Solomon Charged to Build the Temple

⁶ Then he called for Solomon his son and charged him to build a house for the Lord, the God of Israel. ⁷ David said to Solomon, “My son, ^(A)I had it in my heart to build a house to the name of the Lord my God. ⁸ But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ^(B)‘You have shed much blood and have waged great wars. You shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed so much blood before me on the earth. ⁹ Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of rest. ^(C)I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies. ^(D)For his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. ^10 (E)He shall build a house for my name. ^(F)He shall be my son, and I will be his father, and I will establish his royal throne in Israel forever.’

¹¹ “Now, my son, ^(G)the Lord be with you, so that you may succeed in building the house of the Lord your God, as he has spoken concerning you. ^12 (H)Only, may the Lord grant you discretion and understanding, that when he gives you charge over Israel you may keep the law of the Lord your God. ^13 (I)Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the Lord commanded Moses for Israel. ^(J)Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed. ¹⁴ With great pains I have provided for the house of the Lord ^(K)100,000 talents^[a] of gold, a million talents of silver, and ^(L)bronze and iron beyond weighing, for there is so much of it; timber and stone, too, I have provided. To these you must add. ¹⁵ You have an abundance of workmen: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and all kinds of craftsmen without number, skilled in working ¹⁶ gold, silver, bronze, and iron. Arise and work! ^(M)The Lord be with you!”

¹⁷ David also commanded ^(N)all the leaders of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, ¹⁸ “Is not the Lord your God with you? And ^(O)has he not given you peace^[b] on every side? For he has delivered the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the Lord and his people. ¹⁹ Now ^(P)set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God. Arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, ^(Q)so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God may be brought into a house built ^(R)for the name of the Lord.”