Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options
Close CEB

1 Chronicles 26-29
Common English Bible

Gatekeepers

26 The divisions of the gatekeepers: from the Korahites: Meshelemiah, Kore’s son, one of Ebiasaph’s[a] family.

2 Meshelemiah’s family: Zechariah the oldest, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth, 3 Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, and Eliehoenai the seventh.

4 Obed-edom’s family: Shemaiah the oldest, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sachar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth, 5 Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, and Peullethai the eighth. God truly blessed him. 6 To his son Shemaiah were born sons who ruled over their household, because they were valiant men. 7 Shemaiah’s family: Othni, Rephael, Obed, Elzabad, and his relatives, Elihu and Semachiah, who were valiant men. 8 All these were members of Obed-edom’s family, they, their sons, and their relatives. They were valiant and strong in their service, 62 men belonging to Obed-edom. 9 Meshelemiah’s family and relatives, valiant men, numbered 18.

10 Hosah, one of Merari’s family, also had a family: Shimri the first (though he wasn’t the oldest, his father gave him that status), 11 Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, and Zechariah the fourth. All of Hosah’s family and relatives numbered 13.

12 These were the divisions of the gatekeepers with their leaders, who were responsible to minister in the Lord’s temple, along with their relatives. 13 They cast lots for each gate in the same way, whether their household was small or large. 14 The lot for the East Gate fell to Shelemiah. They then cast lots for his son Zechariah, a wise counselor, and his lot indicated the North Gate. 15 Obed-edom was assigned the South Gate, and his sons were assigned the storehouses. 16 Hosah[b] was assigned the West Gate, that is, the chamber[c] gate on the upper road.

The guards had the same task: 17 each day[d] the East had six, the North four, and the South four, with two at each of the storehouses. 18 At the courtyard on the West, there were four at the road and two at the courtyard. 19 These were the divisions of the gatekeepers from Korah’s family and Merari’s family.

20 Their fellow[e] Levites were in charge of the treasuries of God’s temple and the treasuries of the dedicated gifts: 21 from Ladan’s family, the family of the Gershonites belonging to Ladan, and the heads of the households belonging to Ladan the Gershonite: Jehieli. 22 Jehieli’s family: Zetham and Joel his brother were in charge of the treasuries of the Lord’s temple. 23 From the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites, and Uzzielites: 24 Shebuel, a descendant of Gershom, Moses’ son, was the chief officer in charge of the treasuries. 25 His relatives through Eliezer included his son Rehabiah, his son Jeshaiah, his son Joram, his son Zichri, and his son Shelomoth. 26 This Shelomoth and his relatives were in charge of all the treasuries of the gifts dedicated by King David, by the household leaders, by the commanders[f] of the units of a thousand and a hundred, and by the army officers. 27 They had dedicated some of the valuable objects won in battle to repair the Lord’s temple. 28 Everything that was dedicated by Samuel the seer, as well as by Saul, Kish’s son; Abner, Ner’s son; and Joab, Zeruiah’s son—in fact, anything that had been dedicated—was under the supervision of Shelomoth[g] and his relatives.

29 From the Izharites: Chenaniah and his family had responsibilities over Israel outside the temple as officials and judges. 30 From the Hebronites: Hashabiah and his relatives, 1,700 capable men, were put in charge of Israel west of the Jordan concerning all of the Lord’s affairs and the king’s service. 31 From the Hebronites: Jerijah was the head of the Hebronites according to the family records of their households. In the fortieth year of David’s rule, a search was made and capable men were found among them in Jazer in Gilead. 32 Jerijah’s relatives, capable men, were 2,700 heads of households. King David put them in charge of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh concerning all of God’s and the king’s affairs.

Divisions of the military

27 This is the list of the Israelites, the heads of households, the commanders of units of a thousand and a hundred, and their officers. They served the king in every way their divisions required, and they were on duty for a month at a time through all the months of the year. Each division numbered 24,000.

