Bible in 90 Days

Chapter 24

The Priestly Classes. ¹ These are the divisions of Aaron.

The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ² Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and they did not have any sons. Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.

³ David, with the help of Zadok, a descendant of Eleazar, and Ahimelech, a descendant of Ithamar, divided them according to the responsibilities of their service.

⁴ A larger number of leaders was found among the descendants of Eleazar than among the descendants of Ithamar. This is how they were divided: for the descendants of Eleazar there were sixteen leaders of the ancestral clans, and for the descendants of Ithamar there were eight leaders of the ancestral clans. ⁵ They divided them by lot, for there were officials of the sanctuary^[a] and officials of God from among the descendants of Eleazar and from among the descendants of Ithamar. ⁶ Shemaiah, the son of Nethanel, the scribe, a Levite, recorded it in the presence of the king and the officials: Zadok the priest and Ahimelech, the son of Abiathar, and the leaders of the ancestral clans of the priests and the Levites, one ancestral clan being taken from Eleazar and then one from Ithamar.

⁷ The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second lot fell to Jedaiah, ⁸ the third lot fell to Harim, the fourth lot fell to Seorim, ⁹ the fifth lot fell to Malchijah, the sixth lot fell to Mijamin, ¹⁰ the seventh lot fell to Hakkoz, the eighth lot fell to Abijah, ¹¹ the ninth lot fell to Jeshua, the tenth lot fell to Shecaniah, ¹² the eleventh lot fell to Eliashib, the twelfth lot fell to Jakim, ¹³ the thirteenth lot fell to Huppah, the fourteenth lot fell to Ishbaal, ¹⁴ the fifteenth lot fell to Bilgah, the sixteenth lot fell to Immer, ¹⁵ the seventeenth lot fell to Hezir, the eighteenth lot fell to Happizzez, ¹⁶ the nineteenth lot fell to Pethahiah, the twentieth lot fell to Jehezkel, ¹⁷ the twenty-first lot fell to Jachin, the twenty-second lot fell to Gamul, ¹⁸ the twenty-third lot fell to Delaiah, and the twenty-fourth lot fell to Maaziah.

¹⁹ This was the appointed order of service when they would come into the temple of the Lord. This was according to the regulations given by Aaron their ancestor as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded.^[b]

²⁰ Other Levites. As for the other descendants of Levi, Shubael was the son of Amram, and Jehdeiah was the son of Shubael.

²¹ The firstborn son of Rehabiah was Isshiah.

²² From the Izharites there was Shelomoth.

Jahath was the son of Shelomoth.

²³ The sons of Hebron were Jeriah, the firstborn, Amariah, the second, Jahaziel, the third, and Jekameam, the fourth.

²⁴ Micah was the son of Uzziel, and Shamir was the son of Micah.

²⁵ Isshiah was the brother of Micah.

Zechariah was the son of Isshiah.

²⁶ The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi and the descendants of his son Uzziah.

²⁷ Among the descendants of Merari, there was Jaaziah, whose sons were Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri.

²⁸ From Mahli there was Eleazar who did not have any sons.

²⁹ From Kish, there was Jerahmeel, the son of Kish.

³⁰ The sons of Mushi were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.

These were the Levites, according to their ancestral clans. ³¹ They also cast lots, just as their brethren, the descendants of Aaron, had done. This was done before King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, the leaders of the ancestral clans of the priests and the Levites. The families of the oldest brother were treated the same as those of the youngest.

Chapter 25

The Musicians. ¹ David, together with the captains of the army, set aside some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun who were to prophesy^[c] with harps, lyres, and cymbals. This is the list of those engaged in their ministry.

² From the sons of Asaph there were Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah. The sons of Asaph were under the direction of Asaph who prophesied at the command of the king.

³ From Jeduthun there were his sons Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah. There were six of them in all. They were under the direction of their father Jeduthun who prophesied using the harp to give thanks and praise to the Lord.

⁴ From Heman there were his sons Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. ⁵ These were all the sons of Heman, the king’s seer. They were given the word of God to exalt him. God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. ⁶ All of these were under the direction of their father. They played music for the temple of the Lord upon cymbals, lyres, and harps, for the ministry of the temple of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the direction of the king.

⁷ Along with their brethren, all of whom were trained and skilled in performing the songs of the Lord, there were two hundred and eighty-eight of them. ⁸ The young and old, the teacher and the student all cast lots.

