Chronological
The Men Who Guarded the Gates
26 Here are the groups of men who guarded the gates.
From the family of Korah came
Meshelemiah, the son of Kore. Kore was one of the sons of Asaph. 2 Meshelemiah had sons.
Zechariah was his first son.
Jediael was his second son.
Zebadiah was the third.
Jathniel was the fourth.
3 Elam was the fifth.
Jehohanan was the sixth.
And Eliehoenai was the seventh.
4 Obed-Edom also had sons.
Shemaiah was his first son.
Jehozabad was his second son.
Joah was the third.
Sakar was the fourth.
Nethanel was the fifth.
5 Ammiel was the sixth.
Issachar was the seventh.
And Peullethai was the eighth.
God had blessed Obed-Edom.
6 Obed-Edom’s son Shemaiah also had sons. They were leaders in their family. That’s because they were men of great ability. 7 The sons of Shemaiah were
Othni, Rephael, Obed and Elzabad.
Elzabad’s relatives Elihu and Semakiah were also capable men.
8 All of them belonged to the family line of Obed-Edom. They and their sons and relatives were capable men. They were strong enough to do their work. The total number of men in the family line of Obed-Edom was 62.
9 Meshelemiah’s sons and relatives were capable men. Their total number was 18.
10 Hosah belonged to the family line of Merari. Hosah’s first son was
Shimri. But Shimri wasn’t the oldest son. His father had made him the first.
11 Hilkiah was Hosah’s second son.
Tabaliah was the third.
Zechariah was the fourth.
The total number of Hosah’s sons and relatives was 13.
12 Those groups of men guarded the gates. They worked under their leaders. They served at the Lord’s temple, just as their relatives had served. 13 Lots were cast for each gate, family by family. Young and old alike were chosen.
14 The lot chosen for the East Gate was for Shelemiah.
Then lots were cast for his son Zechariah, who gave wise advice. The lot chosen for the North Gate was for Zechariah.
15 The lot chosen for the South Gate was for Obed-Edom. The lot chosen for the storeroom was for his sons.
16 Lots were chosen for the West Gate and the Shalleketh Gate on the upper road. Those lots were chosen for Shuppim and Hosah.
One guard stood next to another.
17 There were six Levites a day on the east.
There were four a day on the north.
There were four a day on the south.
And there were two at a time at the storeroom.
18 Two Levite guards were at the courtyard to the west. And four were at the road.
19 Those were the groups of the men who guarded the gates. They belonged to the family lines of Korah and Merari.
Other Officials
20 Men were in charge of the treasures in the house of God. They were the Levite relatives of the men who guarded the gates. These men were also in charge of other treasures that had been set apart for God.
21 Ladan was from the family line of Gershon. Some leaders of families belonged to Ladan’s family line. One of them was Jehieli. 22 The sons of Jehieli were Zetham and his brother Joel. They were in charge of the treasures in the Lord’s temple.
23 Here are the officials who were from the family lines of Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
24 Shubael was from the family line of Moses’ son Gershom. Shubael was the official in charge of the treasures. 25 His relatives through Eliezer included his son Rehabiah. Jeshaiah was Rehabiah’s son. Joram was Jeshaiah’s son. Zikri was Joram’s son. And Shelomith was Zikri’s son.
26 Shelomith and his relatives were in charge of all the treasures that had been set apart for God. King David had set those treasures apart. Some family leaders had also set them apart. They were the commanders of thousands of men and commanders of hundreds. The treasures had also been set apart by other army commanders. 27 Some of the goods that had been taken in battle were set apart to repair the Lord’s temple. 28 Samuel the prophet had set apart some things for God. Saul, the son of Kish, had set apart other things. So had Abner, the son of Ner. And so had Joab, the son of Zeruiah. All these things and everything else that had been set apart were taken care of by Shelomith and his relatives.
29 From the family line of Izhar came
Kenaniah and his sons. They were given duties that were away from the temple. They were officials and judges over Israel.
30 From the family line of Hebron came
Hashabiah and his relatives. They were capable men. The total number was 1,700. It was their duty to serve the king in Israel west of the Jordan River. It was also their duty to do all the Lord’s work there. 31 Jeriah was the chief of the family line of Hebron. That’s based on their family history.
In the 40th year of David’s rule, a search was made in the records. That’s how capable men were found in the family line of Hebron at Jazer in Gilead. 32 Jeriah had 2,700 relatives. They were capable men and family leaders. King David had put them in charge of the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh. They were in charge of matters having to do with God and the king.
The Groups of Fighting Men in the Army
27 Here is the list of the Israelites who served in the king’s army. They included leaders of families. They included commanders of thousands of men and commanders of hundreds. They also included other officers. All of them served the king in everything concerning the army’s fighting groups. These groups were on duty month by month all through the year. The total number of men in each group was 24,000.