2 In charge of the first division for the first month was Jashobeam, Zabdiel’s son. His division numbered 24,000. 3 He was a Perezite and the head of all the army officers for the first month.

4 In charge of the division for the second month was Dodai the Ahohite.[h] His division numbered 24,000.

5 The third army commander for the third month was Benaiah the chief priest Jehoiada’s son. His division numbered 24,000. 6 This Benaiah was a warrior of the Thirty and in command of the Thirty. In command of his division was his son Ammizabad.

7 The fourth for the fourth month was Asahel, Joab’s brother, and after him his son Zebadiah. His division numbered 24,000.

8 The fifth for the fifth month was the commander Shammoth the Zerahite.[i] His division numbered 24,000.

9 The sixth for the sixth month was Ira the Tekoite Ikkesh’s son. His division numbered 24,000.

10 The seventh for the seventh month was Helez the Pelonite from Ephraim’s family. His division numbered 24,000.

11 The eighth for the eighth month was Sibbecai the Hushathite from the Zerahites. His division numbered 24,000.

12 The ninth for the ninth month was Abiezer of Annathoth from the Benjaminites. His division numbered 24,000.

13 The tenth for the tenth month was Maharai the Netophathite from the Zerahites. His division numbered 24,000.

14 The eleventh for the eleventh month was Benaiah the Pirathonite from Ephraim’s family. His division numbered 24,000.

15 The twelfth for the twelfth month was Heldai the Netophathite from Othniel. His division numbered 24,000.

Tribal leaders

16 In charge of the tribes of Israel:

for the Reubenites—the leader was Eliezer, Zichri’s son;

for the Simeonites—Shephatiah, Maacah’s son;

17 for the Levites—Hashabiah, Kemuel’s son;

for Aaron—Zadok;

18 for Judah—Eliab,[j] one of David’s relatives;

for Issachar—Omri, Michael’s son;

19 for Zebulun—Ishmaiah, Obadiah’s son;

for Naphtali—Jerimoth, Azriel’s son;

20 for the Ephraimites—Hoshea, Azaziah’s son;

for half the tribe of Manasseh—Joel, Pedaiah’s son;

21 for half the tribe[k] of Manasseh in Gilead—Iddo, Zechariah’s son;

for Benjamin—Jaasiel, Abner’s son;

22 for Dan—Azarel, Jeroham’s son.

These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel. 23 But David didn’t count those younger than 20 years of age, because the Lord had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky. 24 Joab, Zeruiah’s son, began to count them, but he never finished. Since Israel experienced wrath because of this, the number wasn’t entered into the official records of King David.

Civil servants

25 In charge of the king’s treasuries—Azmaveth, Adiel’s son;

in charge of the treasuries in the country, cities, villages, and towers—Jonathan, Uzziah’s son;

26 in charge of agricultural workers cultivating the fertile land—Ezri, Chelub’s son;

27 in charge of the vineyards—Shimei the Ramathite;

in charge of the vineyard’s produce for the wine cellars—Zabdi the Shiphmite;

28 in charge of the olive and sycamore trees in the western foothills—Baal-hanan the Gederite;

in charge of the stores of oil—Joash;

29 in charge of the cattle that grazed in Sharon—Shitrai the Sharonite;

in charge of the cattle in the valleys—Shaphat, Adlai’s son;

30 in charge of the camels—Obil the Ishmaelite;

in charge of the female donkeys—Jehdeiah the Meronothite;

31 in charge of the flocks of sheep and goats—Jaziz the Hagrite.

All these were stewards of King David’s property.

Royal advisors

32 Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a counselor, a man of understanding, and a scribe. Jehiel, Hachmoni’s son, took care of the king’s sons. 33 Ahithophel was the king’s counselor, and Hushai the Archite was the king’s political advisor.[l] 34 After Ahithophel came Benaiah’s son Jehoiada, and Abiathar. Joab was commander of the king’s army.

