Bible in 90 Days
The Groups of the Priests
24 These were the groups of Aaron’s sons: Aaron’s sons were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 2 But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did. Nadab and Abihu had no sons, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as the priests. 3 David separated the tribes of Eleazar and Ithamar into two different groups. He did this so that these groups could do the duties of work they were given to do. David did this with the help of Zadok and Ahimelech. Zadok was a descendant of Eleazar, and Ahimelech was a descendant of Ithamar. 4 There were more leaders from Eleazar’s family than from Ithamar’s. There were 16 leaders from Eleazar’s family and there were eight leaders from Ithamar’s family. 5 Men were chosen from each family. They were chosen by throwing lots. Some of the men were chosen to be in charge of the Holy Place. And other men were chosen to serve as priests. All these men were from the families of Eleazar and Ithamar.
6 Shemaiah was the secretary.[a] He was Nethanel’s son. Shemaiah was from the tribe of Levi. Shemaiah wrote the names of those descendants. He wrote their names in front of King David and these leaders: Zadok the priest, Ahimelech, and the leaders from the families of the priests and of the Levites. Ahimelech was Abiathar’s son. Each time they threw the lots a man was chosen, and Shemaiah wrote down that man’s name. So they divided the work among groups of men from the families of Eleazar and Ithamar.
7 The first was Jehoiarib’s group.
The second was Jedaiah’s group.
8 The third was Harim’s group.
The fourth was Seorim’s group.
9 The fifth was Malkijah’s group.
The sixth was Mijamin’s group.
10 The seventh was Hakkoz’s group.
The eighth was Abijah’s group.
11 The ninth was Jeshua’s group.
The tenth was Shecaniah’s group.
12 The eleventh was Eliashib’s group.
The twelfth was Jakim’s group.
13 The thirteenth was Huppah’s group.
The fourteenth was Jeshebeab’s group.
14 The fifteenth was Bilgah’s group.
The sixteenth was Immer’s group.
15 The seventeenth was Hezir’s group.
The eighteenth was Happizzez’s group.
16 The nineteenth was Pethahiah’s group.
The twentieth was Jehezkel’s group.
17 The twenty-first was Jakin’s group.
The twenty-second was Gamul’s group.
18 The twenty-third was Delaiah’s group.
The twenty-fourth was Maaziah’s group.
19 These were the groups chosen to serve in the Lord’s Temple. They obeyed Aaron’s rules for serving in the Temple. The Lord, the God of Israel, had given them to Aaron.
The Other Levites
20 These are the names of the rest of Levi’s descendants:
Shubael was a descendant of Amram.
Jehdeiah was a descendant of Shubael.
21 Isshiah was the oldest son of Rehabiah.
22 From the Izhar family group there was Shelomoth.
Jahath was a descendant of Shelomoth.
23 Jeriah was the oldest son of Hebron.
Amariah was Hebron’s second son.
Jahaziel was his third son,
and Jekameam was his fourth son.
24 Uzziel’s son was Micah.
Micah’s son was Shamir.
25 Isshiah was Micah’s brother.
Isshiah’s son was Zechariah.
26 [b] Merari’s descendants were Mahli, Mushi, and Jaaziah his son.
27 Jaaziah son of Merari had sons named Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri.
28 Mahli’s son was Eleazar, but Eleazar did not have sons.
29 Kish’s son was Jerahmeel.
30 Mushi’s sons were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.
These are the leaders of the Levite families. They are listed by their families. 31 They were chosen for special jobs by throwing lots, like their relatives, the priests. The priests were Aaron’s descendants. They threw lots in front of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the leaders of the priests’ and Levite families. The older families and the younger families were treated the same when their jobs were chosen.
The Music Groups
25 David and the leaders of the army separated the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun for special service. Their special service was to prophesy God’s message with harps, lyres, and cymbals. Here is a list of the men who served this way:
2 From Asaph’s family: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah. King David chose Asaph to prophesy. And Asaph led his sons.
3 From Jeduthun’s family: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah. There were six of them. Jeduthun led his sons. Jeduthun used harps to prophesy and give thanks and praise to the Lord.
4 Heman’s sons who served were Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael, and Jerimoth; Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti Ezer; Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. 5 All these men were Heman’s sons. Heman was David’s seer. God promised to make Heman strong. So Heman had many sons. God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.
6 Heman led all his sons in singing in the Lord’s temple.[c] His sons used cymbals, lyres, and harps. That was their way of serving in God’s temple. King David chose these men. 7 These men and their relatives from the tribe of Levi were trained to sing. There were 288 men who learned to sing praises to the Lord. 8 They threw lots to choose the different kinds of work each person was to do. Everyone was treated the same. Young and old were treated the same. And the teacher was treated the same as the student.
9 The first one chosen was Asaph (Joseph).
Second, there were 12 men chosen from Gedaliah’s sons and relatives.