2 Jashobeam was in charge of the first fighting group for the first month. He was the son of Zabdiel. The total number of men in Jashobeam’s group was 24,000. 3 He belonged to the family line of Perez. He was chief of all the army officers for the first month.
4 Dodai was in charge of the second fighting group for the second month. He belonged to the family line of Ahoah. Mikloth was the leader of Dodai’s group. The total number of men in Dodai’s group was 24,000.
5 The third army commander for the third month was Benaiah the priest, the son of Jehoiada. Benaiah was the chief. The total number of men in Benaiah’s fighting group was 24,000. 6 That same Benaiah was a mighty warrior among the 30 chiefs. In fact, he was leader over the 30 chiefs. His son Ammizabad was in charge of Benaiah’s group.
7 The fourth commander for the fourth month was Joab’s brother Asahel. Asahel’s son Zebadiah was the next commander after him. The total number of men in Asahel’s fighting group was 24,000.
8 The fifth commander for the fifth month was Shamhuth. He was an Izrahite. The total number of men in Shamhuth’s fighting group was 24,000.
9 The sixth commander for the sixth month was Ira. He was the son of Ikkesh from Tekoa. The total number of men in Ira’s fighting group was 24,000.
10 The seventh commander for the seventh month was Helez. He was a Pelonite from Ephraim. The total number of men in Helez’s fighting group was 24,000.
11 The eighth commander for the eighth month was Sibbekai. He was a Hushathite from Zerah. The total number of men in Sibbekai’s fighting group was 24,000.
12 The ninth commander for the ninth month was Abiezer. He was from Anathoth in Benjamin. The total number of men in Abiezer’s fighting group was 24,000.
13 The tenth commander for the tenth month was Maharai. He was a Netophathite from Zerah. The total number of men in Maharai’s fighting group was 24,000.
14 The 11th commander for the 11th month was Benaiah. He was from Pirathon in Ephraim. The total number of men in Benaiah’s fighting group was 24,000.
15 The 12th commander for the 12th month was Heldai. He was a Netophathite from the family line of Othniel. The total number of men in Heldai’s fighting group was 24,000.
The Leaders of the Tribes
16 Here are the leaders of the tribes of Israel.
Over the tribe of Reuben was Eliezer, the son of Zikri.
Over Simeon was Shephatiah, the son of Maakah.
17 Over Levi was Hashabiah, the son of Kemuel.
Over Aaron was Zadok.
18 Over Judah was Elihu. He was David’s brother.
Over Issachar was Omri, the son of Michael.
19 Over Zebulun was Ishmaiah, the son of Obadiah.
Over Naphtali was Jerimoth, the son of Azriel.
20 Over Ephraim was Hoshea, the son of Azaziah.
Over half of the tribe of Manasseh was Joel, the son of Pedaiah.
21 Over the half of the tribe of Manasseh in Gilead was Iddo, the son of Zechariah.
Over Benjamin was Jaasiel, the son of Abner.
22 Over Dan was Azarel, the son of Jeroham.
These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel.
23 David didn’t count the men who were 20 years old or less. That’s because the Lord had promised to make the people of Israel as many as the stars in the sky. 24 Joab, the son of Zeruiah, began to count the men. But he didn’t finish. The Lord was angry with Israel because David had begun to count the men. So the number wasn’t written down in the official records of King David.
Other Officials of the King
25 Azmaveth was in charge of the royal storerooms. He was the son of Adiel.
Jonathan was in charge of the storerooms in the fields, towns, villages and lookout towers. He was the son of Uzziah.
26 Ezri was in charge of the workers who farmed the land. He was the son of Kelub.
27 Shimei was in charge of the vineyards. He was from Ramah.
Zabdi was in charge of the grapes from the vineyards. He was also in charge of storing the wine. He was a Shiphmite.
28 Baal-Hanan was in charge of the olive trees and sycamore-fig trees in the western hills. He was from Geder.
Joash was in charge of storing the olive oil.
29 Shitrai was in charge of the herds that ate grass in Sharon. He was from Sharon.
Shaphat was in charge of the herds in the valleys. He was the son of Adlai.
30 Obil was in charge of the camels. He was from the family line of Ishmael.
Jehdeiah was in charge of the donkeys. He was from Meronoth.
31 Jaziz was in charge of the flocks. He was a Hagrite.
All these men were the officials in charge of King David’s property.
32 Jonathan was David’s uncle. He gave good advice. He was a man of understanding. He was also a secretary.
Jehiel took care of the king’s sons. He was the son of Hakmoni.
