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22 David said, “The ·Temple [L house] of the Lord God and the altar for Israel’s burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] will be here.”
David Makes Plans for the Temple
2 So David ordered all ·foreigners [sojourners; resident aliens] living in Israel to gather together. From that group David ·chose [appointed; assigned] stonecutters to cut stones to be used in building the ·Temple [L house] of God. 3 David supplied a large amount of iron to be used for making nails and ·hinges [clamps; braces; fittings] for the gate doors. He also supplied more bronze than could be weighed, 4 and he supplied more cedar logs than could be counted. ·Much of the [Great quantities of] cedar had been brought to David by the people from Sidon and Tyre.
5 David said, “We should build a ·great [exceedingly magnificent] ·Temple [L house] for the Lord, which will be famous everywhere for its ·greatness and beauty [splendor; gloriousness]. But my son Solomon is young and ·inexperienced [L tender], so I will make preparations for it.” So David got many of the materials ready before he died.
6 Then David called for his son Solomon and ·told [commanded; charged] him to build the ·Temple [L house] for the Lord, the God of Israel. 7 David said to him, “My son, I ·wanted [intended; planned; L had my heart set] to build a ·temple [L house] ·for worshiping [L to the name of] the Lord my God. 8 But the Lord spoke his word to me, ‘David, you have ·killed many people [shed much blood]. You have fought ·many [great] wars. You cannot build a ·temple [L house] ·for worship to me [to my name], because you have ·killed many people [shed so much blood on the earth in my sight; C he completed the conquest of Canaan]. 9 But, you will have a son, a man of ·peace [L rest]. I will give him rest from all his enemies around him. His name will be Solomon [C a name derived from shalom, “peace”], and I will give Israel peace and quiet ·while he is king [L in his days]. 10 Solomon will build a ·temple [L house] for ·worship to me [my name]. He will be my son, and I will be his father [2 Sam. 7:14; Ps. 2:7]. I will ·make his kingdom strong; someone from his family will rule [establish/secure his throne over] Israel forever.’”
11 David said, “Now, my son, may the Lord be with you and give you success. May you build a ·temple [L house] for the Lord your God, as he ·said [announced; promised] you would. 12 When he makes you the king of Israel, may the Lord give you ·wisdom [discretion] and understanding so you will be able to ·obey [keep; observe] the ·teachings [law; instructions] of the Lord your God. 13 Be careful to obey the ·rules [statutes; ordinances; requirements] and laws the Lord ·gave [commanded] Moses for Israel. If you obey them, you will ·have success [prosper]. Be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid or ·discouraged [dismayed].
14 “Solomon, I have ·worked hard getting many of the materials [taken great pains to provide] for building the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. I have supplied ·about seven and one-half million pounds [L one hundred thousand talents] of gold, ·about seventy-five million pounds [L one million talents] of silver, so much bronze and iron it cannot be weighed, and wood and stone. You may add to them. 15 You have many workmen—stonecutters, ·bricklayers [stonemasons], carpenters, and ·people skilled [craftsmen; artisans] in every kind of work. 16 They are skilled in working with gold, silver, bronze, and iron. You have more craftsmen than can be counted. ·Now begin the [Set to] work, and may the Lord be with you.”
17 Then David ·ordered [commanded] all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon. 18 David said to them, “The Lord your God is with you. He has given you ·rest from our enemies [peace on every side; Deut. 12:2]. He has handed over to me the people living around us. The Lord and his people ·are in control of [have subdued] this land. 19 Now ·give yourselves completely to obeying [devote your heart/mind and soul to seeking] the Lord your God. Build the ·holy place [sanctuary] of the Lord God; build the ·Temple [L house] ·for worship to the Lord [to honor the Lord’s name]. Then bring the Ark of the ·Agreement [Testimony; Treaty; Covenant] with the Lord and the holy ·items [vessels; articles] that belong to God into the ·Temple [L house].”
The Levites
23 After David ·had lived long [L was full of years] and was old, he made his son Solomon the new king of Israel. 2 David gathered all the leaders of Israel, along with the priests and Levites. 3 He counted the Levites who were thirty years old and older, and they totaled thirty-eight thousand. 4 David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand Levites will ·direct [oversee; supervise] the work of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, six thousand Levites will be ·officers [officials] and judges, 5 four thousand Levites will be gatekeepers, and four thousand Levites will praise the Lord with musical instruments I made for ·giving praise [worship].”
6 David separated the Levites into three groups that were led by Levi’s three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
The People of Gershon
7 From the people of Gershon [6:1], there were Ladan and Shimei.
8 Ladan had three sons. His first son was Jehiel, and his other sons were Zetham and Joel.
9 Shimei’s sons were Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran. These three sons were leaders of Ladan’s ·families [clans]. 10 Shimei had four sons: Jahath, Ziza,[a] Jeush, and Beriah. 11 Jahath was the ·first son [eldest; chief; family leader], and Ziza was the second son. But Jeush and Beriah did not have many children, so they were counted as if they were one family, with one ·assignment [responsibility].
