1 Chronicles 15-29

New American Standard Bible

Plans to Move the Ark to Jerusalem

15 Now David built houses for himself in the city of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God and ^(A)pitched a tent for it. ² Then David said, “^(B)No one is to carry the ark of God except the Levites; for the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to serve Him forever.” ³ And ^(C)David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord ^(D)to its place which he had prepared for it. ⁴ David gathered together the sons of Aaron and ^(E)the Levites: ⁵ of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and 120 of his relatives; ⁶ of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and 220 of his relatives; ⁷ of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and 130 of his relatives; ⁸ of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and two hundred of his relatives; ⁹ of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and eighty of his relatives; ¹⁰ of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and 112 of his relatives.

¹¹ Then David called for the priests ^(F)Zadok and ^(G)Abiathar, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab; ¹² and he said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites; ^(H)consecrate yourselves, you and your relatives, so that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel ^(I)to the place that I have prepared for it. ^13 (J)Because you did not carry it at the first, the Lord our God made an outburst against us, since we did not seek Him according to the ordinance.” ^14 (K)So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel. ¹⁵ The sons of ^(L)the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles on them, just as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the Lord.

¹⁶ Then David spoke to the chiefs of the Levites ^(M)to appoint their relatives as the singers, with musical instruments, harps, lyres, and cymbals, playing to raise sounds of joy. ¹⁷ So ^(N)the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel, and from his relatives, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and from the sons of Merari their relatives, Ethan the son of Kushaiah, ¹⁸ and with them their relatives of the second rank, Zechariah, ^[a]Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers. ¹⁹ So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound aloud cymbals of bronze; ²⁰ and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with harps tuned to ^[b](O)alamoth; ²¹ and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, to lead with ^[c]lyres tuned to ^(P)the sheminith. ²² Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was in charge of the singing; he gave instruction in singing because he was skillful. ²³ Berechiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark. ²⁴ Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, ^(Q)blew the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah also were gatekeepers for the ark.

^25 (R)So it was David, with the elders of Israel and the captains of thousands, who went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from ^(S)the house of Obed-edom with joy. ²⁶ Because God was helping the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, they sacrificed ^(T)seven bulls and seven rams. ²⁷ Now David was clothed with a robe of fine linen with all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the leader of the singing with the singers. ^(U)David also wore an ephod of linen. ²⁸ So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the horn, with trumpets, with loud-sounding cymbals, with harps, and lyres.

²⁹ When the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the city of David, ^(V)Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David dancing and celebrating; and she despised him in her heart.

A Tent for the Ark

16 And they brought in the ark of God and ^(W)placed it inside the tent which David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. ² When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. ³ Then he distributed to everyone of Israel, both men and women, to everyone a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a raisin cake.

⁴ He appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to celebrate and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel: ⁵ Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then ^[d]Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with musical instruments, harps, and lyres; also Asaph played loud-sounding cymbals, ⁶ and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel blew trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.

⁷ Then on that day David ^(X)first assigned ^[e]Asaph and his relatives to give thanks to the Lord.

Psalm of Thanksgiving

Then all the people ^(AW)said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord.

Worship before the Ark

³⁷ So he left Asaph and his relatives there ^(AX)before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to minister before the ark continually, ^(AY)as every day’s work required, ³⁸ and ^(AZ)Obed-edom with ^[p]his sixty-eight relatives; Obed-edom, the son of Jeduthun, and ^(BA)Hosah as gatekeepers. ³⁹ He left ^(BB)Zadok the priest and his relatives the priests ^(BC)before the ^[q]tabernacle of the Lord in the high place which was at Gibeon, ⁴⁰ to offer burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening, ^(BD)even according to everything that is written in the Law of the Lord, which He commanded Israel. ⁴¹ With them were ^(BE)Heman and Jeduthun, and ^(BF)the rest who were chosen, who were designated by name, to ^(BG)give thanks to the Lord, because His ^[r]kindness is everlasting. ⁴² And with them were Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those who were to play them, and with instruments for ^(BH)the songs of God, and the sons of Jeduthun for the gate.

^43 (BI)Then all the people departed, each to his house; and David returned to bless his household.

God’s Covenant with David

17 ^(BJ)And it came about, when David lived in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under tent curtains.” ² Then Nathan said to David, “Do whatever is in your heart, for God is with you.”

³ But it happened that same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, ⁴ “Go and tell David My servant, ‘This is what the Lord says: “^(BK)You shall not build a house for Me to dwell in; ⁵ for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up Israel to this day, ^(BL)but I have ^[s]gone from tent to tent and from one dwelling place to another. ⁶ In all places where I have walked with all Israel, have I spoken a word ^(BM)with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’ ⁷ Now, therefore, this is what you shall say to My servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader over My people Israel. ⁸ I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have eliminated all your enemies from you; and I will make for you a name like the name of the great ones who are on the earth. ⁹ And I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them there, so that they may live in their own place and not tremble with anxiety again; and the ^[t]wicked will not make them waste away anymore as they did previously, ¹⁰ even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies.