David addresses Israel’s leaders

28 David assembled all of Israel’s leaders in Jerusalem, the leaders of the tribes, the leaders of the divisions that served the king, the commanders of units of a thousand and a hundred, the officials in charge of all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, as well as the officers, warriors, and all the valiant men. 2 Then King David stood up and said:

Listen to me, my relatives and my people. I wanted to build a temple as the permanent home for the chest containing the Lord’s covenant, our God’s footrest. But when I prepared to build it, 3 God said to me, You must not build a temple for my name, because you are a military man and you’ve shed blood. 4 The Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole household to become king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as leader, and within Judah’s family, my household, and among my father’s family he was pleased with me, making me king over all Israel. 5 And from all the many sons the Lord has given me, he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the Lord’s kingdom over Israel. 6 He said to me: Your son Solomon will build my temple and my courtyards, for I’ve chosen him to become my son even as I myself will become his father. 7 I’ll establish his kingdom forever if he remains committed to keeping my commands and case laws as he does now.

8 So now, in the presence of all the Lord’s assembly[m] and with God as our witness, carefully observe all the commands of the Lord your God, so that you may hold on to this good land and pass it on to your children forever. 9 As for you, Solomon, my son, acknowledge your father’s God and serve him with enthusiastic devotion, because the Lord searches every mind and understands the motive behind every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you abandon him, he will reject you forever. 10 Now then, since the Lord has chosen you to build a temple for him[n] as the sanctuary, work hard.

11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plan for the entrance hall, its buildings, treasuries, upper and inner rooms, and the room for the cover.[o] 12 He provided all of the plans he had in mind: for the courtyards of the Lord’s temple, and for all its surrounding rooms where the treasures of God’s temple and the dedicated gifts would be stored; 13 for the divisions of the priests and Levites, for all their responsibilities within the Lord’s temple, and for all the equipment used in its service; 14 for the weight of all the gold equipment used for every kind of service, and the weight of all the silver equipment used for every kind of service; 15 for the weight of the gold lampstands and their gold lamps—the weight of gold for each lampstand with its lamps—and for the weight of each silver lampstand and its lamps depending on how each would be used; 16 for the weight of gold for each table with the stacks of bread, and the silver for the silver tables; 17 for the forks, bowls, and cups of pure gold; for the weight of each gold dish and the weight of each silver dish; 18 for the weight of the incense altar made of refined gold; and for the construction of the chariot—with the gold winged creatures spreading their wings and covering the chest containing the Lord’s covenant. 19 All of this the Lord made clear to David[p] directly in a document, including the plan for all of the work.

20 “Be strong and courageous,” David said to his son Solomon. “Get to work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, because the Lord God, my God, is with you. He’ll neither let you down nor leave you before all the work for the service of the Lord’s temple is done. 21 Here are the divisions of the priests and the Levites who will perform all the service of God’s temple. For all this work you will have willing and able workers with you to do it. The officials and all the people are ready to follow your instructions.”

Offerings for building the temple

29 Then King David said to the whole assembly:

My son Solomon, the one whom God chose, is too inexperienced for this great task, since this temple won’t be for humans but for the Lord God. 2 Using every resource at my disposal, I’ve provided everything for my God’s temple: gold for gold objects, silver for silver objects, bronze for bronze objects, iron for iron objects, lumber for wooden objects, carnelian stones for settings, antimony, colorful stones, every kind of precious stone, and a large amount of marble. 3 What’s more, because of my delight in my God’s temple, I have dedicated my own private treasure of gold and silver to my God’s temple, in addition to all that I’ve provided for the holy temple: 4 three thousand kikkars of gold from the gold of Ophir, seven thousand kikkars of refined silver for covering the walls of the rooms,[q] 5 gold for gold objects, and silver for silver objects, to be used for everything the skilled workers will make. Who else, then, will volunteer, dedicating themselves to the Lord today?

