered burnt offerings to him. They offered 1,000 bulls, 1,000 male sheep and 1,000 male lambs. They also brought drink offerings. Many sacrifices were made for all the people of Israel. 22 That day the people ate and drank with much joy. And the Lord was with them.
And they made David’s son Solomon king for the second time. They poured olive oil on Solomon to appoint him king. And they poured oil on Zadok to appoint him as priest. They did this in the presence of the Lord. 23 Then Solomon sat on the Lord’s throne as king. He took his father David’s place. Solomon was very successful. And all the people of Israel obeyed him. 24 All the leaders and soldiers and King David’s sons accepted Solomon as king. They promised to obey him. 25 The Lord made Solomon great before all the Israelites. The Lord gave Solomon much honor. No king of Israel before Solomon had such honor.
David’s Death
26 David son of Jesse was king over all Israel. 27 He was king for 40 years. He ruled in the city of Hebron for 7 years. And he ruled in Jerusalem for 33 years. 28 David died when he was old. He had lived a good, long life. He had received many riches and honors. And David’s son Solomon became king after him.
29 Everything King David did as king, from beginning to end, is recorded. Those things are written in the records of Samuel the seer. And they are in the records of Nathan the prophet and the records of Gad the seer. 30 Those writings tell what David did as king of Israel. They tell about his power and all that happened to him. And they tell what happened to Israel and all the kingdoms around them.
1 Chronicles 29
New King James Version
Offerings for Building the Temple
29 Furthermore King David said to all the assembly: “My son Solomon, whom alone God has (A)chosen, is (B)young and inexperienced; and the work is great, because the [a]temple is not for man but for the Lord God. 2 Now for the house of my God I have prepared with all my might: gold for things to be made of gold, silver for things of silver, bronze for things of bronze, iron for things of iron, wood for things of wood, (C)onyx stones, stones to be set, glistening stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and marble slabs in abundance. 3 Moreover, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, my own special treasure of gold and silver: 4 three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of (D)Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses; 5 the gold for things of gold and the silver for things of silver, and for all kinds of work to be done by the hands of craftsmen. Who then is (E)willing to [b]consecrate himself this day to the Lord?”
6 Then (F)the leaders of the fathers’ houses, leaders of the tribes of Israel, the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with (G)the officers over the king’s work, (H)offered willingly. 7 They gave for the work of the house of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. 8 And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the Lord, into the hand of (I)Jehiel[c] the Gershonite. 9 Then the people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly, because with a loyal heart they had (J)offered willingly to the Lord; and King David also rejoiced greatly.
David’s Praise to God
10 Therefore David blessed the Lord before all the assembly; and David said:
“Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.
11 (K)Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
And You are exalted as head over all.
12 (L)Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all.
13 “Now therefore, our God,
We thank You
And praise Your glorious name.
14 But who am I, and who are my people,
That we should be able to offer so willingly as this?
For all things come from You,
And [d]of Your own we have given You.
15 For (M)we are [e]aliens and [f]pilgrims before You,
As were all our fathers;
(N)Our days on earth are as a shadow,
And without hope.
16 “O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy name is from Your hand, and is all Your own. 17 I know also, my God, that You (O)test the heart and (P)have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things; and now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here to offer willingly to You. 18 O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their heart toward You. 19 And (Q)give my son Solomon a loyal heart to keep Your commandments and Your testimonies and Your statutes, to do all these things, and to build the [g]temple for which (R)I have made provision.”
20 Then David said to all the assembly, “Now bless the Lord your God.” So all the assembly blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before the Lord and the king.
Solomon Anointed King(S)
21 And they made sacrifices to the Lord and offered burnt offerings to the Lord on the next day: a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and (T)sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. 22 So they ate and drank before the Lord with great gladness on that day. And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and (U)anointed him before the Lord to be the leader, and Zadok to be priest. 23 Then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him. 24 All the leaders and the mighty men, and also all the sons of King David, (V)submitted[h] themselves to King Solomon. 25 So the Lord exalted Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and (W)bestowed on him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.
The Close of David’s Reign
26 Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. 27 (X)And the period that he reigned over Israel was forty years; (Y)seven years he reigned in Hebron, and thirty-three years he reigned in Jerusalem. 28 So he (Z)died in a good old age, (AA)full of days and riches and honor; and Solomon his son reigned in his place. 29 Now the acts of King David, first and last, indeed they are written in the [i]book of Samuel the seer, in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer, 30 with all his reign and his might, (AB)and the events that happened to him, to Israel, and to all the kingdoms of the lands.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 29:1 Lit. palace
- 1 Chronicles 29:5 Lit. fill his hand
- 1 Chronicles 29:8 Possibly the same as Jehieli, 1 Chr. 26:21, 22
- 1 Chronicles 29:14 Lit. of Your hand
- 1 Chronicles 29:15 sojourners, temporary residents
- 1 Chronicles 29:15 transients, temporary residents in an even more temporary sense
- 1 Chronicles 29:19 Lit. palace
- 1 Chronicles 29:24 Lit. gave the hand
- 1 Chronicles 29:29 Lit. words
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.