Moreover, I tell you that the Lord will build a house for you. ¹¹ When your days are fulfilled that you must ^[u]go to be with your fathers, then I will set up one of your ^[v]descendants after you, who will be from your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. ¹² He shall build for Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. ^13 (BN)I will be his father and he shall be My son; and I will not take My favor away from him, ^(BO)as I took it from him who was before you. ¹⁴ But I will settle him in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne will be established forever.”’” ¹⁵ According to all these words and according to all of this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

David’s Prayer in Response

¹⁶ Then King David came in and sat before the Lord, and said, “^(BP)Who am I, Lord God, and what is my house that You have brought me this far? ¹⁷ This was a small thing in Your eyes, God; but You have spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have viewed me according to the standard of a person of high degree, Lord God. ¹⁸ What more can David still say to You concerning the honor bestowed on Your servant? For You know Your servant. ¹⁹ Lord, ^(BQ)for Your servant’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have accomplished all this greatness, to make known all these great things. ²⁰ Lord, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to everything that we have heard with our ears. ²¹ And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for You a name by great and awesome things, by driving out nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed from Egypt? ^22 (BR)For You have made Your people Israel Your own people forever, and You, Lord, became their God.

²³ “Now, Lord, let the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house be established forever, and do just as You have spoken. ²⁴ Let Your name be established and be great forever, saying, ‘The Lord of armies is the God of Israel, a God to Israel; and the house of Your servant David is established before You.’ ²⁵ For You, my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build him a house; therefore Your servant has found courage to pray before You. ²⁶ Now, Lord, You are God, and have ^[w]promised this good thing to Your servant. ²⁷ And now You have decided to bless the house of Your servant, that it may ^[x]continue forever before You; for You, Lord, have blessed, and it is blessed forever.”

David’s Kingdom Strengthened

18 Now after this ^(BS)it came about that David ^[y]defeated the Philistines and subdued them and took Gath and its towns from the hand of the Philistines. ² And he defeated Moab, and the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.

³ David also defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah as far as Hamath, as he went to establish his ^[z]rule to the river Euphrates. ⁴ David took from him a thousand chariots and seven thousand horsemen and twenty thousand foot soldiers, and David hamstrung almost all the chariot horses, but left enough of them for a hundred chariots.

⁵ When the Arameans of ^[aa]Damascus came to help Hadadezer king ^(BT)of Zobah, David ^[ab]killed twenty-two thousand men of the Arameans. ⁶ Then David put garrisons among the Arameans of ^[ac]Damascus; and the Arameans became servants to David, bringing tribute. And the Lord helped David wherever he went. ⁷ And David took the shields of gold which were ^[ad]carried by the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ Also from ^[ae]Tibhath and Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David took a very large amount of bronze, with which ^(BU)Solomon made the bronze ^[af]Sea and the pillars and the bronze utensils.

⁹ Now when ^[ag]Tou king of Hamath heard that David had ^[ah]defeated all the army of Hadadezer king of Zobah, ¹⁰ he sent ^[ai]Hadoram his son to King David to ^[aj]greet him and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and had ^[ak]defeated him; for Hadadezer had been at war with Tou. And Hadoram brought all kinds of articles of gold and silver and bronze. ¹¹ King David also dedicated these to the Lord, with the silver and the gold which he had carried away from all the nations: from Edom, Moab, the sons of Ammon, the Philistines, and from Amalek.

¹² Moreover, Abishai the son of Zeruiah ^[al]defeated eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. ¹³ Then he put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And the Lord helped David wherever he went.

¹⁴ So David reigned over all Israel; and he ^[am]administered justice and righteousness for all his people. ^15 (BV)Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was secretary; ¹⁶ and Zadok the son of Ahitub and Abimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, and Shavsha was secretary; ¹⁷ and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and the sons of David were chiefs at the king’s side.

David’s Messengers Abused

19 ^(BW)Now it came about after this, that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon died, and his son became king in his place. ² Then David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the sons of Ammon to Hanun to console him. ³ But the commanders among the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, “^[an]Do you think that David is honoring your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Have his servants not come to you to search, to demolish, and to spy out the land?” ⁴ So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved them, and cut off their robes in the middle as far as their buttocks, and sent them away. ⁵ Then certain people went and told David about the men. And he sent messengers to meet them, because the men were very humiliated. And the king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards grow back, then return.”

⁶ When the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves repulsive to David, Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent ^[ao]a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, Aram-maacah, and ^(BX)Zobah. ⁷ So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people, who came and camped opposite ^(BY)Medeba. And the sons of Ammon gathered together from their cities and came to the battle. ⁸ When David heard about it, he sent Joab and all the army, the mighty men. ⁹ The sons of Ammon came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance of the city; and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.

Ammon and Aram Defeated

¹⁰ Now when Joab saw that the ^[ap]battle was set against him at the front and at the rear, he selected warriors from all the choice men in Israel and lined them up against the Arameans. ¹¹ But the remainder of the people he placed ^[aq]under the command of ^[ar]Abshai his brother; and they lined up against the sons of Ammon. ¹² He said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you. ¹³ Be strong, and let’s show ourselves courageous for the benefit of our people and the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight.” ¹⁴ So Joab and the people who were with him advanced to battle against the Arameans, and they fled from him. ¹⁵ When the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans had fled, they also fled from his brother Abshai and entered the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

¹⁶ When the Arameans saw that they had been ^[as]defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer ^[at]leading them. ¹⁷ When it was reported to David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came upon them and drew up in formation against them. And when David drew up in battle formation against the Arameans, they fought against him. ¹⁸ And the Arameans fled from Israel, and David killed of the Arameans seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers; and he put Shophach the commander of the army to death. ¹⁹ So when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been ^[au]defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and served him. So the Arameans were not willing to help the sons of Ammon anymore.