The People of Kohath
12 Kohath had four sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
13 Amram’s sons were Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were ·chosen to be special [set apart] forever. They were chosen to ·prepare [dedicate; sanctify] the holy things, to ·offer sacrifices [burn incense] before the Lord, and to ·serve [minister to] him. They were to ·give [pronounce] blessings in his name forever.
14 Moses was the man of God, and his sons were counted as part of the tribe of Levi. 15 Moses’ sons were Gershom [Judg. 18:30] and Eliezer. 16 Gershom’s ·first [oldest; chief] son was Shubael. 17 Eliezer’s ·first [oldest; chief] son was Rehabiah. Eliezer had no other sons, but Rehabiah had many sons.
18 Izhar’s ·first [oldest; chief] son was Shelomith.
19 Hebron’s ·first [oldest; chief] son was Jeriah, his second was Amariah, his third was Jahaziel, and his fourth was Jekameam.
20 Uzziel’s ·first [oldest; chief] son was Micah and his second was Isshiah.
The People of Merari
21 Merari’s sons were Mahli and Mushi. Mahli’s sons were Eleazar and Kish. 22 Eleazar died without sons; he had only daughters. Eleazar’s daughters married their cousins, the sons of Kish. 23 Mushi’s three sons were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.
The Levites’ Work
24 These were Levi’s descendants listed by ·their families [clans]. They were the leaders of families. Each person who was twenty years old or older was ·listed [counted]. They served in the Lord’s ·Temple [L house].
25 David had said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, has given ·rest [peace] to his people. He ·has come to live [dwells] in Jerusalem forever. 26 So the Levites don’t need to carry the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle] or any of the ·things [articles; objects] used in its services anymore.” 27 David’s ·last [final] instructions were to count the Levites who were twenty years old and older.
28 The Levites had the ·job [duty; office] of ·helping [assisting] Aaron’s descendants in the service of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. They cared for the ·Temple [L house] ·courtyard [courts] and side rooms, and they ·made all the holy things pure [ceremonially purified all holy/sacred things]. Their job was to serve in the ·Temple [L house] of God. 29 They were ·responsible for [in charge of] putting the ·holy bread [T showbread] on the table, for the choice flour in the grain offerings, for the ·bread made without yeast [unleaven bread/wafers], for the ·baking and mixing [or the round cakes], and for the measuring of quantity or size. 30 The Levites also stood every morning and gave thanks and praise to the Lord. They also did this every evening. 31 The Levites offered all the burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] to the Lord on the ·special days of rest [sabbaths], at the New Moon festivals [Num. 10:10; 29:6; 1 Sam. 20:5; 2 Kin. 4:23; Ezra 3:5; Ps. 81:3; Is. 1:13; Amos 8:5], and at all appointed feasts. They served before the Lord ·every day [continually]. They were to follow the rules for how many Levites should serve each time. 32 So the Levites ·took care [were in charge] of the ·Meeting Tent [Tabernacle] and the ·Holy Place [sanctuary]. And they helped their relatives, Aaron’s descendants, with the services at the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord.
All People Are Guilty
9 ·So [L What then?] ·are we Jews [or are we Christians; L are we] ·better than others [or making excuses for ourselves]? ·No [L Not at all]! We have already ·said [charged; made the accusation] that Jews and Gentiles alike are all ·guilty of [or under the power of; L under] sin. 10 As the Scriptures say:
“There is no one who ·always does what is right [L is righteous],
not even one.
11 There is no one who understands.
There is no one who ·looks to God for help [L seeks God].
12 All have turned away.
Together, everyone has become ·useless [worthless].
There is no one who ·does anything good [or shows kindness];
there is not even one [Ps. 14:1–3].”
13 “Their throats are like open graves [C either their words are like rotting corpses, or their speech is murderous];
they use their tongues ·for telling lies [to deceive; Ps. 5:9].”
“·Their words are like snake poison [L Asp/Viper venom is on their lips; Ps. 140:3].”
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and ·hate [bitterness; Ps. 10:7].”
15 “·They [L Their feet] are ·always ready [eager; quick] to ·kill people [L shed blood].
16 ·Everywhere they go [L Along their paths/ways] they cause ·ruin [destruction; havoc] and misery.
17 They don’t know ·how to live in [L the way of] peace [Is. 59:7–8].”
18 “They have no fear of God [Ps. 36:1].”