6 Then the leaders of the households, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, and the commanders of the units of a thousand and a hundred, and the supervisors of the king’s work volunteered 7 to give five thousand kikkars and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand kikkars of silver, eighteen thousand kikkars of bronze, and one hundred thousand kikkars of iron for the work on God’s temple. 8 Anyone who had precious stones donated them to the treasury of the Lord’s temple under the care of Jehiel the Gershonite. 9 The people rejoiced at this response, because they had presented their offerings to the Lord so willingly and wholeheartedly. King David also rejoiced greatly.

10 Then David blessed the Lord before the whole assembly:

Blessed are you, Lord,
    God of our ancestor Israel,
        forever and always.
11 To you, Lord, belong greatness and power,
    honor, splendor, and majesty,
        because everything in heaven and on earth belongs to you.
Yours, Lord, is the kingship,
    and you are honored as head of all.
12 You are the source of wealth and honor,
    and you rule over all.
In your hand are strength and might,
    and it is in your power to magnify and strengthen all.
13 And now, our God, we thank you
    and praise your glorious name.
14 Who am I,
    and who are my people,
    that we should be able to offer so willingly?
Since everything comes from you,
    we have given you that which comes from your own hand.
15 To be sure, we are like all our ancestors,
    immigrants without permanent homes.
Our days are like a shadow on the ground,
    and there’s no hope.

16 Lord, our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build you a temple for your holy name comes from your hand and belongs to you. 17 Since I know, my God, that you examine the mind and take delight in honesty, I have freely given all these things with the highest of motives. And now I’ve been delighted to see your people here offering so willingly to you.

18 Lord, God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep these thoughts in the mind of your people forever, and direct their hearts toward you.

19 As for Solomon my son, give him the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands, laws, and regulations—observing all of them—and to build the temple that I have prepared.

20 Then David said to the whole assembly, “Bless the Lord your God,” and the whole assembly blessed the Lord, the God of their ancestors, bowed down, and worshipped before the Lord and the king. 21 On the very next day they offered sacrifices and entirely burned offerings to the Lord—a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, along with their drink offerings—and many other sacrifices for all Israel’s sake. 22 They ate and drank with great joy before the Lord that day and made David’s son Solomon the king.[r] They anointed him[s] in the Lord’s presence as prince, and Zadok as priest. 23 Thus Solomon sat on the Lord’s throne as king, succeeding his father David, and he prospered. All Israel obeyed him, 24 and all the commanders and warriors, as well as all of King David’s sons, submitted to King Solomon’s authority. 25 Moreover, the Lord magnified Solomon before all Israel, giving him such royal majesty as no king before him[t] had enjoyed.

Summary of David’s reign

26 David, Jesse’s son, was king over all Israel. 27 He reigned over Israel for forty years: seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. 28 He died at a good old age, having enjoyed a full life, wealth, and honor; and his son Solomon followed him as king. 29 The account of King David from beginning to end is written in the records of Samuel the seer, Nathan the prophet, and Gad the visionary, 30 including everything concerning his powerful rule, and what happened to him, to Israel, and to all the kingdoms in other lands.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 26:1 LXX; MT Asaph
  2. 1 Chronicles 26:16 MT Shuppim and Hosah
  3. 1 Chronicles 26:16 LXX; MT Shallecheth
  4. 1 Chronicles 26:17 LXX; MT Levites
  5. 1 Chronicles 26:20 LXX; MT Ahijah
  6. 1 Chronicles 26:26 LXX; MT to the commanders
  7. 1 Chronicles 26:28 LXX; MT Shelomith
  8. 1 Chronicles 27:4 LXX; MT adds and his division, and Mikloth the leader.
  9. 1 Chronicles 27:8 Cf 27:11, 13; MT Izrahite
  10. 1 Chronicles 27:18 LXX; MT Elihu
  11. 1 Chronicles 27:21 LXX, Vulg; MT lacks for half the tribe.
  12. 1 Chronicles 27:33 Or friend
  13. 1 Chronicles 28:8 LXX; MT all Israel, the assembly of the Lord
  14. 1 Chronicles 28:10 LXX; MT lacks for him.
  15. 1 Chronicles 28:11 Or mercy seat or perhaps reconciliation cover (Heb kapporet)
  16. 1 Chronicles 28:19 LXX; MT to me
  17. 1 Chronicles 29:4 Or houses
  18. 1 Chronicles 29:22 LXX, Syr; MT adds for the second time.
  19. 1 Chronicles 29:22 LXX; MT lacks him.
  20. 1 Chronicles 29:25 LXX; MT adds in Israel.
Listen to 1 Chronicles 26-29
Close NIV