War with Philistine Giants

20 ^(BZ)Then it happened ^[av]in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that Joab led out the army and ravaged the land of the sons of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed in Jerusalem. And ^(CA)Joab struck Rabbah and overthrew it. ^2 (CB)David took the crown of ^[aw]their king from his head, and he found it to weigh a ^[ax]talent of gold, and there was a precious stone in it; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the spoils of the city, a very great amount. ³ He brought out the people who were in it, ^(CC)and ^[ay]put them to work at saws, iron picks, and axes. And David did the same to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

^4 (CD)Now it came about after this, that war ^[az]broke out at ^[ba]Gezer with the Philistines; then Sibbecai the Hushathite ^[bb]killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the ^[bc]giants, and they were subdued. ⁵ And there was war with the Philistines again, and Elhanan the son of ^(CE)Jair ^[bd]killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the ^(CF)shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. ⁶ Again there was war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot; and he also was descended from the giants. ⁷ When he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David’s brother, ^[be]killed him. ⁸ These were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

Census Brings Plague

21 ^(CG)Then Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to count Israel. ² So David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, “^(CH)Go, count Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring me word so that I may know their number.” ³ But Joab said, “^(CI)May the Lord add to His people a hundred times as many as they are! My lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord seek this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt to Israel?” ⁴ Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore, Joab departed and went throughout Israel, and came to Jerusalem. ⁵ Then Joab gave the number of the census of the people to David. ^(CJ)Israel was 1,100,000 men in all who drew the sword; and Judah was 470,000 men who drew the sword. ^6 (CK)But he did not ^[bf]count Levi and Benjamin among them, because the king’s ^[bg]command was abhorrent to Joab.

⁷ Now ^[bh]God was displeased with this thing, so He struck Israel. ⁸ David said to God, “I have sinned greatly, ^[bi]by doing this thing. ^(CL)But now, please overlook Your servant’s guilt, for I have behaved very foolishly.”

⁹ The Lord spoke to ^(CM)Gad, David’s ^(CN)seer, saying, ¹⁰ “Go and speak to David, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says: “I extend to you three choices; choose for yourself one of them, which I will do to you.”’” ¹¹ So Gad came to David and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Take for yourself ^12 (CO)three years of famine, or three months to be swept away before your foes while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the Lord: a plague in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout the territory of Israel.’ Now, therefore, consider what answer I shall bring back to Him who sent me.” ¹³ David said to Gad, “I am in great distress; please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, ^(CP)for His mercies are very great. But do not let me fall into human hands.”

^14 (CQ)So the Lord ^[bj]sent a plague on Israel; seventy thousand men of Israel fell. ¹⁵ And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was about to destroy it, the Lord saw and ^(CR)was sorry about the catastrophe, and said to the destroying angel, “It is enough; now relax your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor of ^[bk]Ornan the Jebusite. ¹⁶ Then David raised his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, ^(CS)covered with sackcloth, fell on their faces. ¹⁷ And David said to God, “Is it not I who ^[bl]commanded to count the people? Indeed, I am the one who has sinned and acted very wickedly, ^(CT)but these sheep, what have they done? Lord, my God, just let Your hand be against me and my father’s household, and not against Your people as a plague.”

David’s Altar

^18 (CU)Then the angel of the Lord ^[bm]commanded Gad to say to David, that David was to go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. ¹⁹ So David went up at the word of Gad, which he spoke in the name of the Lord. ²⁰ Now Ornan turned back and saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. And Ornan was threshing wheat. ²¹ As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out from the threshing floor and prostrated himself to David with his face to the ground. ²² Then David said to Ornan, “Give me the ^[bn]site of this threshing floor, so that I may build on it an altar to the Lord; you shall give it to me for the full price, so that the plague may be brought to a halt from the people.” ²³ But Ornan said to David, “Take it for yourself, and may my lord the king do what is good in his sight. See, I am giving the oxen for burnt offerings, and the threshing sledges for wood and the wheat for the grain offering; I am giving it all.” ²⁴ Nevertheless, King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will certainly buy it for the full price; for I will not take what is yours for the Lord, nor offer a burnt offering ^[bo]which costs me nothing.” ²⁵ So ^(CV)David gave Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the ^[bp]site. ²⁶ Then David built an altar there to the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And he called to the Lord, and ^(CW)He answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. ²⁷ The Lord commanded the angel, and he returned his sword to its sheath.

²⁸ At that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he offered sacrifice there. ^29 (CX)For the tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were on the high place at Gibeon at that time. ³⁰ But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was terrified by the sword of the angel of the Lord.

David Prepares for Temple Building

22 Then David said, “^(CY)This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”

² So David ^[bq]gave orders to gather ^(CZ)the strangers who were in the land of Israel, and ^(DA)he set stonecutters to cut out stones to build the house of God. ³ And David ^(DB)prepared large quantities of iron ^[br]to make the nails for the doors of the gates and for the clamps, and more ^(DC)bronze than could be weighed; ⁴ and timbers of cedar beyond number, for ^(DD)the Sidonians and Tyrians brought large quantities of cedar timber to David. ⁵ David said, “My son ^(DE)Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord shall be exceedingly magnificent, famous, and glorious throughout the lands. Therefore I now will make preparations for it.” So David made ample preparations before his death.

