The Daily Audio Bible
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David Gets Ready to Build the House of God
22 Then David said, “This is the house of the Lord God. And this is the altar of burnt gifts for Israel.”
2 David told his men to gather the strangers who were in the land of Israel. And he had servants cut stones to build the house of God. 3 He gave large amounts of iron to be used for making nails for the doors of the gates, and for making the parts that hold it all together. He gave more brass than could be weighed. 4 And he gave too many cedar trees to number. For the Sidonians and Tyrians brought many cut cedar trees to David. 5 David said, “My son Solomon is young and does not yet have much learning. And the house that is to be built for the Lord must be very beautiful. It must be very great, and well-known in all lands. So I will get things ready for it to be built.” David made many things ready for it before his death.
6 Then he called for his son Solomon, and gave him the work of building a house for the Lord God of Israel. 7 David said to Solomon, “My son, I had planned to build a house to the name of the Lord my God. 8 But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘You have taken much blood, and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house to My name, because you have poured so much blood upon the earth before Me. 9 See, a son will be born to you, who will be a man of peace. I will give him peace from all those who hate him on every side. His name will be Solomon. And I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. 10 He will build a house for My name. He will be My son, and I will be his father. I will make his throne in Israel last forever.’ 11 Now, my son, may the Lord be with you and help you to do well. May you build the house of the Lord your God just as He has said you would. 12 Only, may the Lord give you wisdom and understanding. When He has you rule over Israel, may you keep the Law of the Lord your God. 13 Then you will do well, if you are careful to obey the Laws which the Lord gave to Israel by Moses. Be strong and have strength of heart. Do not be afraid or troubled. 14 With much trouble I have made things ready for the house of the Lord. There is gold weighing as much as 100,000 men. There is silver weighing as much as 1,000,000 men. And there is too much brass and iron to weigh. I have made wood and stone ready, and you may add to them. 15 You have many servants and workmen who cut and build with stones and wood. There are men who are able to do every kind of work well. 16 Of the gold and silver and brass and iron, there is more than enough. So get ready and work, and may the Lord be with you.”
17 David told all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon. He said to them, 18 “Is not the Lord your God with you? Has He not given you peace on every side? For He has given the people of the land into my hand. The land is put under my rule before the Lord and His people. 19 Now set your heart and soul to look to the Lord your God. Get ready and build the holy place of the Lord God. Then you may bring the special box with the Law of the Lord. You may bring the holy objects of God. And put them into the house that is to be built for the name of the Lord.”
The Work of the Levites
23 When David was an old man, he made his son Solomon king of Israel. 2 He gathered together all the leaders of Israel, the religious leaders, and the Levites. 3 The Levites were numbered from thirty years old and older. Their number was 38,000. 4 Of these, 24,000 were to watch over the work of the Lord’s house. There were 6,000 who were leaders and men who were to judge. 5 There were 4,000 gate-keepers. And 4,000 were praising the Lord with the things for playing music that David had made. 6 David divided them into groups by the sons of Levi, Gershon and Kohath and Merari.
7 The sons of Gershon were Ladan and Shimei. 8 The sons of Ladan were Jehiel the first, then Zetham and Joel, three in all. 9 The three sons of Shimei were Shelemoth, Haziel and Haran. These were the heads of the fathers’ houses of Ladan. 10 And the sons of Shimei were Jahath, Zina, Jeush and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. 11 Jahath was the first, and Zizah the second. But Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they were numbered together as one father’s house.
12 The four sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. 13 The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart for holy work, he and his sons forever. They were to burn special perfume before the Lord, and do His work. And they were to pray for good to come to the people in the Lord’s name forever. 14 But the names of the sons of Moses the man of God were among the family of Levi. 15 The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer. 16 The son of Gershom was Shebuel the leader. 17 The son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the leader. Eliezer had no other sons. But Rehabiah had many sons. 18 The son of Izhar was Shelomith the leader. 19 The sons of Hebron were Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jehaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. 20 The sons of Uzziel were Micah the first, and Isshiah the second.
21 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish. 22 Eleazar died and had no sons, only daughters. Their brothers the sons of Kish married them. 23 The three sons of Mushi were Mahli and Eder and Jeremoth.