10 Third, there were 12 men chosen from Zaccur’s sons and relatives.
11 Fourth, there were 12 men chosen from Izri’s sons and relatives.
12 Fifth, there were 12 men chosen from Nethaniah’s sons and relatives.
13 Sixth, there were 12 men chosen from Bukkiah’s sons and relatives.
14 Seventh, there were 12 men chosen from Asarelah’s sons and relatives.
15 Eighth, there were 12 men chosen from Jeshaiah’s sons and relatives.
16 Ninth, there were 12 men chosen from Mattaniah’s sons and relatives.
17 Tenth, there were 12 men chosen from Shimei’s sons and relatives.
18 Eleventh, there were 12 men chosen from Azarel’s sons and relatives.
19 Twelfth, there were 12 men chosen from Hashabiah’s sons and relatives.
20 Thirteenth, there were 12 men chosen from Shubael’s sons and relatives.
21 Fourteenth, there were 12 men chosen from Mattithiah’s sons and relatives.
22 Fifteenth, there were 12 men chosen from Jeremoth’s sons and relatives.
23 Sixteenth, there were 12 men chosen from Hananiah’s sons and relatives.
24 Seventeenth, there were 12 men chosen from Joshbekashah’s sons and relatives.
25 Eighteenth, there were 12 men chosen from Hanani’s sons and relatives.
26 Nineteenth, there were 12 men chosen from Mallothi’s sons and relatives.
27 Twentieth, there were 12 men chosen from Eliathah’s sons and relatives.
28 Twenty-first, there were 12 men chosen from Hothir’s sons and relatives.
29 Twenty-second, there were 12 men chosen from Giddalti’s sons and relatives.
30 Twenty-third, there were 12 men chosen from Mahazioth’s sons and relatives.
31 Twenty-fourth, there were 12 men chosen from Romamti Ezer’s sons and relatives.
The Gatekeepers
26 These are the groups of the gatekeepers from the Korah family:
There was Meshelemiah, son of Kore. Kore was from the family of Asaph. 2 Meshelemiah had sons. Zechariah was the oldest son. Jediael was the second son. Zebadiah was the third son. Jathniel was the fourth son. 3 Elam was the fifth son. Jehohanan was the sixth son. And Eliehoenai was the seventh son.
4 Obed Edom had sons. His oldest son was Shemaiah. Jehozabad was his second son. Joah was his third son. Sacar was his fourth son. Nethanel was his fifth son. 5 Ammiel was his sixth son, Issachar his seventh son, and Peullethai his eighth son. God really blessed Obed Edom.[d] 6 Obed Edom’s son was Shemaiah. Shemaiah also had sons. His sons were leaders in their father’s family because they were brave soldiers. 7 Shemaiah’s sons were Othni, Rephael, Obed, Elzabad, Elihu, and Semakiah. Elzabad’s relatives were skilled workers. 8 All these men were Obed Edom’s descendants. These men and their sons and relatives were powerful men. They were good guards. Obed Edom had 62 descendants.
9 Meshelemiah had sons and relatives who were powerful men. In all there were 18 sons and relatives.
10 These are the gatekeepers from the Merari family: Hosah, son of Merari, chose his son Shimri to be the leader, even though he was not the oldest son. 11 Hilkiah was Hosah’s second son, Tebaliah his third, and Zechariah his fourth son. In all Hosah had 13 sons and relatives who were gatekeepers.
12 These were the leaders of the groups of the gatekeepers. The gatekeepers had a special way to serve in the Lord’s Temple, just as their relatives did. 13 Each family was given a gate to guard. Lots were thrown to choose a gate for a family. Young and old were treated the same.
14 Meshelemiah was chosen to guard the East Gate. Then lots were thrown for Meshelemiah’s son Zechariah. Zechariah was a wise counselor. Zechariah was chosen for the North Gate. 15 Obed Edom was chosen for the South Gate. And Obed Edom’s sons were chosen to guard the house where the valuable things were kept. 16 Shuppim and Hosah were chosen for the West Gate and the Shalleketh Gate on the upper road.
Guards stood side by side. 17 Six Levites stood guard every day at the East Gate. Four Levites stood guard every day at the North Gate. Four Levites stood guard at the South Gate. And two Levites guarded the house where the valuable things were kept. 18 There were four guards at the western court[e] and two guards on the road to the court.
19 These were the groups of the gatekeepers from the families of Korah and Merari.
The Treasurers and Other Officials
20 Ahijah was from the tribe of Levi. Ahijah was responsible for taking care of the valuable things in God’s Temple. Ahijah also was responsible for the places where the holy things were kept.
21 Ladan was from Gershon’s family. Jehieli was one of the leaders of the tribe of Ladan. 22 Jehieli’s sons were Zetham and Zetham’s brother Joel. They were responsible for the valuable things in the Lord’s Temple.
23 Other leaders were chosen from the tribes of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
24 Shubael was the leader responsible for the valuable things kept in the Temple. Shubael was Gershom’s son. Gershom was Moses’ son. 25 These were Shubael’s relatives: His relatives from Eliezer were Rehabiah, Eliezer’s son; Jeshaiah, Rehabiah’s son; Joram, Jeshaiah’s son; Zicri, Joram’s son; and Shelomith, Zicri’s son. 26 Shelomith and his relatives were responsible for everything that David had collected for the Temple.
The officers of the army also gave things for the Temple. 27 They gave some of the things taken in wars. They gave these things to be used for the Lord’s Temple. 28 Shelomith and his relatives took care of all the things that people gave to be used for the Temple. This included the things given by Samuel the seer, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah.
29 Kenaniah was from the Izhar family. Kenaniah and his sons had work outside the Temple. They worked as court officers and judges in different places in Israel. 30 Hashabiah was from the Hebron family. Hashabiah and his relatives were responsible for all the Lord’s work and for the king’s business in Israel west of the Jordan River. There were 1700 powerful men in Hashabiah’s group. 31 The family history of the Hebron family shows that Jeriah was their leader. When David had been king for 40 years, he ordered his people to search through the family histories for strong and skilled men. Some of them were found among the Hebron family living in the town of Jazer in Gilead. 32 Jeriah had 2700 relatives who were powerful men and leaders of families. King David gave these 2700 relatives the responsibility of leading the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh in taking care of God’s work and the king’s business.
