God’s Promise to David

17 When David moved into his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, I am living in a palace made of cedar, but the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord sits in a tent.”

² Nathan said to David, “Do what you want to do, because God is with you.”

³ But that night God spoke his word to Nathan, saying, ⁴ “Go and tell David my servant, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not the person to build a house for me to live in.

¹¹ When you die and join your ancestors, I will make one of your sons the new king, and I will set up his kingdom. ¹² He will build a house for me, and I will let his kingdom rule always.

⁶ Then David called for his son Solomon and told him to build the Temple for the Lord, the God of Israel. ⁷ David said to him, “My son, I wanted to build a temple for worshiping the Lord my God. ⁸ But the Lord spoke his word to me, ‘David, you have killed many people. You have fought many wars. You cannot build a temple for worship to me, because you have killed many people. ⁹ But, you will have a son, a man of peace and rest. I will give him rest from all his enemies around him. His name will be Solomon,^[a] and I will give Israel peace and quiet while he is king. ¹⁰ Solomon will build a temple for worship to me. He will be my son, and I will be his father. I will make his kingdom strong; someone from his family will rule Israel forever.’”

¹¹ David said, “Now, my son, may the Lord be with you. May you build a temple for the Lord your God, as he said you would. ¹² He will make you the king of Israel. May the Lord give you wisdom and understanding so you will be able to obey the teachings of the Lord your God.

¹⁴ “Solomon, I have worked hard getting many of the materials for building the Temple of the Lord. I have supplied about seven and one-half million pounds of gold, about seventy-five million pounds of silver, so much bronze and iron it cannot be weighed, and wood and stone. You may add to them. ¹⁵ You have many workmen—stonecutters, bricklayers, carpenters, and people skilled in every kind of work. ¹⁶ They are skilled in working with gold, silver, bronze, and iron. You have more craftsmen than can be counted. Now begin the work, and may the Lord be with you.”

¹⁷ Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon.

⁷ That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

⁸ Solomon answered, “You have been very kind to my father David, and you have made me king in his place. ⁹ Now, Lord God, may your promise to my father David come true. You have made me king of a people who are as many as the dust of the earth. ¹⁰ Now give me wisdom and knowledge so I can lead these people in the right way, because no one can rule them without your help.”

¹¹ God said to Solomon, “You have not asked for wealth or riches or honor, or for the death of your enemies, or for a long life. But since you have asked for wisdom and knowledge to lead my people, over whom I have made you king, ¹² I will give you wisdom and knowledge. I will also give you more wealth, riches, and honor than any king who has lived before you or any who will live after you.”