⁹ The first lot fell to Asaph, to the family of Joseph; the second fell to Gedaliah, who together with his brethren and sons numbered twelve; ¹⁰ the third lot fell to Zaccur, who together with his sons and brethren numbered twelve; ¹¹ the fourth lot fell to Izri, who together with his sons and his brethren numbered twelve; ¹² the fifth lot fell to Nethaniah, who together with his sons and relatives numbered twelve; ¹³ the sixth lot fell to Bukkiah, who together with his sons and relatives numbered twelve; ¹⁴ the seventh lot fell to Jesarelah, who together with his sons and relatives numbered twelve; ¹⁵ the eighth lot fell to Jeshaiah, who together with his sons and relatives numbered twelve; ¹⁶ the ninth lot fell to Mattaniah, who together with his sons and his relatives numbered twelve; ¹⁷ the tenth lot fell to Shimei, who together with his sons and his relatives numbered twelve; ¹⁸ the eleventh lot fell to Uzziel, who together with his sons and his relatives numbered twelve; ¹⁹ the twelfth lot fell to Hashabiah, who together with his sons and his relatives numbered twelve; ²⁰ the thirteenth lot fell to Shubael, who together with his sons and his relatives numbered twelve; ²¹ the fourteenth lot fell to Mattithiah, who together with his sons and his relatives numbered twelve; ²² the fifteenth lot fell to Jeremoth, who together with his sons and his relatives numbered twelve; ²³ the sixteenth lot fell to Hananiah, who together with his sons and his relatives numbered twelve; ²⁴ the seventeenth lot fell to Joshbekashah, who together with his sons and his relatives numbered twelve; ²⁵ the eighteenth lot fell to Hanani, who together with his sons and his relatives numbered twelve; ²⁶ the nineteenth lot fell to Mallothi, who together with his sons and his relatives numbered twelve; ²⁷ the twentieth lot fell to Eliathah, who together with his sons and his relatives numbered twelve; ²⁸ the twenty-first lot fell to Hothir, who together with his sons and his relatives numbered twelve; ²⁹ the twenty-second lot fell to Giddalti, who together with his sons and his relatives numbered twelve; ³⁰ the twenty-third lot fell to Mahazioth, who together with his sons and his relatives numbered twelve; ³¹ the twenty-fourth lot fell to Romamti-ezer, who together with his sons and his relatives numbered twelve.

Chapter 26

Classes of Gatekeepers. ¹ These are the divisions of the gatekeepers.

From the Korahites, there was Meshelemiah, the son of Kore, one of the sons of Abiasaph. ² The sons of Meshelemiah were Zechariah, his firstborn, Jediael, his second, Zebadiah, his third, Jathniel, his fourth, ³ Elam, his fifth, Jehohanan, his sixth, and Eliehoenai, his seventh.

⁴ Obed-edom also had sons. They were Shemaiah, his firstborn, Jehozabad, his second, Joah, his third, Sachar, his fourth, Nethanel, his fifth, ⁵ Ammiel, his sixth, Issachar, his seventh, and Peullethai, his eighth, for God blessed Obed-edom.

⁶ His son Shemaiah also had sons who became the leaders of the ancestral clans because they were most capable. ⁷ The sons of Shemaiah were Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad. His brethren Elihu and Semachiah were also capable men. ⁸ All of these were the descendants of Obed-edom. They and their brethren were capable men, strong enough to do their work. There were sixty-two descendants of Obed-edom in all.

⁹ Meshelemiah had eighteen sons and relatives who were capable men.

¹⁰ The sons of Hosah the Merarite were Shimri, his firstborn (although he was not really the firstborn, his father assigned him the honor of firstborn), ¹¹ Hilkiah, the second, Tebaliah, the third, and Zechariah, the fourth. Hosah had thirteen sons and relatives in all.

¹² These were the divisions of the gatekeepers according to their leaders. Their duties were to minister in the temple of the Lord. ¹³ They cast lots for the gates, the young and the old, according to their ancestral clans.

¹⁴ The lot for the East Gate fell to Meshelemiah. They then cast lots for his son Zechariah who was a wise counselor. His lot came out, and the North Gate was allotted to him. ¹⁵ The lot for the South Gate fell to Obed-edom, and that for the storehouse fell to his sons. ¹⁶ The lot for the West Gate and the Shallecheth Gate on the upper road fell to Shuppim and Hosah.

There were guards alongside of guards. ¹⁷ Each day there were six Levites to the east. Each day there were four to the north. Each day there were four to the south, and there were two at a time for the storehouse. ¹⁸ As for the courtyard^[d] to the west, there were four on the roadway and two in the courtyard itself.

¹⁹ These were the divisions for the gatekeepers who were the descendants of Korah and the descendants of Merari.

²⁰ Treasurers and Other Officials. Their fellow Levites supervised the treasury of the temple of God and the treasury of the dedicated objects. ²¹ The descendants of Ladan, who were Gershonites through Ladan and leaders of the ancestral clans of Ladan the Gershonite were Jehiel, ²² with the sons of Jehiel, who were Zetham and his brother Joel. They were responsible for the treasury of the temple of the Lord.

²³ From the Amramites there were the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites.

²⁴ Shubael, a descendant of Gershom, who was the son of Moses, was the supervisor of the treasury.

