Chapter 22

¹ Thus David said, “This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar for burnt offerings for Israel.”^{(A) 2 [a]}David then ordered that the resident aliens in the land of Israel should be brought together, and he appointed them stonecutters to hew out stone blocks for building the house of God.^{(B) 3} David also laid up large stores of iron to make nails for the doors of the gates, and clamps, together with so much bronze that it could not be weighed,^{(C) 4} and cedar trees without number. The Sidonians and Tyrians brought great stores of cedar logs to David.^{(D) 5} David said: “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced; but the house that is to be built for the Lord must be made so magnificent that it will be renowned and glorious in all lands. Therefore I will make preparations for it.” Thus before his death David laid up materials in abundance.^(E)

Charge to Solomon. ⁶ Then he summoned his son Solomon and commanded him to build a house for the Lord, the God of Israel. ^7 (F)David said to Solomon: “My son, it was my purpose to build a house myself for the name of the Lord, my God. ⁸ But this word of the Lord came to me: You have shed much blood, and you have waged great wars. You may not build a house for my name, because you have shed too much blood upon the earth in my sight. ⁹ However, a son will be born to you. He will be a peaceful man, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. For Solomon shall be his name, and in his time I will bestow peace^[b] and tranquility on Israel.^{(G) 10} It is he who shall build a house for my name; he shall be a son to me, and I will be a father to him,^(H) and I will establish the throne of his kingship over Israel forever.

¹¹ “Now, my son, the Lord be with you, and may you succeed in building the house of the Lord your God, as he has said you shall. ¹² But may the Lord give you prudence and discernment when he gives you command over Israel, so that you keep the law of the Lord, your God. ¹³ Only then shall you succeed, if you are careful to observe the statutes and ordinances which the Lord commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and steadfast; do not fear or be dismayed.^{(I) 14} See, with great effort I have laid up for the house of the Lord a hundred thousand talents of gold,^[c] a million talents of silver, and bronze and iron in such great quantities that they cannot be weighed. I have also laid up wood and stones, to which you must add.^{(J) 15} Moreover, you have available workers, stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and experts in every craft, ¹⁶ without number, skilled with gold, silver, bronze, and iron. Set to work, therefore, and the Lord be with you!”

Charge to the Officials. ¹⁷ David also commanded all of the officials of Israel to help his son Solomon: ¹⁸ “Is not the Lord your God with you? Has he not given you rest on every side? Indeed, he has delivered the inhabitants of the land into my power, and the land is subdued before the Lord and his people.^{(K) 19} Therefore, devote your hearts and souls to seeking the Lord your God. Proceed to build the sanctuary of the Lord God, that the ark of the covenant of the Lord and God’s sacred vessels may be brought into the house built for the name of the Lord.”^(L)

Chapter 23

The Levitical Divisions. ¹ When David had grown old and was near the end of his days, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.^{(M) 2} He then gathered together all the officials of Israel, along with the priests and the Levites.

³ The Levites thirty years old and above were counted, and their total number was found to be thirty-eight thousand.^{(N) 4} Of these, twenty-four thousand were to direct the service of the house of the Lord, six thousand were to be officials and judges, ⁵ four thousand were to be gatekeepers,^(O) and four thousand were to praise the Lord with the instruments which [David] had devised for praise. ⁶ David apportioned them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.^(P)

⁷ To the Gershonites belonged Ladan and Shimei. ⁸ The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, then Zetham and Joel; three in all.^{(Q) 9} The sons of Shimei were Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran; three. These were the heads of the families of Ladan. ¹⁰ The sons of Shimei were Jahath, Zizah, Jeush, and Beriah; these were the sons of Shimei, four in all. ¹¹ Jahath was the chief and Zizah was second to him; but Jeush and Beriah had few sons, and therefore they were classed as a single family, exercising a single office.

¹² The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel; four in all.^{(R) 13} The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart to be consecrated as most holy, he and his sons forever, to offer sacrifice before the Lord, to minister to him, and to bless in his name forever.^{(S) 14} As for Moses, however, the man of God, his sons were counted as part of the tribe of Levi. ¹⁵ The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer.^{(T) 16} The sons of Gershom: Shubael the chief.^{(U) 17} The sons of Eliezer were Rehabiah the chief—Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous. ¹⁸ The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief. ¹⁹ The sons of Hebron: Jeriah, the chief, Amariah, the second, Jahaziel, the third, and Jekameam, the fourth.^{(V) 20} The sons of Uzziel: Micah, the chief, and Isshiah, the second.^(W)

²¹ The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.^{(X) 22} Eleazar died leaving no sons, only daughters; the sons of Kish, their kinsmen, married them.^{(Y) 23} The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth; three in all.^(Z)

²⁴ These were the sons of Levi according to their ancestral houses, the family heads as they were enrolled one by one according to their names. They performed the work of the service of the house of the Lord beginning at twenty years of age.^(AA)

²⁵ David said: “The Lord, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people, and has taken up his dwelling in Jerusalem forever.^{(AB) 26} Henceforth the Levites need not carry the tabernacle or any of the equipment for its service.”^{(AC) 27} For by David’s last words the Levites were enlisted from the time they were twenty years old. ²⁸ Their duty is to assist the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of the Lord, having charge of the courts, the chambers, and the preservation of everything holy: they take part in the service of the house of God. ²⁹ They also have charge of the showbread, of the fine flour for the grain offering, of the wafers of unleavened bread, and of the baking and mixing, and of all measures of quantity and size.^{(AD) 30} They are to be present every morning to offer thanks and to praise the Lord, and likewise in the evening;^{(AE) 31} and at every sacrifice of burnt offerings to the Lord on sabbaths, new moons, and feast days, in such numbers as are prescribed, they must always be present before the Lord^{(AF) 32} and observe what is prescribed for them concerning the tent of meeting, the sanctuary, and the sons of Aaron, their kinsmen, in the service of the house of the Lord.^(AG)