Solomon Commanded to Build the Temple

⁶ Then ^(DF)he called for his son Solomon, and commanded him to build a house for the Lord God of Israel. ⁷ David said to Solomon, “^(DG)My son, ^[bs]I had intended to build a house for the name of the Lord my God. ⁸ But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘^(DH)You have shed much blood and have ^[bt]waged great wars; you shall not build a house to My name, because you have shed so much blood on the earth before Me. ⁹ Behold, a son will be born to you, who shall be a man of rest, and ^(DI)I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for ^(DJ)his name will be ^[bu]Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. ^10 (DK)He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son and I will be his Father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’ ¹¹ Now, my son, ^(DL)the Lord be with you that you may be successful, and build the house of the Lord your God just as He has spoken concerning you. ^12 (DM)Only the Lord give you discretion and understanding, and put you in charge of Israel, so that you may ^(DN)keep the Law of the Lord your God. ^13 (DO)Then you will prosper, if you are careful to ^[bv]follow the statutes and the ordinances which the Lord commanded Moses concerning Israel. ^(DP)Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be dismayed. ¹⁴ Now behold, ^[bw]with great pains I have prepared for the house of the Lord ^(DQ)a hundred thousand ^[bx]talents of gold and a million talents of silver, and ^(DR)bronze and iron beyond measure, for ^[by]they are in great quantity; I have also prepared timber and stone, and you may add to that. ¹⁵ Moreover there are many workmen with you, stonecutters, masons of stone, and carpenters; and all of them are skillful in every kind of work. ¹⁶ Of the gold, silver, bronze, and iron there is no limit. Arise and work, and may ^(DS)the Lord be with you.”

^17 (DT)David also commanded all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon, saying, ¹⁸ “Is the Lord your God not with you? And ^(DU)has He not given you rest on every side? For He has handed over to me the inhabitants of the land, and the land is subdued before the Lord and before His people. ¹⁹ Now ^(DV)set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God; then arise, and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, ^(DW)so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God into the house that is to be built ^(DX)for the name of the Lord.”

Solomon Reigns

23 ^(DY)Now when David ^[bz]reached old age, ^(DZ)he made his son Solomon king over Israel. ² And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel with the priests and the Levites.

Offices of the Levites

^3 (EA)Now the Levites were counted from thirty years old and upward, and ^(EB)their number by ^[ca]head count of men was thirty-eight thousand. ⁴ Of these, twenty-four thousand were ^(EC)to oversee the work of the house of the Lord; and six thousand were ^(ED)officers and judges, ⁵ and four thousand were gatekeepers, and ^(EE)four thousand were praising the Lord with the instruments which ^[cb]David made for giving praise. ⁶ David divided them into divisions ^(EF)according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Gershonites

⁷ Of the Gershonites there were ^[cc]Ladan and Shimei. ⁸ The sons of Ladan were Jehiel the first, and Zetham and Joel, three. ⁹ The sons of Shimei were Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’ households of Ladan. ¹⁰ The sons of Shimei were Jahath, ^[cd]Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. ¹¹ Jahath was the first and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they became a father’s household, one group for duty.

Kohathites

¹² The sons of Kohath were four in number: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ^13 (EG)The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. And ^(EH)Aaron was set apart to sanctify him as most holy, he and his sons forever, ^(EI)to burn incense before the Lord, to serve Him and bless in His name forever. ¹⁴ But as for ^(EJ)Moses, the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi. ¹⁵ The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer. ¹⁶ The ^[ce]son of Gershom was ^[cf]Shebuel the chief. ¹⁷ The ^[cg]son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. ¹⁸ The ^[ch]son of Izhar was ^[ci]Shelomith the chief. ¹⁹ The sons of Hebron were Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. ²⁰ The sons of Uzziel were Micah the first and Isshiah the second.

Merarites

²¹ The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish. ²² Eleazar died and had no sons, but only daughters; so their relatives, the sons of Kish, took them as wives. ²³ The sons of Mushi were three: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth.

Duties Revised

^24 (EK)These were the sons of Levi according to their fathers’ households, the heads of the fathers’ households of those among them who were ^[cj]counted, in the number of names by their ^[ck]head count, doing the work for the service of the house of the Lord, ^(EL)from twenty years old and upward. ²⁵ For David said, “The Lord God of Israel ^(EM)has given rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem forever. ²⁶ Also, ^(EN)the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its utensils for its service.” ²⁷ For by the last words of David, the sons of Levi were counted from twenty years old and upward. ²⁸ For their office is ^[cl]to assist the sons of Aaron with the service of the house of the Lord, in the courtyards and in the chambers, and in the purification of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God, ^29 (EO)and with the showbread, and ^(EP)the fine flour for a grain offering, and unleavened wafers, or ^(EQ)what is baked in the pan or ^(ER)what is well-mixed, and ^(ES)all measures of volume and size. ³⁰ They are to stand every morning to thank and to praise the Lord, and likewise at evening, ³¹ and to offer all burnt offerings to the Lord, ^(ET)on the Sabbaths, the new moons and ^(EU)the appointed festivals, in the number determined by the ordinance concerning them, continually before the Lord. ³² So ^(EV)they are to perform the ^[cm]duties of the tent of meeting, the holy place, and ^(EW)of assisting the sons of Aaron their relatives, for the service of the house of the Lord.