²⁵ His relatives through Eliezer were Rehabiah, his son, Jeshaiah, his son, Joram, his son, Zichri, his son, and Shelomith, his son. ²⁶ Shelomith and his brethren were responsible for the treasury of the dedicated objects. They had been dedicated by King David, by the leaders of the ancestral clans, by the captains of the thousands and the hundreds, and by the captains of the army. ²⁷ Some of the spoils taken in battle had been dedicated for the maintenance of the temple of the Lord. ²⁸ There were also all the things that had been dedicated by Samuel the seer, Saul, the son of Kish, Abner, the son of Ner, and Joab, the son of Zeruiah. Whatever had been dedicated was under the supervision of Shelomith and his brethren.

²⁹ Magistrates. From the Izharites there were Chenaniah and his sons who were assigned responsibilities outside of the temple as officials and judges over Israel.

³⁰ From the Hebronites there were Hashabiah and his relatives, one thousand seven hundred capable men, who were officials on the west side of the Jordan for all of the concerns involving the Lord and all of the service to the king.

³¹ From the Hebronites there was Jerijah, who was the leader of the Hebronites according to the generations of the ancestral clans.

In the fortieth year of the reign of David, a search was made, and some of their capable men were found in Jazer of Gilead. ³² He had two thousand seven hundred capable men among his brethren who were the leaders of the ancestral clans. King David made them responsible for any concern of God or any concern of the king among the Reubenites, the Gadites, and among one-half of the tribe of Manasseh.

Chapter 27

Commanders of the Army. ¹ This is the list of the leaders of the ancestral clans of the Israelites, the captains of the thousands and the hundreds, the officials who served the king in anything concerning going out or coming in as they were on duty from month to month, all throughout the year. Each division had twenty-four thousand men.

² Ishbaal, the son of Zabdiel, was in charge of the first division for the first month. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division. ³ He was a descendant of Perez, and he was the leader of all of the captains of the army for the first month.

⁴ Dodai the Ahohite was in charge of the division for the second month. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.

⁵ Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, the priest, was the third leader of the army for the third month. He was the leader, and there were twenty-four thousand men in his division. ⁶ This was the same Benaiah who was a brave warrior from among the Thirty and the leader of the Thirty. His son Ammizabad was in charge of his division.

⁷ Asahel, the brother of Joab, was the fourth for the fourth month. Zebadiah, his son, succeeded him. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.

⁸ Shamhuth the Zerahite was the fifth leader for the fifth month. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.

⁹ Ira, the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite was the sixth for the sixth month. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.

¹⁰ Hellez the Pelonite, an Ephraimite, was the seventh for the seventh month. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.

¹¹ Sibbecai the Hushathite, a Zerahite, was the eighth for the eighth month. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.

¹² Abiezer the Anathothite, a Benjaminite, was the ninth for the ninth month. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.

¹³ Maharai the Netophathite, a Zerahite, was the tenth for the tenth month. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.

¹⁴ Benaiah the Pirathonite, an Ephraimite, was the eleventh for the eleventh month. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.

¹⁵ Heldai the Netophathite from the family of Othniel was the twelfth for the twelfth month. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.

¹⁶ Tribal Heads. The leaders of the tribes of Israel were: for the Reubenites: Eliezer, the son of Zichri; for the Simeonites: Shephatiah, the son of Maacah; ¹⁷ for the Levites: Hashabiah, the son of Kemuel; for the Aaronites: Zadok; ¹⁸ for the Judahites: Eliab, the brother of David; for the Issacharites: Omri, the son of Michael; ¹⁹ for the Zebulunites: Ishmaiah, the son of Obadiah; for the Naphtalites: Jeremoth, the son of Azriel; ²⁰ for the Ephraimites: Hoshea, the son of Azaziah; for one-half of the tribe of Manasseh: Joel, the son of Pedaiah; ²¹ for the other half of the tribe of Manasseh in Gilead: Iddo, the son of Zechariah; for the Benjaminites: Jaasiel, the son of Abner; ²² and for the Danites: Azarel, the son of Jeroham. These were the leaders in charge of the tribes of Israel.

²³ David did not take stock of those who were younger than twenty years old because the Lord had said that Israel would increase to be as many as the stars in the heavens. ²⁴ Joab, the son of Zeruiah, began to count them, but he did not finish when wrath fell upon Israel because of it. Therefore the number was not entered into the chronicles of King David.

²⁵ Administrators. Azmaveth, the son of Adiel, was responsible for the royal treasury. Jonathan, the son of Uzziah, was in charge of the storehouses in the fields, the cities, the villages, and the watchtowers. ²⁶ Ezri, the son of Chelub, was in charge of the field workers who farmed the land. ²⁷ Shimei the Ramathite was in charge of the vineyards. Zabdi the Shiphmite was in charge of the harvest from the vineyards for the wine cellars. ²⁸ Baal-hanan the Gederite was in charge of the olive and sycamore trees on the western slopes. Joash was in charge of the olive oil supply in the cellars. ²⁹ Shitrai the Sharonite was in charge of the grazing herds in Sharon. Shaphat, the 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 was in charge of the flocks.