19 We know that ·the law’s commands [L what the law says] are for those who ·have [are under/subject to; L are in] the law. This ·stops all excuses [L silences every mouth] and brings the whole world under God’s judgment, 20 because no one can be ·made right [justfied; declared righteous] with God [Ps. 143:2] ·by following [L through the works of] the law. [L For] The law only ·shows us our [brings awareness of] sin.
How God Makes People Right
21 But now ·God’s way to make people right with him [L the righteousness of God] ·without [apart from] the law has been ·shown to us [revealed; made known], a way ·told to us [testified to; attested] by the law and the prophets. 22 ·God makes people right with himself [L This righteousness comes] through ·their faith in [or the faithfulness of] Jesus Christ. This is true for all who believe in Christ, because ·all people are the same [there is no distinction/difference; C between Jews and Gentiles]: 23 [L For; Because] Everyone has sinned and ·fallen short [or is not worthy] of God’s ·glorious standard [or glorious presence; L glory], 24 and all need to be ·made right with God [justfied; declared righteous] as a free gift by his grace, ·by being set free from sin [L through the redemption that is] ·through [or in] Jesus Christ. 25 God ·sent [or appointed; or presented] him ·to die in our place to take away our sins [as a sacrifice of atonement; or as the mercy seat; T as a propitiation; C the Greek term could mean the place where sacrificial blood was dripped (the mercy seat) or the sacrifice itself; it implies an atoning sacrifice that turns away divine wrath]. We receive forgiveness through faith in ·the blood of Jesus’ death [L his blood]. This showed ·that God always does what is right and fair [L his righteousness], as in the past when he was patient and ·did not punish people for their sins [L passed over/delayed punishment for previously committed sins]. 26 And God gave Jesus to show ·today [or at this present time (of salvation)] ·that he does what is right [L his righteousness/justice]. God did this so he could ·judge rightly [or be shown to be just/righteous] and so he could ·make right [declare righteous; justify] any person ·who has faith in Jesus [or on the basis of Jesus’ faithfulness; see v. 22]. [C Christ’s sacrificial death shows that God is both just (sin is justly punished) and merciful (God saves undeserving sinners).]
27 ·So do we have a reason to brag about ourselves? No! [L Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded.] ·And why not [L By what law/principle]? It is the ·way [law; principle] of faith that stops all ·bragging [boasting], not the ·way [law; principle] of ·trying to obey the law [L works]. 28 For we ·conclude [maintain; assert] a person is ·made right with God [justified; declared righteous] through faith, not through ·obeying [L the works of] the law. 29 [L Or] Is God only the God of the Jews? Is he not also the God of the Gentiles? 30 Of course he is, because ·there is only one God [or God is one; Deut. 6:4]. He will ·make Jews right with him [L justify/make righteous the circumcised] by their faith, and he will also ·make Gentiles right with him [L justify/declare righteous the uncircumcised] through their faith. 31 So do we ·destroy [nullify; annul] the law by ·following the way of faith [L faith]? ·No [Absolutely not; May it never be; v. 6]! ·Faith causes us to be what the law truly wants [L We uphold/establish/support the law; C living by faith captures the true spirit and purpose of the law; the law pointed out sin and the need for grace, thereby pointing to Christ].
A Prayer Against Liars
For the director of music. Upon the ·sheminith [L eighth; C a reference to an eight-stringed instrument or possibly the manner of singing]. A psalm of David.
12 Save me, Lord, because the ·good [faithful; godly; covenantal; loyal] people are all gone;
·no true believers are left on earth [L the faithful have vanished among humanity].
2 Everyone ·lies [L speaks falsehood] to his neighbors;
they ·say one thing and mean another [speak with flattering lips and with a double heart/L heart and heart].
3 The Lord will ·stop [L cut off] those flattering lips
and those bragging tongues.
4 They say, “Our tongues will ·help us win [prevail].
·We can say what we wish [L Our lips belong to us]; ·no one [L who…?] is our master.”
5 But the Lord says,
“I will now rise up,
because the ·poor [weak] are ·being hurt [destroyed; plundered; oppressed].
Because of the ·moans [groans; sighs] of the ·helpless [needy],
I will give them the ·help [victory] they ·want [long for].”
6 The Lord’s ·words [or promises] are ·pure [flawless],
like silver ·purified [refined] ·by fire [or in a furnace],
·purified [refined] seven times over [18:30; 119:140].
7 Lord, you will ·keep us safe [L guard/protect them];
you will always ·protect [guard] us from such ·people [a generation].
8 But the wicked ·are [L walk] all around us;
·everyone loves what is wrong [L what is vile is lifted up among the sons of man/humanity].
13 A foolish ·child [son] ·brings [is a] disaster to a father,
and a ·quarreling [contentious] wife is like ·dripping water [constant dripping].
14 Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,
but a ·wise [insightful] wife is a gift from the Lord.
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