1 Chronicles 26-29
New International Version

The Gatekeepers

26 The divisions of the gatekeepers:(A)

From the Korahites: Meshelemiah son of Kore, one of the sons of Asaph.

2 Meshelemiah had sons:

Zechariah(B) the firstborn,

Jediael the second,

Zebadiah the third,

Jathniel the fourth,

3 Elam the fifth,

Jehohanan the sixth

and Eliehoenai the seventh.

4 Obed-Edom also had sons:

Shemaiah the firstborn,

Jehozabad the second,

Joah the third,

Sakar the fourth,

Nethanel the fifth,

5 Ammiel the sixth,

Issachar the seventh

and Peullethai the eighth.

(For God had blessed Obed-Edom.(C))

6 Obed-Edom’s son Shemaiah also had sons, who were leaders in their father’s family because they were very capable men. 7 The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, Rephael, Obed and Elzabad; his relatives Elihu and Semakiah were also able men. 8 All these were descendants of Obed-Edom; they and their sons and their relatives were capable men with the strength to do the work—descendants of Obed-Edom, 62 in all.

9 Meshelemiah had sons and relatives, who were able men—18 in all.

10 Hosah the Merarite had sons: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn, his father had appointed him the first),(D) 11 Hilkiah the second, Tabaliah the third and Zechariah the fourth. The sons and relatives of Hosah were 13 in all.

12 These divisions of the gatekeepers, through their leaders, had duties for ministering(E) in the temple of the Lord, just as their relatives had. 13 Lots(F) were cast for each gate, according to their families, young and old alike.

14 The lot for the East Gate(G) fell to Shelemiah.[a] Then lots were cast for his son Zechariah,(H) a wise counselor, and the lot for the North Gate fell to him. 15 The lot for the South Gate fell to Obed-Edom,(I) and the lot for the storehouse fell to his sons. 16 The lots for the West Gate and the Shalleketh Gate on the upper road fell to Shuppim and Hosah.

Guard was alongside of guard: 17 There were six Levites a day on the east, four a day on the north, four a day on the south and two at a time at the storehouse. 18 As for the court[b] to the west, there were four at the road and two at the court[c] itself.

19 These were the divisions of the gatekeepers who were descendants of Korah and Merari.(J)

The Treasurers and Other Officials

20 Their fellow Levites(K) were[d] in charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries for the dedicated things.(L)

21 The descendants of Ladan, who were Gershonites through Ladan and who were heads of families belonging to Ladan the Gershonite,(M) were Jehieli, 22 the sons of Jehieli, Zetham and his brother Joel. They were in charge of the treasuries(N) of the temple of the Lord.

23 From the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites and the Uzzielites:(O)

24 Shubael,(P) a descendant of Gershom son of Moses, was the official in charge of the treasuries. 25 His relatives through Eliezer: Rehabiah his son, Jeshaiah his son, Joram his son, Zikri his son and Shelomith(Q) his son. 26 Shelomith and his relatives were in charge of all the treasuries for the things dedicated(R) by King David, by the heads of families who were the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and by the other army commanders. 27 Some of the plunder taken in battle they dedicated for the repair of the temple of the Lord. 28 And everything dedicated by Samuel the seer(S) and by Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner and Joab son of Zeruiah, and all the other dedicated things were in the care of Shelomith and his relatives.

