Then he summoned his son Solomon and instructed him to build a house for the Lord God of Israel. “My son,” David said to Solomon, “It was in my heart to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God,(A) but the word of the Lord came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and waged great wars. You are not to build a house for My name because you have shed so much blood on the ground before Me.(B) But a son will be born to you; he will be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies,(C) for his name will be Solomon,[a](D) and I will give peace and quiet to Israel during his reign.(E) 10 He is the one who will build a house for My name. He will be My son, and I will be his father. I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’(F)

11 “Now, my son, may the Lord be with you,(G) and may you succeed in building the house of the Lord your God, as He said about you. 12 Above all, may the Lord give you insight and understanding when He puts you in charge of Israel so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God.(H) 13 Then you will succeed if you carefully follow the statutes and ordinances the Lord commanded Moses for Israel.(I) Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or discouraged.(J)

14 “Notice I have taken great pains to provide for the house of the Lord—3,775 tons of gold, 37,750 tons of silver,[b](K) and bronze and iron that can’t be weighed because there is so much of it. I have also provided timber and stone, but you will need to add more to them. 15 You also have many workers: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and people skilled in every kind of work 16 in gold, silver, bronze, and iron—beyond number. Now begin the work, and may the Lord be with you.”(L)

17 Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon: 18 “The Lord your God is with you, isn’t He? And hasn’t He given you rest on every side?(M) For He has handed the land’s inhabitants over to me, and the land has been subdued before the Lord and His people. 19 Now determine in your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God.(N) Get started building the Lord God’s sanctuary so that you may bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant and the holy articles of God to the temple that is to be built(O) for the name of Yahweh.”(P)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 22:9 In Hb, the name Solomon sounds like “peace.”
  2. 1 Chronicles 22:14 Lit 100,000 talents of gold and 1,000,000 talents of silver

Instructions to Solomon

David sent for his son Solomon and instructed him to build a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel. David said to Solomon, “My son,[a] I had intended to build a temple for the name of the Lord my God. But the Lord told me: You’ve shed much blood and waged great wars. You won’t build a temple for my name because you’ve spilled so much blood on the ground before me. A son has just been born to you. He’ll be a man of peace, and I’ll give him peace with all his surrounding enemies. In fact, his name will be Solomon,[b] and I’ll give Israel peace and quiet during his reign. 10 He will be the one to build a temple for my name. He’ll become my son, and I’ll become his father, and I’ll establish his royal throne over Israel forever.

11 “Now, my son, may the Lord be with you so that you may successfully build the temple of the Lord your God, as he promised you. 12 May the Lord be sure to give you insight and understanding so that when he appoints you over Israel, you will observe the Instruction from the Lord your God.[c] 13 Then, if you carefully follow the regulations and case laws that the Lord commanded Moses concerning Israel, you’ll prosper. Be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid or lose heart! 14 With great effort I’ve now provided for the Lord’s temple one hundred thousand kikkars of gold, one million kikkars of silver, and so much bronze and iron that it can’t be weighed, as well as wood and stone, though you may add to these. 15 You also have innumerable people to do the work: stonecutters, masons, and carpenters with every skill required for any task, 16 whether in gold, silver, bronze, or iron. So get to work, and may the Lord be with you.”

Instructions to Israel’s leaders

17 Then David ordered all of Israel’s leaders to help his son Solomon: 18 “The Lord your God is with you! He’s given you peace on every side. He’s placed under my power the land’s people, so that the land is under the control of the Lord and his people. 19 Now then, dedicate yourselves to seeking the Lord your God. Get to work and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that the chest containing the Lord’s covenant together with God’s holy equipment may be brought into the temple built for the Lord’s name.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 22:7 LXX, DSS; MT his son
  2. 1 Chronicles 22:9 Solomon sounds like peace in Heb.
  3. 1 Chronicles 22:12 Heb uncertain