Divisions of the Levites

24 Now the divisions of the ^[cn]descendants of Aaron were these: ^(EX)the sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ^2 (EY)But Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no ^[co]sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests. ³ David, with ^(EZ)Zadok of the sons of Eleazar and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, divided them according to their offices ^[cp]for their ministry. ⁴ Since more chief men were found from the ^[cq]descendants of Eleazar than the ^[cr]descendants of Ithamar, they divided them this way: there were sixteen heads of fathers’ households of the ^[cs]descendants of Eleazar, and eight of the ^[ct]descendants of Ithamar according to their fathers’ households. ^5 (FA)So they were divided by lot, the one as the other; for they were officers of the sanctuary and officers of God, both from the ^[cu]descendants of Eleazar and the ^[cv]descendants of Ithamar. ⁶ Shemaiah, the son of Nethanel the scribe, from the Levites, recorded them in the presence of the king, the leaders, Zadok the priest, ^(FB)Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and the heads of the fathers’ households of the priests and the Levites; one father’s household taken for Eleazar and one taken for Ithamar.

⁷ Now the first lot came out for Jehoiarib, the second for Jedaiah, ⁸ the third for Harim, the fourth for Seorim, ⁹ the fifth for Malchijah, the sixth for Mijamin, ¹⁰ the seventh for Hakkoz, the eighth for ^(FC)Abijah, ¹¹ the ninth for Jeshua, the tenth for Shecaniah, ¹² the eleventh for Eliashib, the twelfth for Jakim, ¹³ the thirteenth for Huppah, the fourteenth for Jeshebeab, ¹⁴ the fifteenth for Bilgah, the sixteenth for Immer, ¹⁵ the seventeenth for Hezir, the eighteenth for Happizzez, ¹⁶ the nineteenth for Pethahiah, the twentieth for Jehezkel, ¹⁷ the twenty-first for Jachin, the twenty-second for Gamul, ¹⁸ the twenty-third for Delaiah, and the twenty-fourth for Maaziah. ^19 (FD)These were their offices for their ministry when they entered the house of the Lord according to the ordinance given to them through their father Aaron, just as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him.

²⁰ Now for the rest of the sons of Levi: of the sons of Amram, ^[cw]Shubael; of the sons of Shubael, Jehdeiah. ²¹ Of Rehabiah: of the sons of Rehabiah, Isshiah, the first. ²² Of the Izharites, ^[cx]Shelomoth; of the sons of Shelomoth, Jahath. ²³ The sons ^(FE)of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth. ²⁴ Of the sons of Uzziel, Micah; of the sons of Micah, Shamir. ²⁵ The brother of Micah, Isshiah; of the sons of Isshiah, Zechariah. ²⁶ The sons of Merari, Mahli and Mushi; the sons of Jaaziah, Beno. ²⁷ The sons of Merari: by Jaaziah were Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri. ²⁸ By Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons. ²⁹ By Kish: the sons of Kish, Jerahmeel. ³⁰ The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the sons of the Levites according to their fathers’ households. ^31 (FF)These also cast lots just as their relatives, the sons of Aaron did in the presence of David the king, ^(FG)Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of the fathers’ households of the priests and of the Levites—the head of fathers’ households as well as those of his younger brother.

Number and Services of Musicians

25 Moreover, David and the commanders of the army set apart for the service some of the sons of ^(FH)Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, who were to ^(FI)prophesy with lyres, ^(FJ)harps, and cymbals; and the number of ^[cy]those who performed this service was: ² Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and ^[cz]Asharelah; the sons of Asaph were ^[da]under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied ^[db]under the direction of the king. ^3 (FK)Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, ^[dc]Zeri, Jeshaiah, ^[dd]Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six in all, ^[de]under the direction of their father Jeduthun with the harp, who prophesied in giving thanks and praising the Lord. ⁴ Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, ^[df]Uzziel, ^[dg]Shebuel and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti and Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. ⁵ All these were the sons of Heman ^(FL)the king’s seer to ^[dh]exalt him according to the words of God, for God gave fourteen sons and three daughters to Heman. ⁶ All of these were under the ^[di]direction of their father to sing in the house of the Lord, ^(FM)with cymbals, harps, and lyres, for the service of the house of God. ^(FN)Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were ^[dj]under the direction of the king. ⁷ Their number who were trained in singing to the Lord, with their relatives, all who were skillful, was ^(FO)288.

Divisions of the Musicians

^8 (FP)They cast lots for their duties, all alike, the small as well as the great, the teacher as well as the pupil.

⁹ Now the first lot came out for Asaph to Joseph, the second for Gedaliah, he with his relatives and sons were twelve; ¹⁰ the third to Zaccur, his sons and his relatives, twelve; ¹¹ the fourth to ^[dk]Izri, his sons and his relatives, twelve; ¹² the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons and his relatives, twelve; ¹³ the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons and his relatives, twelve; ¹⁴ the seventh to ^[dl]Jesharelah, his sons and his relatives, twelve; ¹⁵ the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and his relatives, twelve; ¹⁶ the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons and his relatives, twelve; ¹⁷ the tenth to Shimei, his sons and his relatives, twelve; ¹⁸ the eleventh to Azarel, his sons and his relatives, twelve; ¹⁹ the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and his relatives, twelve; ²⁰ for the thirteenth, Shubael, his sons and his relatives, twelve; ²¹ for the fourteenth, Mattithiah, his sons and his relatives, twelve; ²² for the fifteenth to Jeremoth, his sons and his relatives, twelve; ²³ for the sixteenth to Hananiah, his sons and his relatives, twelve; ²⁴ for the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons and his relatives, twelve; ²⁵ for the eighteenth to Hanani, his sons and his relatives, twelve; ²⁶ for the nineteenth to Mallothi, his sons and his relatives, twelve; ²⁷ for the twentieth to Eliathah, his sons and his relatives, twelve; ²⁸ for the twenty-first to Hothir, his sons and his relatives, twelve; ²⁹ for the twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons and his relatives, twelve; ³⁰ for the twenty-third to Mahazioth, his sons and his relatives, twelve; ³¹ for the twenty-fourth to Romamti-ezer, his sons and his relatives, twelve.