29 From the Izharites: Kenaniah and his sons were assigned duties away from the temple, as officials and judges(T) over Israel.

30 From the Hebronites: Hashabiah(U) and his relatives—seventeen hundred able men—were responsible in Israel west of the Jordan for all the work of the Lord and for the king’s service. 31 As for the Hebronites,(V) Jeriah was their chief according to the genealogical records of their families. In the fortieth(W) year of David’s reign a search was made in the records, and capable men among the Hebronites were found at Jazer in Gilead. 32 Jeriah had twenty-seven hundred relatives, who were able men and heads of families, and King David put them in charge of the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh for every matter pertaining to God and for the affairs of the king.

Army Divisions

27 This is the list of the Israelites—heads of families, commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and their officers, who served the king in all that concerned the army divisions that were on duty month by month throughout the year. Each division consisted of 24,000 men.

2 In charge of the first division, for the first month, was Jashobeam(X) son of Zabdiel. There were 24,000 men in his division. 3 He was a descendant of Perez and chief of all the army officers for the first month.

4 In charge of the division for the second month was Dodai(Y) the Ahohite; Mikloth was the leader of his division. There were 24,000 men in his division.

5 The third army commander, for the third month, was Benaiah(Z) son of Jehoiada the priest. He was chief and there were 24,000 men in his division. 6 This was the Benaiah who was a mighty warrior among the Thirty and was over the Thirty. His son Ammizabad was in charge of his division.

7 The fourth, for the fourth month, was Asahel(AA) the brother of Joab; his son Zebadiah was his successor. There were 24,000 men in his division.

8 The fifth, for the fifth month, was the commander Shamhuth(AB) the Izrahite. There were 24,000 men in his division.

9 The sixth, for the sixth month, was Ira(AC) the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite. There were 24,000 men in his division.

10 The seventh, for the seventh month, was Helez(AD) the Pelonite, an Ephraimite. There were 24,000 men in his division.

11 The eighth, for the eighth month, was Sibbekai(AE) the Hushathite, a Zerahite. There were 24,000 men in his division.

12 The ninth, for the ninth month, was Abiezer(AF) the Anathothite, a Benjamite. There were 24,000 men in his division.

13 The tenth, for the tenth month, was Maharai(AG) the Netophathite, a Zerahite. There were 24,000 men in his division.

14 The eleventh, for the eleventh month, was Benaiah(AH) the Pirathonite, an Ephraimite. There were 24,000 men in his division.

15 The twelfth, for the twelfth month, was Heldai(AI) the Netophathite, from the family of Othniel.(AJ) There were 24,000 men in his division.

Leaders of the Tribes

16 The leaders of the tribes of Israel:

over the Reubenites: Eliezer son of Zikri;

over the Simeonites: Shephatiah son of Maakah;

17 over Levi: Hashabiah(AK) son of Kemuel;

over Aaron: Zadok;(AL)

18 over Judah: Elihu, a brother of David;

over Issachar: Omri son of Michael;

19 over Zebulun: Ishmaiah son of Obadiah;

over Naphtali: Jerimoth son of Azriel;

20 over the Ephraimites: Hoshea son of Azaziah;

over half the tribe of Manasseh: Joel son of Pedaiah;

21 over the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead: Iddo son of Zechariah;

over Benjamin: Jaasiel son of Abner;

22 over Dan: Azarel son of Jeroham.

These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel.

23 David did not take the number of the men twenty years old or less,(AM) because the Lord had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars(AN) in the sky. 24 Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the men but did not finish. God’s wrath came on Israel on account of this numbering,(AO) and the number was not entered in the book[e] of the annals of King David.