33 Ahithophel was the king’s adviser.
Hushai was the king’s trusted friend. He was an Arkite.
34 Jehoiada and Abiathar became the next advisers after Ahithophel. Jehoiada was the son of Benaiah.
Joab was the commander of the royal army.
David’s Plans for the Temple
28 David asked all the officials of Israel to come together at Jerusalem. He sent for the officers who were over the tribes. He sent for the commanders of the military groups who served the king. He sent for the commanders of thousands of men and commanders of hundreds. He sent for the officials who were in charge of all the royal property and livestock. They belonged to the king and his sons. He sent for the palace officials and the warriors. He also sent for all the brave fighting men.
2 King David stood up. He said, “All of you Israelites, listen to me. With all my heart I wanted to build a house for the Lord. I wanted it to be a place of peace and rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord. The ark is the stool for our God’s feet. I made plans to build the Lord’s house. 3 But God said to me, ‘You are not the one who will build a house for my Name. That is because you are a fighting man. You have spilled people’s blood.’
4 “But the Lord chose me. He is the God of Israel. He chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah to lead the tribes. From the tribe of Judah he chose my family. From my father’s sons he chose me. He was pleased to make me king over the whole nation of Israel. 5 The Lord has given me many sons. From all of them he has chosen my son Solomon. He wants Solomon to sit on the throne of the Lord’s kingdom. He wants him to rule over Israel. 6 The Lord said to me, ‘Your son Solomon is the one who will build my house and my courtyards. I have chosen him to be my son. And I will be his father. 7 I will make his kingdom secure. It will last forever. That will happen if he continues to obey my commands and laws. He must continue to obey them, just as he is doing now.’
8 “So I’m giving you a command in the sight of all the people of Israel. The Lord’s community is watching. And our God is listening. I command you to be careful to follow all the commands of the Lord your God. Then you will own this good land. You will pass it on to your children after you as their share forever.
9 “My son Solomon, always remember the God of your father. Serve him with all your heart. Do it with a mind that wants to obey him. The Lord looks deep down inside every heart. He understands every desire and every thought. If you look to him, you will find him. But if you desert him, he will turn his back on you forever. 10 Think about it. The Lord has chosen you to build a house as a holy place where he can live. So be strong. Get to work.”
11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the porch of the temple. He gave him the plans for its buildings and its storerooms. He gave him the plans for its upper parts and its inside rooms. He gave him the plans for the place where sin is paid for and forgiven. 12 He gave him the plans for everything the Spirit of the Lord had put in his mind. There were plans for the courtyards of the Lord’s temple. There were plans for all the rooms around it. There were plans for the places where the treasure of God’s temple would be kept. There were plans for the places where the things set apart for God would be kept. 13 David told Solomon how to separate the priests and Levites into groups. He gave him directions for all the work they should do when they served in the Lord’s temple. David also showed Solomon how all the objects should be used at the temple. 14 Different things were used for different purposes. David told Solomon how much gold should be used for each gold object. He also told him how much silver should be used for each silver object. 15 He told him how much gold should be used to make each gold lampstand and its lamps. He told him how much silver should be used to make each silver lampstand and its lamps. The amount depended on how each lampstand would be used. 16 David told Solomon how much gold should be used to make each table for holy bread. He told him how much silver should be used to make the silver tables. 17 He told him how much pure gold should be used to make the forks, sprinkling bowls and pitchers. He told him how much gold should be used to make each gold dish. He told him how much silver should be used to make each silver dish. 18 And David told Solomon how much pure gold should be used to make the altar for burning incense. He also gave Solomon the plan for the chariot of the gold cherubim. The cherubim spread their wings over the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
19 David said, “I have written everything down. I wrote it all down as the Lord guided me. He helped me understand every part of the plan.”
20 David also said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and brave. Get to work. Don’t be afraid. Don’t lose hope. The Lord God is my God. He is with you. He won’t fail you. He won’t desert you until all the work for serving in the Lord’s temple is finished. 21 The groups of the priests and Levites are ready to do all the work on God’s temple. Every person who is willing and skilled can help you do all the work. The officials and all the people will obey every command you give them.”
Gifts Are Brought for Building the Temple
29 Then King David spoke to the whole community. He said, “God has chosen my son Solomon. But Solomon is young. He’s never done anything like this before. The task is huge. This grand and wonderful temple won’t be built for human beings. It will be built for the Lord God. 2 With all my riches I’ve done everything I could for the temple of my God. I’ve provided gold for the gold work and silver for the silver work. I’ve provided bronze for the bronze work and iron for the iron work. I’ve given wood for the things that will be made out of wood. I’ve given onyx and turquoise for the settings. I’ve given stones of different colors and all kinds of fine stone and marble. I’ve provided everything in huge amounts. 3 With all my heart I want the temple of my God to be built. So I’m giving my personal treasures of gold and silver for it. I’m adding them to everything else I’ve provided for the holy temple. 4 I’m giving 110 tons of gold and 260 tons of pure silver. Cover the walls of the buildings with it. 5 Use it for the gold work and the silver work. Use it for everything the skilled workers will do. How many of you are willing to set yourselves apart to the Lord today?”