Divisions of the Gatekeepers

26 For the divisions of the gatekeepers there were of the Korahites, ^[dm]Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of ^[dn]Asaph. ² Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth, ³ Elam the fifth, Johanan the sixth, and Eliehoenai the seventh. ^4 (FQ)Obed-edom had sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sacar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth, ⁵ Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, and Peullethai the eighth; God had indeed blessed him. ⁶ Also to his son Shemaiah sons were born who ruled over the house of their father, for they were valiant mighty men. ⁷ The sons of Shemaiah were Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad, whose brothers, Elihu and Semachiah, were valiant men. ⁸ All these were of the sons of Obed-edom; they and their sons and relatives were able men with strength for the service, sixty-two from Obed-edom. ⁹ Meshelemiah had sons and relatives, eighteen valiant men. ¹⁰ Also ^(FR)Hosah, one of the sons of Merari had sons: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn, his father made him first), ¹¹ Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, and Zechariah the fourth; the sons and relatives of Hosah were thirteen in all.

¹² To these divisions of the gatekeepers, to the chief men, were given duties like their relatives, to serve in the house of the Lord. ^13 (FS)They cast lots, the small and the great alike, according to their fathers’ households, for every gate. ¹⁴ The lot to the east fell to ^[do]Shelemiah. Then they cast lots for his son Zechariah, a counselor with insight, and his lot came out to the north. ¹⁵ For Obed-edom it fell to the south, and to his sons went the storehouse. ¹⁶ For Shuppim and Hosah it was to the west, by the gate of Shallecheth, on the ascending highway. Guard corresponded to guard. ¹⁷ On the east there were six Levites, on the north four daily, on the south four daily, and at the storehouse two by two. ¹⁸ At the ^[dp](FT)annex on the west there were four at the highway and two at the annex. ¹⁹ These were the divisions of the gatekeepers of the sons of Korah and of the sons of Merari.

Keepers of the Treasure

^20 [dq]The Levites, their relatives, were in ^(FU)charge of the treasures of the house of God and of the treasures of the dedicated gifts. ²¹ The sons of Ladan, the sons of the Gershonites belonging to Ladan, namely, the Jehielites, were the heads of the fathers’ households, belonging to Ladan the Gershonite.

²² The sons of Jehieli, Zetham, and his brother Joel, were in charge of the treasures of the house of the Lord. ²³ As for the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites, ²⁴ Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was officer over the treasures. ²⁵ His relatives by Eliezer were Rehabiah his son, Jeshaiah his son, Joram his son, Zichri his son, and Shelomoth his son. ²⁶ This Shelomoth and his relatives were in charge of all the treasures of the dedicated gifts ^(FV)which King David and the heads of the fathers’ households, the commanders of thousands and hundreds, and the commanders of the army, had dedicated. ²⁷ They dedicated ^[dr]part of the spoils won in battles to repair the house of the Lord. ²⁸ And all that Samuel the seer had dedicated, and Saul the son of Kish, Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Zeruiah, everyone who had dedicated anything, all of this was ^[ds]under the care of ^[dt]Shelomoth and his relatives.

Outside Duties

²⁹ As for the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons ^(FW)were assigned to outside duties for Israel, as ^(FX)officers and judges. ³⁰ As for the Hebronites, ^(FY)Hashabiah and his relatives, 1,700 capable men, ^[du]were responsible for the affairs of Israel ^[dv]west of the Jordan, for all the work of the Lord and the service of the king. ³¹ As for the Hebronites, ^(FZ)Jerijah the chief ^[dw](these Hebronites were sought out according to their genealogies and fathers’ households, in the fortieth year of David’s reign, and men of outstanding capability were found among them at ^(GA)Jazer of Gilead) ³² and his relatives, capable men, numbered 2,700, heads of fathers’ households. And King David appointed them as overseers of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites ^(GB)concerning ^[dx]all the affairs of God and of the king.