Chapter 24

The Priestly Divisions. ¹ There were also divisions for the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.^{(AH) 2} Nadab and Abihu died before their father, leaving no sons; therefore only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.^{(AI) 3} David, with Zadok, a descendant of Eleazar, and Ahimelech, a descendant of Ithamar, apportioned them their offices in the priestly service.^{(AJ) 4} But since the sons of Eleazar were found to be more numerous by male heads than those of Ithamar, the former were divided into sixteen groups, and the latter into eight groups, each under its family heads. ⁵ Their functions were assigned impartially by lot, for there were officers of the holy place, and officers of God, descended both from Eleazar and from Ithamar. ⁶ The scribe Shemaiah, son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded them in the presence of the king, and of the officials, of Zadok the priest, and of Ahimelech, son of Abiathar,^[d] and of the heads of the ancestral houses of the priests and of the Levites, listing two successive family groups from Eleazar before each one from Ithamar.^(AK)

^7 (AL)The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, ⁸ the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, ⁹ the fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin, ¹⁰ the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah,^{(AM) 11} the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah, ¹² the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, ¹³ the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Ishbaal, ¹⁴ the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, ¹⁵ the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez, ¹⁶ the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel, ¹⁷ the twenty-first to Jachin, the twenty-second to Gamul, ¹⁸ the twenty-third to Delaiah, the twenty-fourth to Maaziah. ¹⁹ This was the appointed order of their service when they functioned in the house of the Lord according to the precepts given them by Aaron, their father, as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded him.^(AN)

Other Levites. ^20 (AO)Of the remaining Levites, there were Shubael, of the sons of Amram, and Jehdeiah, of the sons of Shubael; ²¹ Isshiah, the chief, of the sons of Rehabiah; ²² Shelomith of the Izharites, and Jahath of the sons of Shelomith. ²³ The sons of Hebron were Jeriah, the chief, Amariah, the second, Jahaziel, the third, Jekameam, the fourth. ²⁴ The sons of Uzziel were Micah; Shamir, of the sons of Micah; ²⁵ Isshiah, the brother of Micah; and Zechariah, a descendant of Isshiah. ²⁶ The sons of Merari were Mahli, Mushi, and the sons of his son Uzziah. ²⁷ The sons of Merari through his son Uzziah: Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri. ²⁸ The sons of Mahli were Eleazar, who had no sons, ²⁹ and Jerahmeel, of the sons of Kish. ³⁰ The sons of Mushi were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.

These were the sons of the Levites according to their ancestral houses. ³¹ They too, in the same manner as their kinsmen, the sons of Aaron, cast lots in the presence of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of the priestly and levitical families; the more important family did so in the same way as the less important one.^(AP)

Chapter 2

God’s Just Judgment. ^1 [a]Therefore, you are without excuse,^(A) every one of you who passes judgment.^[b] For by the standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the very same things. ² We know that the judgment of God on those who do such things is true. ³ Do you suppose, then, you who judge those who engage in such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?^{(B) 4} Or do you hold his priceless kindness, forbearance, and patience in low esteem, unaware that the kindness of God would lead you to repentance?^{(C) 5} By your stubbornness and impenitent heart,^(D) you are storing up wrath for yourself for the day of wrath and revelation of the just judgment of God, ^6 (E)who will repay everyone according to his works:^{[c] 7} eternal life to those who seek glory, honor, and immortality through perseverance in good works, ⁸ but wrath and fury to those who selfishly disobey the truth and obey wickedness.^{(F) 9} Yes, affliction and distress will come upon every human being who does evil, Jew first and then Greek. ^10 (G)But there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, Jew first and then Greek. ^11 [d](H)There is no partiality with God.

Judgment by the Interior Law.^{[e] 12} All who sin outside the law will also perish without reference to it, and all who sin under the law will be judged in accordance with it.^{(I) 13} For it is not those who hear the law who are just in the sight of God; rather, those who observe the law will be justified.^{(J) 14} For when the Gentiles who do not have the law by nature observe the prescriptions of the law, they are a law for themselves even though they do not have the law.^{(K) 15} They show that the demands of the law are written in their hearts,^[f] while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even defend them ¹⁶ on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge people’s hidden works through Christ Jesus.^(L)

Judgment by the Mosaic Law.^{[g] 17} Now if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of God^{(M) 18} and know his will and are able to discern what is important since you are instructed from the law,^{(N) 19} and if you are confident that you are a guide for the blind and a light for those in darkness,^{(O) 20} that you are a trainer of the foolish and teacher of the simple,^(P) because in the law you have the formulation of knowledge and truth— ²¹ then you who teach another, are you failing to teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?^{(Q) 22} You who forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob temples? ²³ You who boast of the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? ^24 (R)For, as it is written, “Because of you the name of God is reviled among the Gentiles.”^[h]

^25 (S)Circumcision, to be sure, has value if you observe the law; but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.^{(T) 26} Again, if an uncircumcised man keeps the precepts of the law, will he not be considered circumcised?^{(U) 27} Indeed, those who are physically uncircumcised but carry out the law will pass judgment on you, with your written law and circumcision, who break the law. ²⁸ One is not a Jew outwardly. True circumcision is not outward, in the flesh.^{(V) 29} Rather, one is a Jew inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart, in the spirit, not the letter; his praise is not from human beings but from God.^(W)