Army Groups
27 This is the list of the Israelites who served the king in the army. Each group was on duty one month each year. There were rulers of families, captains, generals, and the court officers who served the king. Each army group had 24,000 men.
2 Jashobeam son of Zabdiel was in charge of the first group for the first month. There were 24,000 men in Jashobeam’s group. 3 Jashobeam, one of Perez’s descendants, was leader of all the army officers for the first month.
4 Dodai, from the Ahoahites, was in charge of the army group for the second month. Mikloth was a leader in that group. There were 24,000 men in Dodai’s group.
5 The third commander, for the third month, was Benaiah son of Jehoiada the leading priest. There were 24,000 men in Benaiah’s group. 6 He was the same Benaiah who was a brave soldier from the Thirty Heroes. He led these men. His son Ammizabad was in charge of Banaiah’s group.
7 The fourth commander, for the fourth month, was Asahel the brother of Joab. Later, Asahel’s son Zebadiah took his place as commander. There were 24,000 men in Asahel’s group.
8 The fifth commander, for the fifth month, was Shamhuth from Zerah’s family. There were 24,000 men in Shamhuth’s group.
9 The sixth commander, for the sixth month, was Ira son of Ikkesh from the town of Tekoa. There were 24,000 men in Ira’s group.
10 The seventh commander, for the seventh month, was Helez from the Pelonites and a descendant of Ephraim. There were 24,000 men in Helez’s group.
11 The eighth commander, for the eighth month, was Sibbecai from Hushah and from Zerah’s family. There were 24,000 men in Sibbecai’s group.
12 The ninth commander, for the ninth month, was Abiezer from the town of Anathoth and the tribe of Benjamin. There were 24,000 men in Abiezer’s group.
13 The tenth commander, for the tenth month, was Maharai from Netophah and from Zerah’s family. There were 24,000 men in Maharai’s group.
14 The eleventh commander, for the eleventh month, was Benaiah from Pirathon and the tribe of Ephraim. There were 24,000 men in Benaiah’s group.
15 The twelfth commander, for the twelfth month, was Heldai from Netophah and from Othniel’s family. There were 24,000 men in Heldai’s group.
Leaders of the Tribes of Israel
16 These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel:
Eliezer son of Zicri, leader of the tribe of Reuben;
Shephatiah son of Maacah, leader of the tribe of Simeon;
17 Hashabiah son of Kemuel, leader of the tribe of Levi;
Zadok, leader of the people of Aaron;
18 Elihu, one of David’s brothers, leader of the tribe of Judah;
Omri son of Michael, leader of the tribe of Issachar;
19 Ishmaiah son of Obadiah, leader of the tribe of Zebulun;
Jeremoth son of Azriel, leader of the tribe of Naphtali;
20 Hoshea son of Azaziah, leader of the tribe of Ephraim;
Joel son of Pedaiah, leader of West Manasseh;
21 Iddo son of Zechariah, leader of East Manasseh;
Jaasiel son of Abner, leader of the tribe of Benjamin;
22 Azarel son of Jeroham, leader of the tribe of Dan.
These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel.
David Counts the Israelites
23 David decided to count the men in Israel. There were very many people because the Lord had promised to make the Israelites as many as the stars in the sky. So David counted only the men who were 20 years old and older. 24 Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the people, but he did not finish.[f] God became angry with the Israelites. That is why the number of the people was not put in the book, The History of King David.
The King’s Administrators
25 This is the list of men who were responsible for the king’s property:
Azmaveth son of Adiel was in charge of the king’s storerooms.
Jonathan son of Uzziah was in charge of the storerooms in the small towns, villages, fields, and towers.
26 Ezri son of Kelub was in charge of the field workers.
27 Shimei from Ramah was in charge of the vineyards.
Zabdi from Shepham was in charge of the storage and care of the wine that came from the vineyards.
28 Baal Hanan from Geder was in charge of the olive trees and sycamore trees in the western hill country.
Joash was in charge of storing the olive oil.
29 Shitrai from Sharon was in charge of the cattle around Sharon.
Shaphat son of Adlai was in charge of the cattle 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 sheep.
All these men were the leaders who took care of King David’s property.
32 Jonathan was a wise counselor and a scribe. He was David’s uncle. Jehiel son of Hacmoni took care of the king’s sons. 33 Ahithophel was the king’s counselor. Hushai was the king’s friend. Hushai was from the Arkites. 34 Jehoiada and Abiathar later took Ahithophel’s place as the king’s counselor. Jehoiada was Benaiah’s son. Joab was the commander of the king’s army.
David’s Plans for the Temple
28 David gathered all the leaders of the Israelites and commanded them to come to Jerusalem. David called all the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of the army groups serving the king, the captains, the generals, the officials taking care of the property and animals that belonged to the king and his sons, the king’s important officials, the powerful heroes, and all the brave soldiers.
2 King David stood up and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. In my heart I wanted to build a place to keep the Box of the Lord’s Agreement. I wanted to build a place that would be God’s footstool.[g] And I made the plans for building that house for God. 3 But God said to me, ‘No David, you must not build a house for my name. You must not do that because you are a soldier, and you have killed many men.’
4 “The Lord, the God of Israel, chose the tribe of Judah to lead the twelve tribes of Israel. Then from that tribe he chose my father’s family. And from that family he chose me to be the king of Israel forever. Yes, God wanted to make me king of Israel. 5 The Lord has given me many sons. And from all those sons, he chose Solomon to be the new king of Israel. But really, Israel is the Lord’s kingdom. 6 He said to me, ‘David, your son Solomon will build my Temple and the area around it, because I have chosen Solomon to be my son, and I will be his father.[h] 7 Solomon is obeying my laws and commands now. If he continues to obey my laws, I will make Solomon’s kingdom strong forever.’”
8 David said, “Now, in front of all Israel, the Lord’s people, and before God, I tell you these things: Be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God. Then you can keep this good land and pass it on to your descendants forever.
9 “And you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father. Serve God with a pure heart. Be happy to serve him, because the Lord knows what is in everyone’s heart. He knows what you are thinking. If you go to him for help, you will get an answer. But if you turn away from him, he will leave you forever. 10 Solomon, you must understand that the Lord has chosen you to build his holy place—the Temple. Be strong and finish the job.”
11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for building the Temple. They included plans for the porch around the Temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper rooms, its inside rooms, and the room for the mercy-cover. 12 David had made plans for all parts of the Temple. He gave them to Solomon. David gave him all the plans for the courtyard around the Lord’s Temple and for all the rooms around it. He gave him the plans for the Temple storerooms and for the storerooms where they kept the holy things used in the Temple. 13 David told Solomon about the groups of the priests and Levites. He told Solomon about all the work of serving in the Lord’s Temple and about all the things to be used in the Temple service. 14 David told Solomon how much gold and silver should be used to make all the things to be used in the Temple. 15 There were plans for gold lamps and lampstands, and there were plans for silver lamps and lampstands. David told Solomon how much gold or silver to use for each lampstand and its lamps. The different lampstands were to be used where needed. 16 David told him how much gold should be used for each table for the holy bread and how much silver should be used for the silver tables. 17 He told Solomon how much pure gold should be used to make the forks, sprinkling bowls, and pitchers. He told him how much gold should be used to make each gold dish and how much silver should be used to make each silver dish. 18 He told him how much pure gold should be used for the altar of incense. David also gave Solomon the plans for God’s chariot—the mercy-cover with the Cherub angels spreading their wings over the Box of the Lord’s Agreement. The Cherub angels were made of gold.
19 David said, “All these plans were written with the Lord guiding me. He helped me understand everything in the plans.”
20 David also said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and brave and finish this work. Don’t be afraid, because the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will help you until all the work is finished. He will not leave you. You will build the Lord’s Temple. 21 The groups of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on God’s Temple. Every skilled worker is ready to help you with all the work. The officials and all the people will obey every command you give.”
Gifts for Building the Temple
29 King David said to all the Israelites who were gathered together, “God chose my son Solomon. Solomon is young and does not know all that he needs to do this work. But the work is very important. This house is not for people; this house is for the Lord God. 2 I have done my best to provide what is needed for the building of my God’s Temple. I have given gold for the things made of gold. I have given silver for the things made of silver. I have given bronze for the things made of bronze. I have given iron for the things made of iron. I have given wood for the things made of wood. I have also given onyx stones for the settings,[i] mosaic tiles,[j] all kinds of valuable stones in many different colors, and white marble stones. 3 I am making a special gift of gold and silver things for my God’s Temple. I am doing this because I really want the Temple of my God to be built. I am giving all these things to build this holy Temple. 4 I have given 110 tons[k] of pure gold from Ophir. I have given 263 tons[l] of pure silver. The silver is for covering the walls of the buildings in the Temple. 5 I have given gold and silver for all the things made of gold and silver. I have given gold and silver so that skilled men can make all different kinds of things for the Temple. Now, how many of you Israelites are ready to give yourselves to the Lord today?”
6 The family leaders, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the generals, the captains, and the officials responsible for the king’s work, were all ready and gave their valuable things. 7 These are the things they gave for God’s house: 190 tons[m] of gold; 375 tons[n] of silver; 675 tons[o] of bronze; and 3750 tons[p] of iron. 8 People who had valuable stones gave them to the Lord’s Temple. Jehiel took care of the valuable stones. He was from the Gershon family. 9 The people were very happy because their leaders were willing to give so much. The leaders had given freely to the Lord from good hearts. King David was also very happy.
David’s Beautiful Prayer
10 Then David praised the Lord in front of all the people who were gathered together. David said,
“Lord, the God of Israel, our Father,
may you be praised forever and ever!
11 Greatness, power, glory, victory, and honor belong to you,
because everything in heaven and on earth belongs to you!
The kingdom belongs to you, Lord!
You are the head, the Ruler over everything.
12 Riches and honor come from you.
You rule everything.
You have the power and strength in your hand!
And in your hand is the power to make anyone great and powerful!
13 Now, our God, we thank you,
and we praise your glorious name!
14 All these things didn’t come from me and my people.
All these things come from you.
We are only giving back to you things that came from you.
15 We are only strangers traveling through this world
like our ancestors.
Our time on earth is like a passing shadow,
and we cannot stop it.
16 Lord our God, we gathered all these things to build your Temple.
We build it to honor your name.
But all these things have come from you.
Everything belongs to you.
17 My God, I know that you test people,
and that you are happy when people do what is right.