The King’s Overseers

25 Azmaveth son of Adiel was in charge of the royal storehouses.

Jonathan son of Uzziah was in charge of the storehouses in the outlying districts, in the towns, the villages and the watchtowers.

26 Ezri son of Kelub was in charge of the workers who farmed the land.

27 Shimei the Ramathite was in charge of the vineyards.

Zabdi the Shiphmite was in charge of the produce of the vineyards for the wine vats.

28 Baal-Hanan the Gederite was in charge of the olive and sycamore-fig(AP) trees in the western foothills.

Joash was in charge of the supplies of olive oil.

29 Shitrai the Sharonite was in charge of the herds grazing in Sharon.(AQ)

Shaphat son of Adlai was in charge of the herds in the valleys.

30 Obil the Ishmaelite was in charge of the camels.

Jehdeiah the Meronothite was in charge of the donkeys.

31 Jaziz the Hagrite(AR) was in charge of the flocks.

All these were the officials in charge of King David’s property.

32 Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a counselor, a man of insight and a scribe. Jehiel son of Hakmoni took care of the king’s sons.

33 Ahithophel(AS) was the king’s counselor.

Hushai(AT) the Arkite was the king’s confidant. 34 Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada son of Benaiah and by Abiathar.(AU)

Joab(AV) was the commander of the royal army.

David’s Plans for the Temple

28 David summoned(AW) all the officials(AX) of Israel to assemble at Jerusalem: the officers over the tribes, the commanders of the divisions in the service of the king, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the warriors and all the brave fighting men.

2 King David rose to his feet and said: “Listen to me, my fellow Israelites, my people. I had it in my heart(AY) to build a house as a place of rest(AZ) for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, for the footstool(BA) of our God, and I made plans to build it.(BB) 3 But God said to me,(BC) ‘You are not to build a house for my Name,(BD) because you are a warrior and have shed blood.’(BE)

4 “Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me(BF) from my whole family(BG) to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah(BH) as leader, and from the tribe of Judah he chose my family, and from my father’s sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel.(BI) 5 Of all my sons—and the Lord has given me many(BJ)—he has chosen my son Solomon(BK) to sit on the throne(BL) of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. 6 He said to me: ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build(BM) my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son,(BN) and I will be his father. 7 I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws,(BO) as is being done at this time.’

8 “So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel(BP) and of the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands(BQ) of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever.(BR)

9 “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion(BS) and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart(BT) and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him,(BU) he will be found by you; but if you forsake(BV) him, he will reject(BW) you forever. 10 Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.”

11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans(BX) for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement. 12 He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit(BY) had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the Lord and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things.(BZ) 13 He gave him instructions for the divisions(CA) of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of serving in the temple of the Lord, as well as for all the articles to be used in its service. 14 He designated the weight of gold for all the gold articles to be used in various kinds of service, and the weight of silver for all the silver articles to be used in various kinds of service: 15 the weight of gold for the gold lampstands(CB) and their lamps, with the weight for each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand; 16 the weight of gold for each table(CC) for consecrated bread; the weight of silver for the silver tables; 17 the weight of pure gold for the forks, sprinkling bowls(CD) and pitchers; the weight of gold for each gold dish; the weight of silver for each silver dish; 18 and the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense.(CE) He also gave him the plan for the chariot,(CF) that is, the cherubim of gold that spread their wings and overshadow(CG) the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

19 “All this,” David said, “I have in writing as a result of the Lord’s hand on me, and he enabled me to understand all the details(CH) of the plan.(CI)”

20 David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous,(CJ) and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake(CK) you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.(CL) 21 The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing person skilled(CM) in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command.”

Gifts for Building the Temple

29 Then King David said to the whole assembly: “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced.(CN) The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God. 2 With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God—gold(CO) for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise,[f](CP) stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble—all of these in large quantities.(CQ) 3 Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided(CR) for this holy temple: 4 three thousand talents[g] of gold (gold of Ophir)(CS) and seven thousand talents[h] of refined silver,(CT) for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, 5 for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the Lord today?”

