⁵ for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us ^(A)our synagogue.”

¹¹ Then Hiram the king of Tyre answered in a letter that he sent to Solomon, ^(A)“Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you king over them.” ¹² Hiram also said, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, ^(B)who made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, who has discretion and understanding, ^(C)who will build a temple for the Lord and a royal palace for himself.

Overcoming the World

5 ^(A)Everyone who believes that ^(B)Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and ^(C)everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. ^2 (D)By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. ³ For ^(E)this is the love of God, that we ^(F)keep his commandments. And ^(G)his commandments are not burdensome.

¹⁸ Little children, let us not ^(A)love in word or talk but in deed and ^(B)in truth.

¹⁹ By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;

¹⁴ We know that ^(A)we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.

⁶ For in Christ Jesus ^(A)neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but ^(B)only faith working through love.

^27 (A)Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, ^(B)who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, ^28 (C)and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.

³ Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God: ^4 (A)3,000 talents^[a] of gold, of the gold of ^(B)Ophir, and 7,000 talents of refined silver, for overlaying the walls of the house,^{[b] 5} and for all the work to be done by craftsmen, gold for the things of gold and silver for the things of silver. Who then will offer willingly, consecrating himself^[c] today to the Lord?”

⁶ Then ^(C)the leaders of fathers' houses made their freewill offerings, as did also the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and ^(D)the officers over the king's work. ⁷ They gave for the service of the house of God 5,000 talents and 10,000 ^(E)darics^[d] of gold, 10,000 talents of silver, 18,000 talents of bronze and 100,000 talents of iron. ⁸ And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the Lord, in the care of ^(F)Jehiel the Gershonite. ⁹ Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a ^(G)whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

Preparations for Building the Temple

5 ^[a] Now ^(A)Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, ^(B)for Hiram always loved David.