I gladly give you all these things
with a pure, honest heart.
I see your people gathered here,
and I see that they are happy about giving these things to you.
18 Lord, you are the God of our ancestors,
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Please help your people plan the right things.
Help them be loyal and true to you.
19 And help my son Solomon be true to you.
Help him always obey your commands, laws, and rules.
Help Solomon do these things.
And help him build this Temple that I have planned.”
20 Then David said to all the group of people gathered together, “Now give praise to the Lord your God.” So all the people gave praise to the Lord God, the God their ancestors worshiped. They bowed to the ground to give honor to the Lord and to the king.
Solomon Becomes King
21 The next day the people offered sacrifices and burnt offerings to the Lord—1000 bulls, 1000 rams, 1000 lambs, and the drink offerings that go with them. They offered these and many other sacrifices to the Lord for all the Israelites. 22 That day the people were very happy as they ate and drank there together with the Lord.
And they made David’s son Solomon king the second time.[q] They anointed Solomon to be king, and they anointed Zadok to be priest. They did this in the place where the Lord was.
23 Then Solomon sat on the Lord’s throne as king. Solomon took his father’s place. He was very successful. All the Israelites obeyed him. 24 All the leaders, soldiers, and all of King David’s sons accepted Solomon as king and obeyed him. 25 The Lord made Solomon very great. All the Israelites knew that the Lord was making him great. He gave Solomon the honor that a king should have. No king in Israel before Solomon had such honor.
David’s Death
26-27 David son of Jesse was king over all Israel for 40 years. He was king in the city of Hebron for seven years. Then he was king in the city of Jerusalem for 33 years. 28 David died when he was old. He had lived a good, long life and had many riches and honors. His son Solomon became the new king after him.
29 The things that King David did, from beginning to end, are in the books written by Samuel the seer, Nathan the prophet, and Gad the seer. 30 Those writings tell all about what David did as king of Israel. They tell about David’s power and what happened to him and to Israel and to all the kingdoms around them.
Solomon Asks for Wisdom
1 Solomon, the son of David, became a very strong king, because the Lord his God was with him and made him very great.
2-3 The people of Israel and the captains, generals, judges, leaders, and heads of the families were all gathered together. Solomon spoke to them, and then they all went to the high place at Gibeon. They went there because God’s Meeting Tent was there. The Lord’s servant Moses made this tent when he and the Israelites were in the desert. 4 David had carried God’s Box of the Agreement from Kiriath Jearim to Jerusalem where he had set up another tent for it. 5 But the bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri, who was the son of Hur, had made was in front of the Holy Tent at Gibeon. So Solomon and the people went there to ask the Lord for advice. 6 Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the Lord at the Meeting Tent and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.
7 That night God came to Solomon and said, “Ask me for whatever you want me to give you.”
8 Solomon said to God, “You were very kind to my father David when you allowed me to rule on his throne after him. 9 Now, Lord God, continue to keep your promise to my father David. You made me king over so many people that they are like the dust of the earth. 10 Now give me wisdom and knowledge so that I can lead these people in the right way. No one could rule this great nation without your help.”
11 God said to Solomon, “You have the right attitude. You did not ask for long life and riches for yourself. You did not ask for the death of your enemies. You asked for the wisdom and knowledge so that you can make the right decisions. 12 So I will give you wisdom and knowledge, but I will also give you wealth, riches, and honor. No king who lived before you has ever had so much wealth and honor, and no king in the future will have as much wealth and honor.”
13 Solomon left the Meeting Tent that was at the high place in Gibeon and went back to Jerusalem to rule as the king of Israel.
Solomon Strengthens His Army
14 Solomon started gathering horses and chariots for his army. He had 1400 chariots and 12,000 horse soldiers. He kept them in the chariot cities[r] and in Jerusalem where he lived. 15 In Jerusalem Solomon gathered so much gold and silver that it was as common as rocks. He gathered so much cedar wood that it was as common as sycamore trees in the western hill country. 16 Solomon imported horses from Egypt and Kue.[s] His merchants bought the horses in Kue for a set price. 17 They also bought chariots from Egypt for 600 shekels[t] of silver each and horses for 150 shekels[u] of silver each. They then sold the horses and chariots to the kings of the Hittites and Arameans.
Plans for the Temple and Palace
2 Solomon planned to build a Temple to give honor to the Lord’s name. He also planned to build a palace for himself. 2 He got 70,000 laborers and 80,000 stonemasons to cut stones in the mountains. He chose 3600 foremen to supervise the workers.
3 Then Solomon sent this message to King Hiram of Tyre:
“Help me as you helped my father David. You sent him cedar logs so that he could build a palace for himself to live in. 4 I will build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God. At the Temple we will burn incense in front of him, and we will always put the holy bread on the special table. We will offer burnt offerings every morning and evening, on the Sabbath days, during New Moon celebrations, and on the other special meeting days that the Lord our God has commanded us to celebrate. This is a rule for the people of Israel to obey forever.
5 “I will build a great temple because our God is greater than all the other gods. 6 No one can really build a house to put our God in. The whole sky and the highest heaven cannot contain our God, so I cannot build a temple to put him in. I can only build a place to burn incense to honor him.