24 These were the sons of Levi by their fathers’ houses. They were the heads of the fathers’ houses of those whose names were numbered from twenty years old and older. They were to do the work of the Lord’s house. 25 For David said, “The Lord God of Israel has given peace to his people. And He lives in Jerusalem forever. 26 The Levites do not need to carry the meeting tent and all the parts for its work any longer.” 27 For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered, from twenty years old and older. 28 He said, “Their duties are to help Aaron’s sons with the work of the Lord’s house, in the open spaces and in the rooms. They are to make clean all the holy things, and do any work needed to be done in the house of God. 29 They are to take care of the holy bread, the fine flour for a grain gift, and the bread without yeast. They are to take care of what is baked, and what is well mixed, of all the right amounts. 30 They are to stand every morning and evening to thank and praise the Lord. 31 And they are to give all the burnt gifts to the Lord on the Days of Rest, the new moons, and the special days. They are to do this before the Lord all the time, by the number set by the Law. 32 In this way they are to take care of the meeting tent, the holy place, and help their brothers the sons of Aaron, for the work of the Lord’s house.
9 What about it then? Are we Jews better than the people who are not Jews? Not at all! I have already said that Jews and the people who are not Jews are all sinners. 10 The Holy Writings say, “There is not one person who is right with God. No, not even one! 11 There is not one who understands. There is not one who tries to find God.” (A) 12 Everyone has turned away from God. They have all done wrong. Not one of them does what is good. No, not even one! 13 Their mouth is like an open grave. They tell lies with their tongues. (B) Whatever they say is like the poison of snakes. 14 Their mouths speak bad things against God. They say bad things about other people. (C) 15 They are quick to hurt and kill people. 16 Wherever they go, they destroy and make people suffer. 17 They know nothing about peace. (D) 18 They do not honor God with love and fear.” (E)
19 Now we know that the Law speaks to those who live under the Law. No one can say that he does not know what sin is. Yes, every person in the world stands guilty before God. 20 No person will be made right with God by doing what the Law says. The Law shows us how sinful we are.
21 But now God has made another way to make men right with Himself. It is not by the Law. The Law and the early preachers tell about it. 22 Men become right with God by putting their trust in Jesus Christ. God will accept men if they come this way. All men are the same to God. 23 For all men have sinned and have missed the shining-greatness of God. 24 Anyone can be made right with God by the free gift of His loving-favor. It is Jesus Christ Who bought them with His blood and made them free from their sins. 25 God gave Jesus Christ to the world. Men’s sins can be forgiven through the blood of Christ when they put their trust in Him. God gave His Son Jesus Christ to show how right He is. Before this, God did not look on the sins that were done. 26 But now God proves that He is right in saving men from sin. He shows that He is the One Who has no sin. God makes anyone right with Himself who puts his trust in Jesus.
27 What then do we have to be proud of? Nothing at all! Why? Is it because men obey the Law? No! It is because men put their trust in Christ. 28 This is what we have come to know. A man is made right with God by putting his trust in Christ. It is not by his doing what the Law says. 29 Is God the God of the Jews only? Is He not the God of the people who are not Jews also? He is for sure. 30 He is one God. He will make Jews and the people who are not Jews right with Himself if they put their trust in Christ. 31 Does this mean that we do away with the Law when we put our trust in Christ? No, not at all. It means we know the Law is important.
God—Our Helper
12 Help, Lord! For God-like men are here no more. The faithful can no longer be seen among the sons of men. 2 They lie to each other. Their lips speak with sweet-sounding words that are not true. 3 May the Lord cut off all lips of false respect, and the tongue that speaks of great things. 4 They say, “We can win with our tongues. Our lips are our own. Who is lord over us?”
5 “Because of the suffering of the weak, and because of the cries of the poor, I will now rise up,” says the Lord. “I will keep him safe as he has wanted to be.”
6 The words of the Lord are pure words. They are like silver that has been made pure seven times in a stove of earth. 7 O Lord, You will keep us. You will keep us safe forever from the people of this day. 8 The sinful walk on every side when bad actions are held in honor among the sons of men.
13 A foolish son destroys his father. The arguing of a wife is like water falling drop by drop all the time.
14 House and riches are handed down from fathers, but an understanding wife is from the Lord.
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