6 Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials(CU) in charge of the king’s work gave willingly.(CV) 7 They(CW) gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents[i] and ten thousand darics[j] of gold, ten thousand talents[k] of silver, eighteen thousand talents[l] of bronze and a hundred thousand talents[m] of iron. 8 Anyone who had precious stones(CX) gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite.(CY) 9 The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly(CZ) to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

David’s Prayer

10 David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,

“Praise be to you, Lord,
    the God of our father Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting.
11 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power(DA)
    and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
    for everything in heaven and earth is yours.(DB)
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
    you are exalted as head over all.(DC)
12 Wealth and honor(DD) come from you;
    you are the ruler(DE) of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
    to exalt and give strength to all.
13 Now, our God, we give you thanks,
    and praise your glorious name.

14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this?(DF) Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.(DG) 15 We are foreigners and strangers(DH) in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow,(DI) without hope. 16 Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. 17 I know, my God, that you test the heart(DJ) and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.(DK) 18 Lord, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. 19 And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion(DL) to keep your commands, statutes and decrees(DM) and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided.”(DN)

20 Then David said to the whole assembly, “Praise the Lord your God.” So they all praised the Lord, the God of their fathers; they bowed down, prostrating themselves before the Lord and the king.

Solomon Acknowledged as King(DO)

21 The next day they made sacrifices to the Lord and presented burnt offerings to him:(DP) a thousand bulls, a thousand rams and a thousand male lambs, together with their drink offerings, and other sacrifices in abundance for all Israel.(DQ) 22 They ate and drank with great joy(DR) in the presence of the Lord that day.

Then they acknowledged Solomon son of David as king a second time, anointing him before the Lord to be ruler and Zadok(DS) to be priest. 23 So Solomon sat(DT) on the throne(DU) of the Lord as king in place of his father David. He prospered and all Israel obeyed him. 24 All the officers and warriors, as well as all of King David’s sons,(DV) pledged their submission to King Solomon.

25 The Lord highly exalted(DW) Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him royal splendor(DX) such as no king over Israel ever had before.(DY)

The Death of David(DZ)

26 David son of Jesse was king(EA) over all Israel.(EB) 27 He ruled over Israel forty years—seven in Hebron(EC) and thirty-three in Jerusalem.(ED) 28 He died(EE) at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor. His son Solomon succeeded him as king.(EF)

29 As for the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, they are written in the records of Samuel the seer,(EG) the records of Nathan(EH) the prophet and the records of Gad(EI) the seer, 30 together with the details of his reign and power, and the circumstances that surrounded him and Israel and the kingdoms of all the other lands.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 26:14 A variant of Meshelemiah
  2. 1 Chronicles 26:18 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  3. 1 Chronicles 26:18 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  4. 1 Chronicles 26:20 Septuagint; Hebrew As for the Levites, Ahijah was
  5. 1 Chronicles 27:24 Septuagint; Hebrew number
  6. 1 Chronicles 29:2 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  7. 1 Chronicles 29:4 That is, about 110 tons or about 100 metric tons
  8. 1 Chronicles 29:4 That is, about 260 tons or about 235 metric tons
  9. 1 Chronicles 29:7 That is, about 190 tons or about 170 metric tons
  10. 1 Chronicles 29:7 That is, about 185 pounds or about 84 kilograms
  11. 1 Chronicles 29:7 That is, about 380 tons or about 340 metric tons
  12. 1 Chronicles 29:7 That is, about 675 tons or about 610 metric tons
  13. 1 Chronicles 29:7 That is, about 3,800 tons or about 3,400 metric tons
Next
1 Chronicles 25
2 Chronicles 1
Next
dropdown
Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

July Summer Surge

More on the NIV