Commanders of the Army

27 Now this is the number of the sons of Israel, the heads of fathers’ households, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and their officers who served the king in all the affairs of the divisions which came in and went out month by month throughout the months of the year, each division numbering twenty-four thousand:

² Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel ^[dy](GC)was in charge of the first division for the first month; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. ³ He was from the sons of Perez, and was chief of all the commanders of the army for the first month. ⁴ Dodai the Ahohite and his division was in charge of the division for the second month, Mikloth being the chief officer; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. ⁵ The third commander of the army for the third month was Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, as chief; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. ⁶ This Benaiah was the mighty man of the thirty, and was in charge of thirty; and over his division was his son Ammizabad. ⁷ The fourth, for the fourth month was Asahel the brother of Joab, and Zebadiah his son after him; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. ⁸ The fifth, for the fifth month was the commander Shamhuth the Izrahite; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. ⁹ The sixth, for the sixth month was Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. ¹⁰ The seventh, for the seventh month was Helez the Pelonite of the sons of Ephraim; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. ¹¹ The eighth, for the eighth month was Sibbecai the Hushathite of the Zerahites; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. ¹² The ninth, for the ninth month was Abiezer the Anathothite of the Benjaminites; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. ¹³ The tenth, for the tenth month was Maharai the Netophathite of the Zerahites; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. ¹⁴ The eleventh, for the eleventh month was Benaiah the Pirathonite of the sons of Ephraim; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. ¹⁵ The twelfth, for the twelfth month was Heldai the Netophathite of Othniel; and in his division were twenty-four thousand.

Chief Officers of the Tribes

¹⁶ Now in charge of the tribes of Israel: chief officer for the Reubenites was Eliezer the son of Zichri; for the Simeonites, Shephatiah the son of Maacah; ¹⁷ for Levi, Hashabiah the son of Kemuel; for Aaron, Zadok; ¹⁸ for Judah, Elihu, one of David’s brothers; for Issachar, Omri the son of Michael; ¹⁹ for Zebulun, Ishmaiah the son of Obadiah; for Naphtali, Jeremoth the son of Azriel; ²⁰ for the sons of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Azaziah; for the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joel the son of Pedaiah; ²¹ for the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo the son of Zechariah; for Benjamin, Jaasiel the son of Abner; ²² for Dan, Azarel the son of Jeroham. ^(GD)These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel. ²³ But David did not ^[dz]count those twenty years of age and under, ^(GE)because the Lord had said He would multiply Israel ^(GF)as the stars of heaven. ²⁴ Joab the son of Zeruiah had begun to count them, but did not finish; and because of ^(GG)this, wrath came upon Israel, and the number was not included in the account of the chronicles of King David.

Various Overseers

²⁵ Now Azmaveth the son of Adiel was responsible for the king’s storehouses. And Jonathan the son of Uzziah was responsible for the storehouses in the country, the cities, the villages, and the towers. ²⁶ Ezri the son of Chelub was responsible for the ^[ea]agricultural workers who tilled the soil. ²⁷ Shimei the Ramathite was responsible for the vineyards; and Zabdi the Shiphmite was responsible for the ^[eb]produce of the vineyards stored in the wine cellars. ²⁸ Baal-hanan the Gederite was responsible for the olive and ^(GH)sycamore trees in the ^[ec]Shephelah; and Joash was responsible for the stores of oil. ²⁹ Shitrai the Sharonite was responsible for the cattle which were grazing in ^(GI)Sharon; and Shaphat the son of Adlai was responsible for the cattle in the valleys. ³⁰ Obil the Ishmaelite was responsible for the camels; and Jehdeiah the Meronothite was responsible for the donkeys. ³¹ Jaziz the ^(GJ)Hagrite was responsible for the flocks. All these were ^[ed]overseers of the property which belonged to King David.

Counselors

³² Also Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a counselor, a man of understanding, and a scribe; and Jehiel the son of Hachmoni ^[ee]tutored the king’s sons. ^33 (GK)Ahithophel was counselor to the king; and ^(GL)Hushai the Archite was the king’s friend. ³⁴ Jehoiada the son of ^(GM)Benaiah, and ^(GN)Abiathar ^[ef]succeeded Ahithophel; and Joab was the ^(GO)commander of the king’s army.

David’s Address about the Temple

28 Now ^(GP)David assembled at Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, the leaders of the tribes, and the commanders of the divisions that served the king, the commanders of thousands, and the commanders of hundreds, and the overseers of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, with the officials and ^(GQ)the mighty men, all the valiant warriors. ² Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people; ^[eg]I ^(GR)had intended to build a ^[eh]permanent home for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and for ^(GS)the footstool of our God. So I had made preparations to build it. ³ But God said to me, ‘^(GT)You shall not build a house for My name, because you are a man of war and have shed blood.’ ⁴ Yet, the Lord, the God of Israel, ^(GU)chose me from all the household of my father to be king over Israel ^(GV)forever. For ^(GW)He has chosen Judah to be a leader; and ^(GX)in the house of Judah, my father’s house, and among the sons of my father He took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. ^5 (GY)Of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons), ^(GZ)He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. ⁶ He said to me, ‘Your son ^(HA)Solomon is the one who shall build My house and My courtyards; for I have chosen him to be a son to Me, and I will be a Father to him. ⁷ I will establish his kingdom forever ^(HB)if he resolutely performs My commandments and My ordinances, as ^[ei]is done now.’ ⁸ So now, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the ^[ej]presence of our God, keep and seek after all the commandments of the Lord your God so that you may possess the good land and leave it as an inheritance to your sons after you forever.

⁹ “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and ^(HC)serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing ^[ek]mind; ^(HD)for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. ^(HE)If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. ¹⁰ Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; ^(HF)be courageous and act.”