These were all officials in charge of King David’s possessions. ³² Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a counselor. He was an insightful man, and he was a scribe. Jehiel, the son of Hachamoni, was in charge of the king’s sons. ³³ Ahithophel was the king’s counselor. Hushai the Archite was the king’s companion.^{[e] 34} Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada, the son of Benaiah, and by Abiathar.^[f] Joab was the commander of the king’s army.

Chapter 28

Assembly at Jerusalem.^{[g] 1} David summoned all the leaders of Israel, the leaders of the tribes, the leaders of the divisions for the service of the king, the captains of the thousands, the captains of the hundreds, the officials in charge of all the goods and possessions of the king and his sons, together with the other officials, the mighty men, and the brave warriors to Jerusalem. ² King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brethren, my people. I had my heart set upon building a house to serve as a resting place for the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, the footstool of our God. I made preparations for building it, ³ but God said to me, ‘You will not build a house for my name for you have been a man of war and have shed blood.’

⁴ “Yet, the Lord, the God of Israel, has chosen me from my father’s entire household to be the king over Israel forever, and from Judah he chose me as leader, from the house of Judah, the household of my father and the sons of my father. It pleased him to make me king over all of Israel. ⁵ From my sons, from my many sons whom the Lord has given me, the Lord has chosen Solomon, my son, to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. ⁶ He said to me, ‘Solomon, your son, will build my temple and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. ⁷ I will establish his kingdom forever if he carefully observes my commandments and my ordinances, as they are doing today.’

⁸ “Now therefore, in the sight of all of Israel and the assembly of the Lord and in the hearing of our God, I charge you to carefully observe all of the commandments of the Lord, your God, so that you might possess this good land and it might be an inheritance for your descendants forever.

⁹ “And you, Solomon, my son, know that God is your father. Serve him with all your heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart, and he understands the ponderings of every thought. If you seek him, you will find him, but if you abandon him, then he will cast you off forever. ¹⁰ Take heed, now, that the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do it.”

¹¹ Temple Plans Given to Solomon. David then gave Solomon, his son, the plans for the porch of the temple, its treasuries, its upper chambers, its inner chambers, and the place of the seat of mercy.^{[h] 12} The plans included everything that the Spirit had inspired concerning the courtyards of the temple of the Lord, all of the surrounding chambers, the treasury of the temple of the Lord, and the treasury for the dedicated objects.

¹³ He also told him about the divisions of the priests and Levites, and for all of the work to be done in the service of the temple of the Lord, as well as, for all the vessels used in the service of the temple of the Lord.

¹⁴ He gave the weight of the gold and all the golden implements for the various forms of service, and the weight of the silver in the implements for the various forms of service. ¹⁵ He also told him the weight for the golden lampstands and their lamps, the weight of the gold for each of the lampstands and their lamps, the weight of the silver for the lampstands and their lamps, according to the use of each of the lampstands. ¹⁶ He told him the weight of the gold for each of the tables for the shewbread and likewise the weight of the silver for the silver tables. ¹⁷ He told him the weight of the pure gold for the forks, the sprinkling bowls, and the pitchers, the weight of gold for each of the basins, and the weight of the silver for each of the silver dishes. ¹⁸ He told him the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense. He also gave him the pattern for the chariot, that is, the golden cherubim with outstretched wings that covered the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord.

¹⁹ David said, “This is all in writing for the hand of the Lord was upon me; he gave me understanding of all of the details of the plan.”

²⁰ David also said to Solomon, his son, “Be strong! Be brave! Do it! Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord, the God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor will he abandon you until you have finished all of the work in service of the temple of the Lord. ²¹ Behold, the divisions for the priests and the Levites for all of their service in the temple of the Lord are completed, and you will have at your disposition every type of workman skillful in every craft. The leaders and the people will obey your every command.”

Chapter 29

Gifts for the Temple.^{[i] 1} King David then said to the whole assembly, “My son, Solomon, is the one whom God has chosen. He is young and inexperienced, and the task is great. This is not a palace for a human, but it is for the Lord God.

² “I have made preparations for the temple of the Lord, my God, with all my resources: the gold, the golden objects, the silver, the silver objects, the bronze, the bronze objects, the iron, the iron objects, the wood, the wood objects, the stone, the onyx for settings, the glistening stones of various colors, all types of precious stones, and marble, all of them in great quantities.

³ “Moreover, in my devotion to the temple of my God, I have given gold and silver from my own possessions for the temple of my God in addition to everything that I have prepared for the holy temple. ⁴ This includes three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver to be used for overlaying the walls of the buildings. ⁵ It is also for the gold and the gold objects, the silver and the silver objects, and all types of work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing today to consecrate himself to the Lord?”

