David’s Prayer

10 Then David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly. David said,

May you be blessed, Lord God of our father Israel, from eternity to eternity. 11 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to you. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom, and you are exalted as head over all.(A) 12 Riches and honor come from you, and you are the ruler of everything.(B) Power and might are in your hand, and it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all.(C) 13 Now therefore, our God, we give you thanks and praise your glorious name.

14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your own hand.[a] 15 For we are aliens and temporary residents in your presence as were all our ancestors.(D) Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.(E) 16 Lord our God, all this wealth that we’ve provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand; everything belongs to you. 17 I know, my God, that you test the heart(F) and that you are pleased with what is right.(G) I have willingly given all these things with an upright heart, and now I have seen your people who are present[b] here giving joyfully and[c] willingly to you. 18 Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our ancestors, keep this desire forever in the thoughts of the hearts of your people, and confirm their hearts toward you. 19 Give my son Solomon an undivided heart to keep and to carry out all your commands, your decrees, and your statutes,(H) and to build the building for which I have made provision.(I)

20 Then David said to the whole assembly, “Blessed be the Lord your God.” So the whole assembly praised the Lord God of their ancestors.(J) They knelt low and paid homage to the Lord and the king.(K)

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Footnotes

  1. 29:14 Lit and from your hand we have given to you
  2. 29:17 Lit found
  3. 29:17 Or now with joy I’ve seen your people who are present here giving

David Praises the Lord

10 David praised the Lord before the entire assembly:[a]

“O Lord God of our father Israel, you deserve praise forevermore! 11 O Lord, you are great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and sovereign[b] over all the sky and earth! You, Lord, have dominion and exalt yourself as the ruler[c] of all. 12 You are the source of wealth and honor;[d] you rule over all. You possess strength and might to magnify and give strength to all.[e] 13 Now, our God, we give thanks to you and praise your majestic name!

14 “But who am I and who are my people, that we should be in a position to contribute this much?[f] Indeed, everything comes from you, and we have simply given back to you what is yours.[g] 15 For we are resident foreigners and temporary settlers[h] in your presence, as all our ancestors were;[i] our days are like a shadow on the earth, without security.[j] 16 O Lord our God, all this wealth, which we have collected to build a temple for you to honor your holy name, comes from you; it all belongs to you. 17 I know, my God, that you examine thoughts[k] and are pleased with integrity. With pure motives[l] I contribute all this; and now I look with joy as your people who have gathered here contribute to you. 18 O Lord God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, always maintain these motives of your people and keep them devoted to you.[m] 19 Make my son Solomon willing to obey your commands, rules, and regulations, and to complete building the palace for which I have made preparations.”[n]

20 David told the entire assembly: “Praise the Lord your God!” So the entire assembly praised the Lord God of their ancestors; they bowed down and stretched out flat on the ground before the Lord and the king.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 29:10 tn Heb “assembly, and David said.” The words “and David said” are redundant according to contemporary English style and have not been included in the translation.
  2. 1 Chronicles 29:11 tn The words “and sovereign” are added in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
  3. 1 Chronicles 29:11 tn Heb “head.”
  4. 1 Chronicles 29:12 tn Heb “wealth and honor [are] from before you.”
  5. 1 Chronicles 29:12 tn Heb “and in your hand [is] strength and might, and [it is] in your hand to magnify and to give strength to all.”
  6. 1 Chronicles 29:14 tn Heb “that we should retain strength to contribute like this.”
  7. 1 Chronicles 29:14 tn Heb “and from you we have given to you.”
  8. 1 Chronicles 29:15 tn The Hebrew terms ger (גֵּר; “resident foreigner”) and toshav (תּוֹשָׁב; “resident/dweller”) have similar meanings. They are not used here with the technical distinctions of most references in Mosaic Law. 1 Chron 29:15 takes up this language from Lev 25:23 where the terms emphasize that Israel would be a guest on God’s land. This is a privileged but dependent position; they did not own the land. Cf. also Ps 39:12 and Gen 23:4.
  9. 1 Chronicles 29:15 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 18, 20).
  10. 1 Chronicles 29:15 tn Or perhaps “hope.”
  11. 1 Chronicles 29:17 tn Heb “a heart.”
  12. 1 Chronicles 29:17 tn Heb “with integrity of heart.”
  13. 1 Chronicles 29:18 tn Heb “keep this permanently with respect to the motive of the thoughts of the heart of your people, and make firm their heart to you.”
  14. 1 Chronicles 29:19 tn Heb “and to Solomon my son give a complete heart to keep your commands, your rules and your regulations, and to do everything, and to build the palace [for] which I have prepared.”