7 “Now I would like you to send me a man who is skilled in working with gold, silver, bronze, and iron. He must know how to work with purple, red, and blue cloth. He will work here in Judah and Jerusalem with the craftsmen my father chose. 8 Also send me wood from cedar trees, pine trees, and algum trees[v] from the country of Lebanon. I know your servants are experienced at cutting down trees from Lebanon. My servants will help your servants. 9 I will need lots of wood because the Temple I am building will be very large and beautiful. 10 This is what I will pay for your servants to cut down the trees for wood. I will give them 125,000 bushels[w] of wheat for food, 125,000 bushels of barley, 115,000 gallons[x] of wine, and 115,000 gallons of oil.”
11 Then Hiram answered Solomon and sent this message to him:
“Solomon, the Lord loves his people. That is why he chose you to be their king.” 12 Hiram also said, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel! He made heaven and earth. He gave a wise son to King David. Solomon, you have wisdom and understanding. You are building a Temple for the Lord. You are also building a palace for yourself. 13 I will send you a skilled craftsman named Huram Abi.[y] 14 His mother was from the tribe of Dan, and his father was from the city of Tyre. Huram Abi has skill in working with gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood. He also has skill in working with purple, blue, and red cloth and expensive linen. Huram Abi can design and build anything you tell him. He will work with your craftsmen and with the craftsmen of your father King David.
15 “Now, sir, you offered to give us wheat, barley, oil, and wine. Give them to my servants, 16 and we will cut as much wood as you need from Lebanon. We will tie the logs together and float them by sea to the town of Joppa. Then you can carry the wood to Jerusalem.”
17 So Solomon counted all the foreigners living in Israel. (This was after the time when his father David counted the people.) They found 153,600 strangers in the country. 18 Solomon chose 70,000 men to carry the stones, 80,000 men to cut the stone in the mountains, and 3600 men to supervise the workers.
Solomon Builds the Temple
3 Solomon began building the Lord’s Temple at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared to David, Solomon’s father. This was the place David had prepared for the Temple. It had been the threshing floor of Araunah[z] the Jebusite.[aa] 2 Solomon started to build on the second day of the second month of his fourth year as king of Israel.
3 These are the measurements he used for building the foundation of God’s Temple, using the old cubit.[ab] The foundation was 60 cubits[ac] long and 20 cubits[ad] wide. 4 The porch in front of the Temple was 20 cubits long and 20 cubits high.[ae] He covered the inside of the porch with pure gold. 5 He put panels made of cypress wood on the walls of the larger room. Then he put pure gold over the cypress panels and then put pictures of palm trees and chains on the gold. 6 He put valuable stones in the Temple for beauty. The gold he used was gold from Parvaim.[af] 7 He covered the inside of the Temple with the gold. He put the gold on the ceiling beams, doorposts, walls, and doors. He carved Cherub angels on the walls.
8 Then he made the Most Holy Place. This room was 20 cubits long and 20 cubits wide. It was as wide as the Temple was. He put pure gold on the walls of the Most Holy Place. The gold weighed about 22 1/2 tons.[ag] 9 The gold nails weighed 1 1/4 pounds.[ah] He covered the upper rooms with gold. 10 He made two Cherub angels to put in the Most Holy Place. The workers covered the Cherub angels with gold. 11 Each wing of the Cherub angels was 5 cubits[ai] long. The total length of the wings was 20 cubits. One wing of the first Cherub angel touched the wall on one side of the room. The other wing touched one wing of the second Cherub angel. 12 And the other wing of the second Cherub angel touched the wall on the other side of the room. 13 So the wings of the two Cherub angels together reached across the room—a total of 20 cubits. The Cherub angels stood facing the Holy Place.[aj]
14 He made the curtain[ak] from blue, purple, and red materials and expensive linen. There were Cherub angels on the curtain.
15 He put two columns in front of the Temple. The columns were 35 cubits[al] tall. The top part of the two columns was 5 cubits long. 16 He made chains in a necklace and put them on the tops of the columns. He made 100 pomegranates[am] and put them on the chains. 17 Then he put the columns up in front of the Temple. One column stood on the right side. The other column stood on the left side. He named the column on the right side “Jakin.”[an] And he named the column on the left side “Boaz.”[ao]
Furniture for the Temple
4 He made a bronze altar that was 20 cubits[ap] long, 20 cubits wide, and 10 cubits[aq] tall. 2 Then he made a large tank[ar] from melted bronze. It was round and it measured 10 cubits across from edge to edge. It was 5 cubits[as] tall and about 30 cubits[at] around. 3 There were images of bulls under the lip of the large bronze tank.[au] They were in two rows that went 10 cubits around the tank. The bulls were molded in place when the tank was shaped. 4 The large bronze tank was on top of twelve large statues of bulls. Three bulls looked toward the north. Three bulls looked toward the west. Three bulls looked toward the south. Three bulls looked toward the east. The large bronze tank was on top of these bulls. All the bulls stood with their rear ends to each other and to the center. 5 The large bronze tank was 3 inches[av] thick. The edge of the large tank was like the edge of a cup. The edge looked like a lily blossom. The tank could hold about 17,400 gallons.[aw]
6 He made ten basins. He put five basins on the right side of the large bronze tank and five basins on the left side. These ten basins were to be used to wash the things offered for the burnt offerings. But the large bronze tank was to be used by the priests for washing before they offered sacrifices.
7 He made ten lampstands of gold. He followed the plans made for these lampstands. He put the lampstands in the Temple. There were five lampstands on the right side and five lampstands on the left side. 8 He made ten tables and put them in the Temple. Five tables were on the right side and five tables on the left side in the Temple. And he used gold to make 100 basins. 9 He also made the priests’ courtyard, the large courtyard, and the doors that open to them. He used bronze to cover these doors. 10 Then he put the large bronze tank on the right side of the Temple on the southeast side.