⁶ The leaders of the ancestral clans and the tribes of Israel, the captains of the thousands and the hundreds, and the supervisors of the king’s work gave willingly. ⁷ They gave five thousand talents and ten thousand darics^[j] of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. ⁸ Any of those who had found precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord through Jehiel the Gershonite. ⁹ The people rejoiced because they had willingly responded and had given with their whole hearts to the Lord, and King David also rejoiced greatly.

^10 [k]David praised the Lord in front of the whole assembly, and David said:

²⁰ David then said to the whole assembly, “Praise the Lord, your God!” The whole assembly praised the Lord, the God of their fathers. They bowed down their heads, and they fell prostrate before the Lord and the king.

²¹ On the next day they made sacrifices to the Lord and offered burnt offerings to the Lord: one thousand bulls, one thousand rams, and one thousand lambs. There were drink offerings and other sacrifices in abundance for all of Israel. ²² They ate and drank before the Lord that day with great joy.^[l]

Then they acknowledged Solomon, the son of David, as king a second time, and they anointed him before the Lord to be ruler and Zadok to be priest. ²³ Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord in the place of David, his father. He prospered and everyone in Israel obeyed him. ²⁴ All of the leaders and mighty men and all of King David’s sons paid obeisance to King Solomon. ²⁵ The Lord exalted Solomon greatly before all of Israel, and he bestowed upon him majesty and royal dignity as no king in Israel had ever had before him.

²⁶ David, the son of Jesse, reigned over all of Israel. ²⁷ He ruled over Israel for forty years. He reigned for seven years in Hebron, and he reigned for thirty-three years in Jerusalem. ²⁸ He died at a good, old age in the fullness of his years. He had enjoyed wealth and honor. Then Solomon, his son, reigned in his stead.

^29 [m]As for the other deeds of King David, from the beginning to the end, they are written in the Book of Samuel the Seer, the Book of Nathan the Prophet, and in the Book of Gad the Seer, ³⁰ along with all of the details of his reign and his might and his own times and those of Israel and of all the kingdoms of the other lands.

The Reign of Solomon

Chapter 1

Solomon’s Wisdom.^{[n] 1} Solomon, the son of David, strengthened his hold on the kingdom, for the Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly powerful.

² After summoning all Israel, Solomon addressed the commanders of units of thousands and hundreds, the judges, and all the leaders in Israel, the heads of families. ³ Then, accompanied by the entire assembly, he went to the high place at Gibeon where God’s meeting tent was located, the tent that Moses, the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness. ⁴ However, David had brought up the Ark of the Covenant from Kiriath-jearim to the place that David had prepared for it, having pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.

⁵ In addition, the bronze altar that Bezalel, the son of Hur, had made was also there in front of the tabernacle of the Lord, and Solomon and the assembly frequently consulted him. ⁶ Solomon also offered one thousand burnt offerings upon the bronze altar which was at the meeting tent.

⁷ That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him: “Ask what you wish me to grant you.” ⁸ Solomon replied to God: “You have shown great and faithful love to my father, and you have granted me the privilege of succeeding him as king. ⁹ O Lord God, let your promise to my father David now be fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. ¹⁰ Therefore, now grant me wisdom and knowledge to lead this people, for without your help who can rule this great people of yours?”

¹¹ Then God replied to Solomon: “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth or possessions or honor, or for the lives of those who are hostile to you, or even for a long life for yourself, but instead have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself so that you may govern my people over whom I have designated you to be king, ¹² wisdom and knowledge will be granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and glory such as no king before you has had and none after you shall be granted.”^[o]

¹³ Solomon’s Wealth.^[p] Then Solomon returned to Jerusalem from the meeting tent to the high place at Gibeon, and he reigned as king over Israel. ¹⁴ He accumulated vast numbers of chariots and horses, amassing fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses. He stationed some in the chariot cities, and the rest with the king at Jerusalem.

¹⁵ In Jerusalem the king made silver and gold as common as stones, and he made cedars as plentiful as the sycamores in the lowlands. ¹⁶ Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Cilicia, obtained by the king’s traders from Cilicia at the prevailing price. ¹⁷ The traders would import chariots from Egypt for six hundred shekels apiece, and horses from Cilicia for one hundred and fifty shekels apiece. They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the Arameans.

Chapter 2

Final Preparations for the Temple. ¹ Solomon then resolved to build a house to honor the Lord as well as a palace for himself. ² Therefore, he conscripted seventy thousand men to carry the stone and eighty thousand men to serve as stonecutters, as well as three thousand six hundred men to oversee them.

³ Then Solomon sent this message to King Huram of Tyre: “Some time ago you dealt with my father David, sending him cedars to build a palace in which he would dwell. ⁴ Now I am preparing to build a house in honor of the Lord, my God, and to consecrate it to him so that fragrant incense can be burned before him, along with the perpetual display of the loaves of permanent offering, for burnt offerings morning and evening, and for the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the festivals of the Lord, our God, as is ordained forever for Israel.

