David Prepares for Temple Building

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

So David [a]gave orders to gather (B)the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, and (C)he set stonecutters to hew out stones to build the house of God. David (D)prepared large quantities of iron [b]to make the nails for the doors of the gates and for the clamps, and more (E)bronze than could be weighed; and timbers of cedar logs beyond number, for (F)the Sidonians and Tyrians brought large quantities of cedar timber to David. David said, “My son (G)Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord shall be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all lands. Therefore now I will make preparation for it.” So David made ample preparations before his death.

Solomon Charged with the Task

Then (H)he called for his son Solomon, and charged him to build a house for the Lord God of Israel. David said to Solomon, “(I)My son, [c]I had intended to build a house to the name of the Lord my God. But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘(J)You have shed much blood and have [d]waged great wars; you shall not build a house to My name, because you have shed so much blood on the earth before Me. Behold, a son will be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and (K)I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for (L)his name shall be [e]Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. 10 (M)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, (N)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 (O)Only the Lord give you discretion and understanding, and give you charge over Israel, so that you may (P)keep the law of the Lord your God. 13 (Q)Then you will prosper, if you are careful to observe the statutes and the ordinances which the Lord commanded Moses concerning Israel. (R)Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be dismayed. 14 Now behold, [f]with great pains I have prepared for the house of the Lord (S)100,000 talents of gold and 1,000,000 talents of silver, and (T)bronze and iron beyond weight, for [g]they are in great quantity; also timber and stone I have prepared, and you may add to them. 15 Moreover, there are many workmen with you, stonecutters and masons of stone and carpenters, and all men who are skillful in every kind of work. 16 Of the gold, the silver and the bronze and the iron there is no limit. Arise and work, and may (U)the Lord be with you.”

17 (V)David also commanded all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon, saying, 18 “Is not the Lord your God with you? And (W)has He not given you rest on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the Lord and before His people. 19 Now (X)set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God; arise, therefore, and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, (Y)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 (Z)for the name of the Lord.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 22:2 Lit said to
  2. 1 Chronicles 22:3 Lit for
  3. 1 Chronicles 22:7 Lit as for me, it was in my heart
  4. 1 Chronicles 22:8 Lit made
  5. 1 Chronicles 22:9 I.e. peaceful
  6. 1 Chronicles 22:14 Lit in my affliction
  7. 1 Chronicles 22:14 Lit it is

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

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. 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) He also provided more cedar logs(E) than could be counted, for the Sidonians and Tyrians had brought large numbers of them to David.

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.

Then he called for his son Solomon and charged him to build(H) a house for the Lord, the God of Israel. 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. 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. 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.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 22:9 Solomon sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for peace.
  2. 1 Chronicles 22:14 That is, about 3,750 tons or about 3,400 metric tons
  3. 1 Chronicles 22:14 That is, about 37,500 tons or about 34,000 metric tons

The Excellency of Brotherly Unity.

A Song of Ascents, of David.

133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For (A)brothers to dwell together in unity!
It is like the precious (B)oil upon the head,
Coming down upon the beard,
Even Aaron’s beard,
Coming down upon the (C)edge of his robes.
It is like the (D)dew of (E)Hermon
Coming down upon the (F)mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord (G)commanded the blessing—(H)life forever.

Psalm 133

A song of ascents. Of David.

How good and pleasant it is
    when God’s people live together(A) in unity!(B)

It is like precious oil poured on the head,(C)
    running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
    down on the collar of his robe.
It is as if the dew(D) of Hermon(E)
    were falling on Mount Zion.(F)
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,(G)
    even life forevermore.(H)

Testing the Spirits

(A)Beloved, do not believe every (B)spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because (C)many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: (D)every spirit that (E)confesses that (F)Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that (G)does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the (H)antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and (I)now it is already in the world. You are from God, (J)little children, and (K)have overcome them; because (L)greater is He who is in you than (M)he who is in the world. (N)They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. (O)We are from God; (P)he who knows God listens to us; (Q)he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know (R)the spirit of truth and (S)the spirit of error.

God Is Love

(T)Beloved, let us (U)love one another, for love is from God; and (V)everyone who loves is [a](W)born of God and (X)knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for (Y)God is love. By this the love of God was manifested [b](Z)in us, that (AA)God has sent His [c]only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, (AB)not that we loved God, but that (AC)He loved us and sent His Son to be (AD)the propitiation for our sins. 11 (AE)Beloved, if God so loved us, (AF)we also ought to love one another. 12 (AG)No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His (AH)love is perfected in us. 13 (AI)By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 We have seen and (AJ)testify that the Father has (AK)sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

15 (AL)Whoever confesses that (AM)Jesus is the Son of God, God (AN)abides in him, and he in God. 16 (AO)We have come to know and have believed the love which God has [d](AP)for us. (AQ)God is love, and the one who (AR)abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this, (AS)love is perfected with us, so that we may have (AT)confidence in (AU)the day of judgment; because (AV)as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but (AW)perfect love casts out fear, because fear [e]involves punishment, and the one who fears is not (AX)perfected in love. 19 (AY)We love, because He first loved us. 20 (AZ)If someone says, “I love God,” and (BA)hates his brother, he is a (BB)liar; for (BC)the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, (BD)cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And (BE)this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God (BF)should love his brother also.

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 4:7 Or begotten
  2. 1 John 4:9 Or in our case
  3. 1 John 4:9 Or unique, only one of His kind
  4. 1 John 4:16 Lit in
  5. 1 John 4:18 Lit has

On Denying the Incarnation

Dear friends,(A) do not believe every spirit,(B) but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.(C) This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh(D) is from God,(E) but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,(F) which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.(G)

You, dear children,(H) are from God and have overcome them,(I) because the one who is in you(J) is greater than the one who is in the world.(K) They are from the world(L) and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.(M) This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth(N) and the spirit of falsehood.(O)

God’s Love and Ours

Dear friends, let us love one another,(P) for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God(Q) and knows God.(R) Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.(S) This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son(T) into the world that we might live through him.(U) 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us(V) and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.(W) 11 Dear friends,(X) since God so loved us,(Y) we also ought to love one another.(Z) 12 No one has ever seen God;(AA) but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.(AB)

13 This is how we know(AC) that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.(AD) 14 And we have seen and testify(AE) that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.(AF) 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,(AG) God lives in them and they in God.(AH) 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love.(AI) Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.(AJ) 17 This is how love is made complete(AK) among us so that we will have confidence(AL) on the day of judgment:(AM) In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,(AN) because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

19 We love because he first loved us.(AO) 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister(AP) is a liar.(AQ) For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen,(AR) cannot love God, whom they have not seen.(AS) 21 And he has given us this command:(AT) Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.(AU)

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 4:6 Or spirit