6 Many people were willing to give. They included the leaders of families and the officers of the tribes of Israel. They included the commanders of thousands of men and commanders of hundreds. They also included the officials who were in charge of the king’s work. 7 All of them gave to the work on God’s temple. They gave more than 190 tons of gold and 380 tons of silver. They also gave 675 tons of bronze and 3,800 tons of iron. 8 Anyone who had valuable jewels added them to the treasure for the Lord’s temple. Jehiel was in charge of the temple treasure. He was from the family line of Gershon. 9 The people were happy when they saw what their leaders had been willing to give. The leaders had given freely. With their whole heart they had given everything to the Lord. King David was filled with joy.
David’s Prayer
10 David praised the Lord in front of the whole community. He said,
“Lord, we give you praise.
You are the God of our father Israel.
We give you praise for ever and ever.
11 Lord, you are great and powerful.
Glory, majesty and beauty belong to you.
Everything in heaven and on earth belongs to you.
Lord, the kingdom belongs to you.
You are honored as the one who rules over all.
12 Wealth and honor come from you.
You are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power.
You can give honor and strength to everyone.
13 Our God, we give you thanks.
We praise your glorious name.
14 “But who am I? And who are my people? Without your help we wouldn’t be able to give this much. Everything comes from you. We’ve given back to you only what comes from you. 15 We are outsiders and strangers in your sight. So were all of our people who lived long ago. Our days on this earth are like a shadow. We don’t have any hope. 16 Lord our God, we’ve given more than enough. We’ve provided it to build you a temple where you will put your holy Name. But all of it comes from you. All of it belongs to you. 17 My God, I know that you tested our hearts. And you are pleased when we are honest. I’ve given all these things just because I wanted to. When I did it, I was completely honest with you. Your people here have also been willing to give to you. And I’ve been happy to see this. 18 Lord, you are the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever. Keep their hearts faithful to you. 19 Help my son Solomon serve you with all his heart. Then he will keep your commands and rules. He will do what you require. He’ll do everything to build the grand and wonderful temple I’ve provided for.”
20 Then David said to the whole community, “Praise the Lord your God.” So all of them praised the Lord. He’s the God of their people who lived long ago. The whole community bowed low. They fell down flat with their faces toward the ground. They did it in front of the Lord and the king.
Solomon Becomes the Next King
21 The next day they offered sacrifices to the Lord. They brought burnt offerings to him. They sacrificed 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams and 1,000 male lambs. They also brought the required drink offerings. And they offered many other sacrifices for the whole community of Israel. 22 They ate and drank with great joy that day. They did it in front of the Lord. Then they announced a second time that Solomon was king. He was the son of David. They anointed Solomon in front of the Lord. They anointed him to be ruler. They also anointed Zadok to be priest.
23 So Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord. He ruled as king in place of his father David. Things went well with him. All the people of Israel obeyed him. 24 All the officers and warriors promised to be completely faithful to King Solomon. So did all of King David’s sons.
25 The Lord greatly honored Solomon in the sight of all the people. He gave him royal majesty. Solomon was given more glory than any king over Israel ever had before.
David Dies
26 David was king over the whole nation of Israel. He was the son of Jesse. 27 He ruled over Israel for 40 years. He ruled for seven years in Hebron and for 33 years in Jerusalem. 28 He died when he was very old. He had enjoyed a long life. He had enjoyed wealth and honor. David’s son Solomon became the next king after him.
29 The events of King David’s rule from beginning to end are written down. They are written in the records of Samuel, Nathan and Gad, the prophets. 30 The records tell all about David’s rule and power. They tell about what happened concerning him and Israel and the kingdoms of all the other lands.
A song for those who go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. A psalm of Solomon.
127 If the Lord doesn’t build a house,
the work of the builders is useless.
If the Lord doesn’t watch over a city,
it’s useless for those on guard duty to stand watch over it.
2 It’s useless for you to work from early morning
until late at night
just to get food to eat.
God provides for those he loves even while they sleep.
3 Children are a gift from the Lord.
They are a reward from him.
4 Children who are born to people when they are young
are like arrows in the hands of a soldier.
5 Blessed are those
who have many children.
They won’t be put to shame
when they go up against their enemies in court.
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