David Prepares for Temple Building

22 Then David said, “(A)This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”

So David [a]gave orders to gather (B)the strangers who were in the land of Israel, and (C)he set stonecutters to cut out stones to build the house of God. And David (D)prepared large quantities of iron [b]to make the nails for the doors of the gates and for the clamps, and more (E)bronze than could be weighed; and timbers of cedar beyond number, for (F)the Sidonians and Tyrians brought large quantities of cedar timber to David. David said, “My son (G)Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord shall be exceedingly magnificent, famous, and glorious throughout the lands. Therefore I now will make preparations for it.” So David made ample preparations before his death.

Solomon Commanded to Build the Temple

Then (H)he called for his son Solomon, and commanded him to build a house for the Lord God of Israel. David said to Solomon, “(I)My son, [c]I had intended to build a house for the name of the Lord my God. But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘(J)You have shed much blood and have [d]waged great wars; you shall not build a house to My name, because you have shed so much blood on the earth before Me. Behold, a son will be born to you, who shall be a man of rest, and (K)I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for (L)his name will be [e]Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. 10 (M)He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son and I will be his Father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’ 11 Now, my son, (N)the Lord be with you that you may be successful, and build the house of the Lord your God just as He has spoken concerning you. 12 (O)Only the Lord give you discretion and understanding, and put you in charge of Israel, so that you may (P)keep the Law of the Lord your God. 13 (Q)Then you will prosper, if you are careful to [f]follow the statutes and the ordinances which the Lord commanded Moses concerning Israel. (R)Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be dismayed. 14 Now behold, [g]with great pains I have prepared for the house of the Lord (S)a hundred thousand [h]talents of gold and a million talents of silver, and (T)bronze and iron beyond measure, for [i]they are in great quantity; I have also prepared timber and stone, and you may add to that. 15 Moreover there are many workmen with you, stonecutters, masons of stone, and carpenters; and all of them are skillful in every kind of work. 16 Of the gold, silver, bronze, and iron there is no limit. Arise and work, and may (U)the Lord be with you.”

17 (V)David also commanded all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon, saying, 18 “Is the Lord your God not with you? And (W)has He not given you rest on every side? For He has handed over to me the inhabitants of the land, and the land is subdued before the Lord and before His people. 19 Now (X)set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God; then arise, and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, (Y)so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God into the house that is to be built (Z)for the name of the Lord.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 22:2 Lit said to
  2. 1 Chronicles 22:3 Lit for
  3. 1 Chronicles 22:7 Lit as for me, it was with my heart
  4. 1 Chronicles 22:8 Lit made
  5. 1 Chronicles 22:9 I.e., peaceful
  6. 1 Chronicles 22:13 Lit do the
  7. 1 Chronicles 22:14 Lit in my affliction
  8. 1 Chronicles 22:14 A talent was about 75 lb. or 34 kg
  9. 1 Chronicles 22:14 Lit it is

22 Then David said, This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel.

And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God.

And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings; and brass in abundance without weight;

Also cedar trees in abundance: for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar wood to David.

And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the Lord must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.

Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build an house for the Lord God of Israel.

And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God:

But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.

Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.

10 He shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.

11 Now, my son, the Lord be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of the Lord thy God, as he hath said of thee.

12 Only the Lord give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the Lord thy God.

13 Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfil the statutes and judgments which the Lord charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.

14 Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the Lord an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto.

15 Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber, and all manner of cunning men for every manner of work.

16 Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise therefore, and be doing, and the Lord be with thee.

17 David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying,

18 Is not the Lord your God with you? and hath he not given you rest on every side? for he hath given the inhabitants of the land into mine hand; and the land is subdued before the Lord, and before his people.

19 Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the Lord God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the Lord.

22 Then David said, “Right here at Ornan’s threshing floor is the place where I’ll build the Temple of the Lord and construct the altar for Israel’s burnt offering!”

David now drafted all the resident aliens in Israel to prepare blocks of squared stone for the Temple. They also manufactured iron into the great quantity of nails needed for the doors in the gates and for the clamps; and they smelted so much bronze that it was too much to weigh. The men of Tyre and Sidon brought great rafts of cedar logs to David.

“Solomon my son is young and tender,” David said, “and the Temple of the Lord must be a marvelous structure, famous and glorious throughout the world; so I will begin the preparations for it now.”

So David collected the construction materials before his death. He now commanded his son Solomon to build a Temple for the Lord God of Israel.

“I wanted to build it myself,” David told him, “but the Lord said not to do it. ‘You have killed too many men in great wars,’ he told me. ‘You have reddened the ground before me with blood: so you are not to build my Temple. But I will give you a son,’ he told me, ‘who will be a man of peace, for I will give him peace with his enemies in the surrounding lands. His name shall be Solomon (meaning “Peaceful”), and I will give peace and quietness to Israel during his reign. 10 He shall build my Temple, and he shall be as my own son and I will be his father; and I will cause his sons and his descendants to reign over every generation of Israel.’

11 “So now, my son, may the Lord be with you and prosper you as you do what he told you to do and build the Temple of the Lord. 12 And may the Lord give you the good judgment to follow all his laws when he makes you king of Israel. 13 For if you carefully obey the rules and regulations that he gave to Israel through Moses, you will prosper. Be strong and courageous, fearless and enthusiastic!

14 “By hard work I have collected several billion dollars worth of gold bullion, millions in silver,[a] and so much iron and bronze that I haven’t even weighed it; I have also gathered timber and stone for the walls. This is at least a beginning, something with which to start. 15 And you have many skilled stonemasons and carpenters and craftsmen of every kind. 16 They are expert gold and silver smiths and bronze and iron workers. So get to work, and may the Lord be with you!”

17 Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to assist his son in this project.

18 “The Lord your God is with you,” he declared. “He has given you peace with the surrounding nations, for I have conquered them in the name of the Lord and for his people. 19 Now try with every fiber of your being to obey the Lord your God, and you will soon be bringing the Ark and the other holy articles of worship into the Temple of the Lord!”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 22:14 several billion dollars worth of gold bullion, millions in silver, literally, “a hundred thousand talents of gold” and “a million talents of silver.”