11 Huram also made the pots, shovels, and basins. So he finished his work for King Solomon on God’s Temple:
12-16 2 columns;
2 capitals shaped like bowls for the top of the columns;
2 nets to go around the capitals;
400 pomegranates for the two nets (two rows of pomegranates for each net to cover the two bowls for the capitals on top of the columns);
10 carts with a bowl on each cart;
the large tank with 12 bulls under it;
the pots, small shovels, small bowls, and all the dishes for the Lord’s Temple.
All the things that Huram made for King Solomon were made of polished bronze. 17 King Solomon first poured these things in clay molds. The molds were made in the Jordan Valley between the towns of Succoth and Zeredah. 18 Solomon made so many of them that no one tried to weigh the bronze used.
19 Solomon also made the dishes and things for God’s Temple. He made the golden altar and the tables where they put the bread of the Presence. 20 He made the lamps and lampstands of pure gold. These were put inside the Holy Place in front of the Most Holy Place. 21 He used pure gold to make the flowers, lamps, and tongs.[ax] 22 He used pure gold to make the lamp snuffers, bowls, pans, and the censers.[ay] He used pure gold to make the doors for the Temple, the inside doors for the Most Holy Place and the doors for the main hall.
5 When all the work was completed on the Lord’s Temple, Solomon brought in everything his father David had set aside for the Temple. Solomon put all the furniture and all the things made of silver and gold into the storage rooms in God’s Temple.
The Holy Box Carried Into the Temple
2 Solomon commanded the elders of Israel, the leaders of the tribes, and the heads of families to meet together in Jerusalem. He did this so that they could bring the Box of the Lord’s Agreement up to the Temple from the City of David, that is, Zion. 3 All the men of Israel met together before King Solomon during the special festival[az] in the seventh month of the year.
4 When all the elders of Israel arrived, the Levites[ba] lifted the Box of the Agreement 5 and carried it up to the Temple. The priests and the Levites[bb] also brought the Meeting Tent and all the holy things that were in it to the Temple in Jerusalem. 6 Then King Solomon and all the Israelites met in front of the Box of the Agreement to offer sheep and bulls as sacrifices. There were so many offerings that no one could count them. 7 Then the priests carried the Box of the Lord’s Agreement to the place that was prepared for it in the Most Holy Place inside the Temple. They put the Box of the Agreement under the wings of the Cherub angels. 8 The Cherub angels stood with their wings spread over the Box of the Agreement and the poles that were used to carry it. 9 The poles are still there today. They were too long for the Most Holy Place, so their ends could be seen by anyone standing in the Holy Place, although no one outside could see them. 10 The only things inside the Holy Box are the two tablets that Moses put there at Mt. Horeb. This is where the Lord made his agreement with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.
11 All the priests who were there did the ceremony to make themselves holy. Then, as they came out of the Holy Place, they stood together, but not in their special groups. 12 The Levite singers stood at the east side of the altar. All the singing groups of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun were there. And their sons and relatives were there. The Levite singers were dressed in white linen. They had cymbals, lyres, and harps. There were 120 priests there with the Levite singers. The 120 priests blew trumpets. 13 Those who blew the trumpets and those who sang were like one person. They made one sound when they praised and thanked the Lord. They made a loud noise with the trumpets, cymbals, and instruments of music. They praised the Lord, singing,
“The Lord is good.
His faithful love will last forever.”
Then the Lord’s Temple was filled with a cloud. 14 The priests could not continue to serve because of the cloud, because the Glory of the Lord filled the Temple.
6 Then Solomon said, “The Lord chose to live in a dark cloud. 2 But, Lord, I have built a beautiful house for you to live in forever.”
Solomon’s Speech
3 King Solomon turned around and blessed all the Israelites gathered in front of him. 4 He said,
“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who has done what he promised my father David. The Lord said, 5 ‘I led Israel out of Egypt long ago. And in all that time, I have not chosen a city from any tribe of Israel for a place to build a house for my name. I have not chosen a man to lead my people, the people of Israel. 6 But now I have chosen Jerusalem as a place for my name, and I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.’
7 “My father David wanted to build a temple for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 8 But the Lord said to my father, ‘David, it is good that you want to build a temple for my name, 9 but you cannot build the Temple. Your son will build the Temple for my name.’ 10 Now, the Lord has done what he said he would do. I am the new king in my father’s place. David was my father. Now I am Israel’s king. That is what the Lord promised, and I have built the Temple for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 11 I have put the Box of the Agreement in the Temple. The Lord’s Agreement with Israel is in that box.”
Solomon’s Prayer
12-13 Solomon had made a bronze platform and placed it in the middle of the outer courtyard. The platform was 5 cubits[bc] long, 5 cubits wide, and 3 cubits[bd] tall. Solomon stood on the platform and faced the Lord’s altar. In front of all the Israelites who were gathered together, Solomon kneeled, spread his hands out toward heaven, 14 and said,
“Lord, God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven or on earth. You keep the agreement that you made with your people. You are kind and loyal to those who follow you with all their heart. 15 You made a promise to your servant, my father David, and you kept that promise. You made that promise with your own mouth, and with your own hands you made it come true today. 16 Now, Lord, God of Israel, keep the other promises you made to your servant David, my father. You said, ‘David, if your sons carefully obey me as you did, you will always have someone from your family ruling the people of Israel.’ 17 Again, Lord, God of Israel, I ask you to keep the promise you made to your servant, my father David.