⁵ “The house that I intend to build must be large, since our God is greater than all other gods. ⁶ But who is really able to build a house for him when the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him? And who am I to build a house for him, except as a place to make offerings before him?

⁷ “Therefore, now send me an artisan who is highly skilled at working in gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue fabrics, and who is expert in the art of engraving. I want him to work with the skilled craftsmen in Judah and Jerusalem who were provided by my father David. ⁸ Also send me cedar, cypress, and juniper timber from Lebanon, for I am well aware that your servants are skilled in felling the trees of Lebanon.

“My servants will work with your servants ⁹ in order to prepare for me a vast quantity of timber, for the house that I intend to build will be great in size and a marvel to behold. ¹⁰ Furthermore, I will provide for your servants the woodcutters who fell the trees, twenty thousand kors of wheat, and twenty thousand kors of barley, along with twenty thousand measures of wine and twenty thousand measures of oil.”^[q]

¹¹ In a letter that he sent to King Solomon in response, King Huram of Tyre replied: “Because of the love that the Lord has for his people, he has appointed you as their king.” ¹² Then Huram went on to say: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth. He has given King David a wise son blessed with intelligence and discernment who will build a house for the Lord and a royal palace for himself.

¹³ “I have now sent you Huram-abi,^[r] a skilled artisan and a man of intelligence. ¹⁴ He is the son of a Danite woman and of a father from Tyre. He is skilled in the art of working in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, crimson, and blue fabrics and fine linen. He also is competent to do all sorts of engraving and to execute any design that may be assigned to him, in collaboration with your own skilled craftsmen and those of my lord David, your father.

¹⁵ “And now, let my lord send to his servants the wheat, barley, oil, and wine which he has promised. ¹⁶ We shall cut down all the timber you need from Lebanon and float it all down to you as rafts by sea to Joppa. Then it will be your responsibility to transport it to Jerusalem.”

¹⁷ Shortly thereafter Solomon took a census of all the aliens who were residing in the land of Israel, similar to the census that his father David had taken. There were found to be one hundred and fifty-three thousand six hundred aliens. ¹⁸ Solomon designated seventy thousand of them to be porters, eighty thousand to be stonecutters in the hill country, and three thousand six hundred as overseers to ensure that the people were doing the work assigned to them.

Chapter 3

Construction of the Temple.^{[s] 1} Then Solomon began to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah where the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the site that David had chosen, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. ² He commenced building it on the second day of the second month of the fourth year of his reign.

³ These are the measurements specified by Solomon for building the house of God. According to the old standard of measurement, its length was sixty cubits and its width was twenty cubits.^{[t] 4} The vestibule was twenty cubits long, spanning the entire breadth of the house of God, and its height was also twenty cubits.

⁵ He overlaid the nave with cypress, which he covered with fine gold and embossed with palms and chains. ⁶ He also adorned the house beautifully with settings of precious stones and with gold from Parvaim. ⁷ Then he overlaid the house with gold, including its beams, its thresholds, its walls, and its doors, and he carved cherubim on the walls.

⁸ He also made the Holy of Holies. Its length, corresponding to the width of the house, was twenty cubits, and its width was also twenty cubits. He overlaid all of it with six hundred talents of fine gold. ⁹ The weight of the gold nails was fifty shekels. He also overlaid the upper chambers with gold.

¹⁰ For the Holy of Holies he made two carved cherubim which were then overlaid with gold. ¹¹ The wings of the cherubim^[u] together had a total span of twenty cubits. A wing of one cherub, five cubits in length, extended to a wall of the building, while the other wing reached out to meet a wing of the other cherub. ¹² Similarly, one wing of the second cherub also extended five cubits to touch the other wall of the building, while its other wing reached out to meet a wing of the first cherub.

¹³ The combined wings of these two cherubim extended twenty cubits. They stood with their feet on the ground, facing the nave. ¹⁴ Solomon also made the curtain^[v] of purple, crimson, and blue fabrics and fine linen and embroidered it with winged creatures.

¹⁵ In front of the temple he erected two pillars that totaled thirty-five cubits high, with a capital measuring five cubits on the top of each pillar. ¹⁶ Next he made chains in the form of a necklace and put them on the tops of the pillars, and then he carved one hundred pomegranates and attached them to the chains. ¹⁷ Finally, he erected the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right and the other on the left. The one on the right he called Jachin, and the one on the left he called Boaz.

Chapter 4

¹ Then Solomon made a bronze altar twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and ten cubits high. ² After that, he made the sea of cast metal. It was circular in shape, ten cubits from rim to rim, and five cubits high.

