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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.”

10 Wherefore David blessed Jehovah before all the assembly; and David said, Blessed be thou, O Jehovah, the God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. 11 Thine, O Jehovah, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Jehovah, and thou art exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou rulest over all; and in thy hand is power and might; and in thy hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. 13 Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. 14 But who am I, and what is my people, that we should [a]be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and [b]of thine own have we given thee. 15 For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as all our fathers were: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is no [c]abiding. 16 O Jehovah our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee a house for thy holy name cometh of thy hand, and is all thine own. 17 I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, that are present here, offer willingly unto thee. 18 O Jehovah, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and [d]prepare their heart unto thee; 19 and give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for which I have made provision.

20 And David said to all the assembly, Now bless Jehovah your God. And all the assembly blessed Jehovah, the God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped Jehovah, and the king.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 29:14 Hebrew retain strength.
  2. 1 Chronicles 29:14 Hebrew of thy hand.
  3. 1 Chronicles 29:15 Hebrew hope.
  4. 1 Chronicles 29:18 Or, establish