18 “But, God, will you really live here with us on the earth? The whole sky and the highest heaven cannot contain you. Certainly this house that I built cannot contain you either. 19 But please listen to my prayer and my request. I am your servant, and you are the Lord my God. Hear this prayer that I am praying to you today. 20 In the past you said, ‘I will be honored there.’ So please watch over this Temple, night and day. And listen to my prayer as I turn toward this Temple and pray to you. 21 And please listen to our prayers in the future when I and your people Israel turn to this place and pray to you. We know that you live in heaven. We ask you to hear our prayer there and forgive us.
22 “Whoever does wrong to someone will be brought to this altar. If they are not guilty, they will make an oath and promise that they are innocent. 23 Please listen from heaven and judge them. If they are guilty, please show us that they are guilty. And if they are innocent, please show us that they are not guilty.
24 “Sometimes your people Israel will sin against you, and their enemies will defeat them. Then the people will come back to you and praise you. They will pray to you in this Temple. 25 In heaven, please listen to the prayers of your people Israel. Forgive them for their sins and let them have their land again. You gave this land to their ancestors.
26 “Sometimes they will sin against you, and you will stop the rain from falling on their land. Then they will pray toward this place and praise your name. You will make them suffer, and they will be sorry for their sins. 27 So please listen in heaven to their prayer. Then forgive us for our sins. Teach the people to live right. Then, please send rain to the land you gave them.
28 “The land might become very dry so that no food will grow on it. Or maybe a great sickness will spread among the people. Maybe all the food that is growing will be destroyed by insects. Or your people might be attacked in some of their cities by their enemies. Or many of your people might get sick. 29 When any of these things happen, people feel the need to spread their hands in prayer toward this Temple. 30 Please listen to their prayer while you are in your home in heaven and forgive them and help them. Only you know what people are really thinking, so only you can judge them fairly. 31 Do this so that your people will fear and respect you all the time that they live in this land you gave to our ancestors.
32 “People from other places will hear about your greatness and your power. They will come from far away to pray at this Temple. 33 From your home in heaven, please listen to their prayers. Please do everything those from other places ask you. Then they will fear and respect you the same as your people in Israel. Then all people everywhere will know that I built this Temple to honor you.
34 “Sometimes you will command your people to go and fight against their enemies. Then your people will turn toward this city that you have chosen and the Temple that I built in your honor, and they will pray to you. 35 Listen to their prayers from your home in heaven, and help them.
36 “Your people will sin against you. I know this because everyone sins. And you will be angry with your people. You will let their enemies defeat them. Their enemies will make them prisoners and carry them to some faraway land. 37 In that faraway land, your people will think about what happened. They will be sorry for their sins, and they will pray to you. They will say, ‘We have sinned and done wrong.’ 38 They will be in that faraway land of their enemies, but they will turn back to you. They will feel sorry for their sins with their whole heart and soul. They will turn toward the land you gave their ancestors. They will look toward the city you chose and toward the Temple I built, and they will pray to you. 39 Please listen from your home in heaven. Accept their prayers when they beg for help, and help them. Forgive your people who have sinned against you. 40 Now, my God, I ask you, open your eyes and your ears. Listen and pay attention to the prayers we are praying in this place.
41 “Now, Lord God, get up and come to your special place,
the Box of the Agreement that shows your strength.
Lord God, may your priests be dressed with salvation,
and may your true followers be happy about these good things.
42 Lord God, accept your anointed king.
Remember your loyal servant David.”
The Temple Dedicated to the Lord
7 When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from the sky and burned up the burnt offering and the sacrifices. The Glory of the Lord filled the Temple. 2 The priests could not enter the Lord’s Temple because the Glory of the Lord filled it. 3 When all the Israelites saw the fire come down from heaven and the Glory of the Lord on the Temple, they bowed down on the pavement with their faces low to the ground. They worshiped and thanked the Lord, singing,
“The Lord is good.
His faithful love will last forever.”
4 Then King Solomon and all the Israelites offered sacrifices to the Lord. 5 King Solomon offered 22,000 bulls and 120,000 sheep. So the king and the people showed that they had dedicated the Temple to God. 6 The priests stood ready to do their work. The Levites stood with the instruments they would use to play music to the Lord. King David had made these instruments to use when they gave thanks to the Lord and sang, “His faithful love will last forever.” The priests blew their trumpets as they stood across from the Levites. And all the Israelites were standing.
7 King Solomon also dedicated the middle of the courtyard, the part that is in front of the Temple of the Lord. There he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the fat from the animals that were used as fellowship offerings. He did this because the bronze altar he had built was too small to hold all these offerings.
8 So there at the Temple, King Solomon and all the people of Israel celebrated the festival.[be] People came from as far away as Hamath Pass in the north and the border of Egypt in the south. This huge crowd of people enjoyed themselves for seven days. 9 On the eighth day, they had a holy meeting because they had celebrated for seven days. They made the altar holy and it was to be used only for worshiping the Lord. And they celebrated the festival for seven days. 10 On the 23rd day of the seventh month, Solomon told the people to go home. All the people thanked the king, said goodbye, and went home. They were happy because of all the good things that the Lord had done for David his servant and for his people Israel.
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International