³ Under the sea and completely encircling the thirty cubits of its circumference there was a ring of figures of oxen in two rows, ten to the cubit. ⁴ It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The hindquarters of each faced inward, and the sea was set on them. ⁵ It was a hand’s breadth in thickness, and its rim was like that of a cup—lily-shaped. It could hold three thousand baths.^[w]

⁶ He also made ten basins for washing, placing five on the right and five on the left. These were to be employed to rinse what would be used for the burnt offerings. However, the sea was for the priests to wash in.

⁷ Then he made ten lampstands of gold as prescribed and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. ⁸ He also made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the right and five on the left, as well as one hundred basins of gold.^[x]

⁹ Next he made the court of the priests and the great courtyard with its gates. After he had overlaid the doors with bronze, ¹⁰ he placed the sea off to the southeast on the right-hand side of the temple.

¹¹ Meanwhile Huram made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. He thus completed all the work he had undertaken for King Solomon on the temple of God: ¹² the two pillars, the bowls, and the two capitals that were on the top of the pillars; the two sets of filigree to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; ¹³ the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, with two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover two bowl-shaped capitals surmounting the two pillars; ¹⁴ the ten stands and the basins on the stands; ¹⁵ the one sea and the twelve oxen that supported it; ¹⁶ likewise the pots, the shovels, and the basins—all of these articles Huram-abi made of burnished bronze cast for King Solomon for the house of the Lord.

¹⁷ Then the king had them cast in the foundry between Succoth and Zeredah in the plain of the Jordan. ¹⁸ Solomon made all these objects in great quantities, and as a result, the weight of the bronze was not determined.

¹⁹ Solomon had all of these articles made for the Lord God: the golden altar, the tables for the bread of the Presence, ^20 [y]the lampstands and their lamps of pure gold to burn before the inner sanctuary as prescribed; ²¹ the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs of the purest gold; ²² the snuffers, the bowls, the ladles, and the firepans of pure gold. As for the entrance to the temple, the inner doors to the Most Holy Place and the doors to the nave of the temple were of gold.

Chapter 5

Dedication of the Temple. ¹ When all the work that Solomon had done was completed, he brought in the treasures that his father David had dedicated, and he deposited the silver, the gold, and all the vessels in the treasuries of the house of God.

² Then Solomon summoned the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes and the princes of the families of Israel, to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from the City of David, which is Zion. ³ All the men of Israel assembled before the king at the festival of the seventh month.

⁴ When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites lifted up the Ark, ⁵ and the priests and the Levites carried it and the meeting tent with all the sacred vessels that it contained. ⁶ King Solomon and the entire congregation of Israel who were present with him assembled before the Ark and sacrificed so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or reckoned.

⁷ Then the priests brought the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, in the Most Holy Place, underneath the wings of the cherubim. ⁸ For the cherubim spread out their wings over the place where the Ark stood, so that they sheltered the Ark and its poles.

⁹ The poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen from outside. They are still there to this very day.^{[z] 10} There was nothing inside the Ark aside from the two tablets which Moses had put there at Horeb when the Lord had made a covenant with the people of Israel after they had departed from Egypt.

¹¹ When the priests emerged from the Holy Place—for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves without regard to their divisions— ¹² all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, with their sons and brothers, dressed themselves in fine linen, with cymbals, lyres, and harps. They were standing to the east of the altar with one hundred and twenty priests, blowing the trumpets.

¹³ The trumpeters and the singers joined in unison to offer praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, and when the volume was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise of the Lord:

the temple was filled with the cloud of the glory of the Lord, ¹⁴ and as a result of the cloud the priests could not continue to minister, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God.

Chapter 6

¹ Then Solomon said:

³ Then the king turned around and blessed the entire assembly of Israelites as they stood before him. ⁴ He said: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has fulfilled with his hand what he promised with his mouth to my father David, when he said: ⁵ ‘From the day I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from any of the tribes of Israel in which to have a temple built to honor my name, nor did I choose any man to be the ruler over my people Israel. ⁶ However, now I have chosen Jerusalem, where I shall be honored, and I have chosen David to rule my people Israel.’

⁷ “My father David was determined to build a temple to honor the Lord, the God of Israel. ⁸ However, the Lord said to him: ‘In wishing to build a temple in my honor, you did well. ⁹ But nevertheless you shall not build the temple. Rather, your son who shall be born to you shall be the one who will build the temple in my name.’

¹⁰ “Now the Lord has fulfilled his promise that he made. For I have succeeded my father David and taken his place on the throne of Israel, as the Lord foretold. In addition, I have built the temple to honor the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹¹ There I have installed the Ark containing the covenant of the Lord that he made with the people of Israel.”

¹² Solomon’s Prayer.^[ab] Then, in the presence of the whole assembly of Israel, Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord and spread out his hands. ¹³ Solomon had made a bronze platform, measuring five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, which he directed to be placed in the center of the courtyard, and he stood on it. Then he knelt down^[ac] in the presence of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.