¹¹ Then David gave to his son Solomon ^(HG)the plan of ^(HH)the porch of the temple, its buildings, its storehouses, its upper rooms, its inner rooms, and ^(HI)the room for the ^[el]atoning cover; ¹² and the plan of all that he had in ^[em]mind, for the courtyards of the house of the Lord, and for all the surrounding rooms, for ^(HJ)the storehouses of the house of God and for the storehouses of the dedicated things; ¹³ also for ^(HK)the divisions of the priests and ^(HL)the Levites and for all the work of the service of the house of the Lord and for all the utensils of service in the house of the Lord; ¹⁴ for the golden utensils, by weight of gold for all utensils for every service; for all the silver utensils, by weight of silver for all utensils for every service; ¹⁵ and the weight of gold for the ^(HM)golden lampstands and their golden lamps, with the weight of each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for the silver lampstands, with the weight of each lampstand and its lamps according to the use of each lampstand; ¹⁶ and the gold by weight for the tables of the showbread, for each table; and silver for the silver tables; ¹⁷ and the forks, the basins, and the pitchers of pure gold; and for the golden bowls with the weight for each bowl; and for the silver bowls with the weight for each bowl; ¹⁸ and for ^(HN)the altar of incense, refined gold by weight; and gold for the model of the chariot, and ^(HO)the cherubim that spread out their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

¹⁹ “All this,” said David, “the Lord made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, ^(HP)all the ^[en]details of this pattern.”

²⁰ Then David said to his son Solomon, “^(HQ)Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. ^(HR)He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished. ²¹ Now behold, ^(HS)there are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God, and ^(HT)every willing man of any skill will be with you in all the work for all kinds of service. The officials also and all the people will be entirely at your command.”

Offerings for the Temple

29 Then King David said to the entire assembly, “My son Solomon, whom alone God has chosen, ^(HU)is still young and inexperienced, and the work is great; for ^(HV)the ^[eo]temple is not for mankind, but for the Lord God. ² Now ^(HW)with all my ability I have provided for the house of my God the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, the bronze for the things of bronze, the iron for the things of iron, wood for the things of wood, onyx stones and inlaid stones, stones of antimony and stones of various colors, and all kinds of precious stones and alabaster in abundance. ³ In addition, in my delight in the house of my God, the treasure I have of gold and silver, I give to the house of my God, over and above all that I have already provided for the holy ^[ep]temple, ⁴ namely, ^(HX)three thousand ^[eq]talents of gold, from ^(HY)the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the ^[er]buildings; ⁵ gold for the things of gold and silver for the things of silver, that is, for all the work ^[es]done by the craftsmen. Who then is willing ^[et]to consecrate himself this day to the Lord?”

⁶ Then ^(HZ)the rulers of the fathers’ households, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, and the commanders of thousands and hundreds, with ^(IA)the supervisors of the king’s work, offered willingly; ⁷ and for the service of the house of God they gave five thousand talents and ten thousand ^[eu](IB)darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of brass, and a hundred thousand talents of iron. ^8 [ev]Whoever possessed precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the Lord, ^[ew]in care of ^(IC)Jehiel the Gershonite. ⁹ Then the people rejoiced because they had offered so willingly, for they made their offering to the Lord ^(ID)wholeheartedly, and King David also rejoiced greatly.

David’s Prayer

¹⁰ So David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, “Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever. ^11 (IE)Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and on the earth; Yours is the dominion, Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. ^12 (IF)Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and ^(IG)in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. 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 ^[ex]be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given to You. ¹⁵ For ^(IH)we are strangers before You, and temporary residents, as all our fathers were; ^(II)our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope. ¹⁶ Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy name, it is from Your hand, and everything is Yours. ¹⁷ Since I know, my God, that ^(IJ)You put the heart to the test and ^(IK)delight in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to You. ¹⁸ Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the ^[ey]intentions of the hearts of Your people, and direct their hearts to You; ¹⁹ and ^(IL)give my son Solomon a perfect heart to keep Your commandments, Your testimonies, and Your statutes, and to do them all, and ^(IM)to build the ^[ez]temple for which I have made provision.”

²⁰ Then David said to all the assembly, “Now bless the Lord your God.” And ^(IN)all the assembly blessed the Lord, the God of their fathers, and ^(IO)bowed down and paid ^[fa]homage to the Lord and the king.

Sacrifices

²¹ On the next day ^(IP)they ^[fb]made sacrifices to the Lord and offered burnt offerings to the Lord, a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. ²² So they ate and drank that day before the Lord with great gladness.

Solomon Again Made King

And they made Solomon the son of David king ^(IQ)a second time, and they ^(IR)anointed him as ruler for the Lord and Zadok as priest. ²³ Then ^(IS)Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king instead of his father David; and he prospered, and all Israel obeyed him. ²⁴ And all the officials, the mighty men, and also all the sons of King David ^[fc]pledged allegiance to King Solomon. ^25 (IT)The Lord highly honored Solomon in the sight of all Israel, and ^(IU)bestowed on him royal majesty which had not been bestowed on any king before him in Israel.

²⁶ Now ^(IV)David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. ^27 (IW)The period which he reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned in Hebron seven years and ^[fd]in Jerusalem thirty-three years.

Death of David

²⁸ Then he died at ^(IX)a good old age, ^(IY)full of days, riches, and honor; and his son Solomon reigned in his place. ²⁹ Now the acts of King David, from the first to the last, are written in the chronicles of ^(IZ)Samuel the seer, in the chronicles of ^(JA)Nathan the prophet, and in the chronicles of ^(JB)Gad the seer, ³⁰ with all of his reign, his power, and the circumstances which came upon him, Israel, and all the kingdoms of the lands.