1 Chronicles 22
Complete Jewish Bible
22 Then David said, “This is the house of Adonai, God; and this is the altar Isra’el is to use for burnt offerings.” 2 David ordered that the foreigners in the land of Isra’el should be assembled, and he appointed stone-workers to shape stones for building the house of God. 3 David prepared a large store of iron from which to make nails and clamps for the gateway doors and, a quantity of bronze too great to weigh, 4 and cedar logs beyond numbering — because the Tzidonim and the people from Tzor brought cedar logs in abundance to David.
5 David said, “Shlomo my son is young and inexperienced, while the house to be built for Adonai must be so magnificent and splendid that its fame and glory will be known in every country; so I will make preparations for him.” Therefore David made extensive preparations before his death. 6 Then he summoned Shlomo his son and charged him to build a house for Adonai, the God of Isra’el. 7 “My son,” said David to Shlomo, “my heart was set on building a house for the name of Adonai my God. 8 But a message from Adonai came to me, ‘You have shed much blood and fought great wars. You are not to build a house for my name, because you have shed so much blood on the earth in my sight. 9 But you will have a son who will be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his enemies that surround him; for his name is to be Shlomo, and during his reign I will give peace [a] and quiet to Isra’el. 10 It is he who will build a house for my name. He will be my son and I will be his father, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Isra’el forever.’
11 “Now, my son, may Adonai be with you and give you success as you build the house of Adonai your God, in keeping with what he said about you. 12 May Adonai give you common sense and understanding, and may he give you his orders concerning Isra’el, so that you will observe the Torah of Adonai your God. 13 Then you will succeed, if you take care to obey the laws and rulings that Adonai ordered Moshe concerning Isra’el. Be strong, be bold; don’t be afraid or become discouraged!
14 “Now look: despite my difficulties, I have prepared for the house of Adonai 3,300 tons of gold, 33,000 tons of silver, and so much bronze and iron that it can’t be weighed. I’ve also prepared timber and stone, and you can add to it. 15 Moreover, you have plenty of workers — quarrymen, stone-workers, lumbermen, and all kinds of skilled craftsmen to do whatever has to be done with 16 the gold, silver, bronze and iron — they’re beyond number. So get up, and get to work! And may Adonai be with you.”
17 David also ordered all the leaders of Isra’el to help Shlomo his son: 18 “Isn’t Adonai your God with you? Hasn’t he given you rest on every side? For he has put the inhabitants of the land under my power — the land has been subdued before Adonai and his people. 19 Now set your heart and being on seeking Adonai your God. Get up, and build the sanctuary for Adonai, God. Then you can bring the ark for the covenant of Adonai and the holy articles of God into the house that will be built for the name of Adonai.”
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 22:9 Hebrew: shalom
1 Chronicles 22
EasyEnglish Bible
David prepares to build God's temple
22 Then David said, ‘This is the place where the temple of the Lord God will be. The altar for Israel's burnt offerings will also be here.’
2 So David told his officers to bring together all the foreign men who lived in Israel. He chose some of them to cut the stones to build God's house. They would cut the stones to have the right shape. 3 He supplied a lot of iron to make things for the temple. That was for nails and bars to fix the doors at the entrances. He also supplied more bronze than they could weigh. 4 The people from Tyre and Sidon had brought a lot of cedar wood to David. So he provided for the temple more pieces of cedar wood than anyone could count.
5 David said, ‘The Lord's temple must be great and beautiful. It must be famous, so that the people of every nation see how great it is. My son Solomon is young and he has no special skills. So I must prepare everything for him to build the temple.’
So before David died, he prepared all these things.
David tells Solomon to build the temple
6 David sent someone to fetch his son, Solomon. He told him that he must build a temple for the Lord, Israel's God. 7 He said to Solomon, ‘My son, I really wanted to build a house for the Lord my God, to give honour to him. 8 But the Lord said to me, “You have killed many people in the battles that you have fought. So you yourself will not build a house to give me honour. I have seen all the blood of the people that you have killed. 9 But you will have a son who will be a man who lives in peace. I will cause all his enemies to leave him in peace. Yes, his name will be Solomon. While he is king, I will cause Israel to enjoy peace. I will keep them safe from their enemies.[a] 10 He will build a temple to give honour to my name. He will become my son and I will become his father. I will give him descendants to rule Israel as kings for ever.”
11 So, my son, I pray that the Lord will be with you. He will do what he has promised. He will help you to build a temple for the Lord your God. 12 I also pray that the Lord will make you wise so that you understand things properly. I pray that you will obey the Law of the Lord your God as you rule over Israel. 13 You will be successful, if you carefully obey the Lord's commands and rules. Those are the laws that the Lord gave to Moses for Israel. Be strong! Be brave! Do not be afraid, but continue to be strong!
14 Look! I have been careful to prepare the things that you will need to build the Lord's temple. I have got 4,000 tons of gold and 40,000 tons of silver. I have more bronze and iron than anyone can weigh. I have plenty of wood and stone. You will need to get even more than this. 15 You have many workers with special skills. Some know how to cut stone. Others know how to build with stones or with wood. There are men who have skills to make many different kinds of things. 16 They can use gold, silver, bronze and iron to make things. You have more workers than you can count! So now you must start the work! I pray that the Lord will be with you to help you.’
17 Then David sent messages to all the leaders in Israel. He commanded them to help his son Solomon. 18 He said to them, ‘You know that the Lord your God is with you. He has kept you safe from all your enemies. He has put the people who live in this region under my authority. So now the Lord and his people rule over all those nations. 19 So you must serve the Lord your God with all that you are. Start the work! Begin to build the Lord God's holy place. Then you can put the Lord's Covenant Box there, as well as the other holy things. You will put them in the temple that you have built to give honour to the Lord's name.’
Footnotes
- 22:9 The name ‘Solomon’ sounds like the Hebrew word for ‘peace’.
1 Chronicles 22
King James Version
22 Then David said, This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel.
2 And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God.
3 And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings; and brass in abundance without weight;
4 Also cedar trees in abundance: for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar wood to David.
5 And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the Lord must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.
6 Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build an house for the Lord God of Israel.
7 And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God:
8 But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.
9 Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.
10 He shall build an 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 for ever.
11 Now, my son, the Lord be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of the Lord thy God, as he hath said of thee.
12 Only the Lord give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the Lord thy God.
13 Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfil the statutes and judgments which the Lord charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.
14 Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the Lord an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto.
15 Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber, and all manner of cunning men for every manner of work.
16 Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise therefore, and be doing, and the Lord be with thee.
17 David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying,
18 Is not the Lord your God with you? and hath he not given you rest on every side? for he hath given the inhabitants of the land into mine hand; and the land is subdued before the Lord, and before his people.
19 Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the Lord God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the Lord.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
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