¹⁴ “Lord, God of Israel,” he said, “there is no God like you in heaven or on earth, as you keep your covenant and show steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart. ¹⁵ You have kept the promise you made to my father David. Indeed, what you promised him with your words you have fulfilled by your deeds.

¹⁶ “And now, Lord, God of Israel, keep the promise you made to your servant David, my father, when you said: ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to sit in my presence on the throne of Israel, provided that your sons are careful to keep to their ways and conform to my law, as you yourself have done.’ ¹⁷ Therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, let this promise be confirmed which you promised to your servant David.

¹⁸ “And yet, will God indeed dwell with the people on earth? If the heavens and even the highest heavens cannot contain you, how much less this temple which I have built! ¹⁹ Look with kindness on your servant’s prayer and his plea, O Lord, my God, heeding the cry and the prayer that your servant makes before you.

²⁰ “May your eyes be forever on this house day and night, the place where you decreed that you would establish your name. Listen to the prayer that your servant offers in your presence. ²¹ Also hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel which they direct toward this place. Listen from your heavenly dwelling, and when you hear, grant us forgiveness.

²² “When anyone sins against his neighbor and is required to take an oath, and he comes forth and swears before your altar in this temple, ²³ then listen from heaven and take the necessary action. Judge your servants, requiting the guilty person and holding him responsible for his conduct, but absolving the innocent person and rewarding him in accordance with his righteousness.

²⁴ “Should your people Israel sin against you and as a result be defeated by an enemy, but then return to you and confess your name and pray and plead to you in this temple, ²⁵ listen to them and forgive the sin of your people Israel and then bring them back to the land that you gave to them and their ancestors.

²⁶ “When the heavens are shut and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, but then they pray toward this place, praise your name, and desist from sin because you have afflicted them, ²⁷ listen to their pleas in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants and of your people Israel. Show them the path of righteousness along which they should walk and send down rain upon your land which you have given to your people as an inheritance.

²⁸ “Should there be famine afflicting the land, or plague, or blight, or mildew, or locusts, or caterpillars, or should enemies besiege your people in any of their cities, or should plague or sickness befall them, ²⁹ then mercifully listen to the prayer or supplication of everyone among your people Israel, each one knowing his own suffering and his own sorrows and stretching out his hands toward this temple. ³⁰ Listen from heaven, your dwelling place, as you grant forgiveness and deal with each man according to his deeds, since you alone know what is in each person’s heart.^{[ad] 31} As a result, the people will fear you and walk in your ways throughout all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our ancestors.

³² “Likewise, when foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel come from a distant land because of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm, and they approach and pray in your temple, ³³ listen from heaven, your dwelling place, and grant whatever they ask of you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may acknowledge your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built bears your name.

³⁴ “If your people go forth to engage in war against their enemies, wherever you choose to send them, and they pray to you, facing toward this city that you have chosen and toward this house that I have built to honor your name, ³⁵ then listen from heaven to their prayer and their supplication, and defend their cause.

³⁶ “When your people sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and in your anger against them you deliver them into the power of the enemy who will carry them away captive to a land far or near, ³⁷ and then, later on, if they come to their senses in the land to which they have been taken as captives and they repent, entreating you in the land of their captivity as they say: ‘We have sinned and done wrong; we have acted wickedly,’ ³⁸ and they repent with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity to which they have been taken, and they pray, turning toward the land which you gave to their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built to honor your name, ³⁹ then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their pleas, uphold their cause, and forgive your people who have sinned against you.

⁴⁰ “Now, O my God, let your eyes be open and your ears be attentive to the prayer offered in this place.

Chapter 7

¹ When Solomon had ended his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, after which the glory of the Lord filled the temple. ² The priests could not enter the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord had filled it.

³ When all the Israelites beheld the fire descending and the glory of the Lord upon the temple, they bowed down upon the pavement with their faces to the ground. Then they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying:

⁴ Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. ⁵ King Solomon offered as a sacrifice twenty-two thousand oxen and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. Thus the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.

The Dedication. ⁶ The priests stood at their appointed posts, as did the Levites, with the musical instruments for the Lord that King David had made for giving thanks to the Lord—for his love endures forever—whenever David used them to offer praise to their accompaniment. Opposite them the priests sounded their trumpets while all the Israelites stood.^[ae]

⁷ Then Solomon consecrated the middle part of the court that lay in front of the house of the Lord. There he presented the burnt offerings and the fatty portions of the shared offerings because the bronze altar which he had made could not hold the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fatty parts.

⁸ After that Solomon, and all Israel with him, a massive congregation, from Lebo-hamath to the Wadi of Egypt, celebrated the festival for seven days. ⁹ On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, inasmuch as they had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days.

¹⁰ On the twenty-third day of the seventh month, Solomon sent the people back to their homes rejoicing and happy in heart because of all the wonderful things that the Lord had granted to David, to Solomon, and to his people Israel.