- 1 Chronicles
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1 Then King David said to everyone gathered there, “My son Solomon, chosen by God alone, is young and inexperienced, and the work to be done is great because this Temple*“Temple”: the word can also be translated as “palace” or “fortress.” will not be for man, but for the Lord God. 2 Using all my means I have provided for the house of my God—gold for the articles made of gold, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron, and wood for the wood; onyx stones and stones for settings: turquoise, different colored stones, every kind of precious stone; and plenty of marble.
3 More than this, because of my devotion to the house of my God, I'm now giving my personal fortune of gold and silver, in addition to everything that I have provided for this holy house. 4 3,000 talents of gold—the gold of Ophir—and 7,000 talents of refined silver will go to cover the walls of the buildings, 5 gold for the gold work, and silver for the silver work, and for all the work done by the craftsmen. Now who willingly wants to commit themselves to giving to the Lord today?”
6 They gave willingly—the family leaders, those in charge of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king's work. 7 They gave to the service of the house of God 5,000 talents and 10,000 darics†A daric was a Persian coin. of gold, 10,000 talents of silver, 18,000 talents of bronze, and 100,000 talents of iron. 8 Those who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the Lord, under the supervision of Jehiel the Gershonite. 9 The people celebrated because their leaders had been so willing to give to the Lord, freely and wholeheartedly. King David was also really delighted.
10 Then David praised the Lord before the whole assembly:
“Praise to you, Lord, the God of Israel our father, for ever and ever! 11 Lord, yours is the greatness, the power, the glory, the splendor, and the majesty, for everything in heaven and on earth is yours. Lord, yours is the kingdom, and you are admired as ruler of all. 12 Riches and honor come from you and you reign supreme. You possess power and might, and have the ability to make people great and to give strength to all.
13 Now our God we thank you, and we praise you and your glorious character. 14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we are able to give as willingly as this? For everything we have comes from you—we are only giving back what you have given us. 15 In your eyes we are strangers and foreigners, just like our forefathers. Our time here on earth passes like a shadow, we have no hope of staying here long.
16 Lord our God, even all this wealth that we have provided to build you a house for your holy name comes from what you give, and it all belongs to you. 17 I know, my God, that you look on the inside and are happy when we live right. Everything I have given willingly and with an honest heart, and now I have seen your people here giving happily and willingly to you. 18 Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Israel, and our forefathers, please keep these thoughts and commitments in the minds of your people forever, and make sure they stay loyal‡“Make sure they stay loyal”: literally, “from their heart.” to you. 19 Please also give my son Solomon a desire to whole-heartedly keep your commandments, decrees, and statutes, and to do all he can to build your Temple that I have provided for.”
20 Then David said to everyone there, “Praise the Lord your God!” So everyone praised the Lord, the God of their fathers. They bowed down in reverence to the Lord and to the king.
21 The following day they presented sacrifices and burnt offerings to the Lord: one thousand bulls, one thousand rams, and one thousand lambs, with their drink offerings and plenty of sacrifices for all of Israel. 22 Then they ate and drank in the presence of the Lord with great happiness that day. They made Solomon, the son of David, king for a second time, and they anointed him as ruler for the Lord, and anointed Zadok as priest.
23 So Solomon took the throne of the Lord as king in place of David, his father. He was successful, and all the Israelites obeyed him. 24 All the officials and warriors, as well as all of King David's sons, gave a solemn promise of loyalty to King Solomon. 25 The Lord made Solomon highly respected throughout Israel, and gave him greater royal majesty than had been given to any king of Israel before him.
26 So David, son of Jesse, ruled over all of Israel. 27 He ruled over Israel forty years—seven in Hebron, and thirty-three in Jerusalem. 28 David died at a good old age, having lived a long life, blessed with wealth and honor. Then his son Solomon took over and ruled in his place. 29 Everything that King David did, from beginning to end, is written down in the Records of Samuel the Seer, the Records of Nathan the Prophet, and the Records of Gad the Seer. 30 These include all the details of his reign, his power, and what happened to him, and to Israel, and all to the kingdoms of the neighboring countries.

- 1 Chronicles
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*29:1 “Temple”: the word can also be translated as “palace” or “fortress.”

†29:7 A daric was a Persian coin.

‡29:18 “Make sure they stay loyal”: literally, “from their heart.”

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher