Bible in 90 Days

Divisions of the Priests

24 The divisions of the sons of Aaron were these. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abi′hu, Elea′zar, and Ith′amar. ² But Nadab and Abi′hu died before their father, and had no children, so Elea′zar and Ith′amar became the priests. ³ With the help of Zadok of the sons of Elea′zar, and Ahim′elech of the sons of Ith′amar,^[a] David organized them according to the appointed duties in their service. ⁴ Since more chief men were found among the sons of Elea′zar than among the sons of Ith′amar, they organized them under sixteen heads of fathers’ houses of the sons of Elea′zar, and eight of the sons of Ith′amar. ⁵ They organized them by lot, all alike, for there were officers of the sanctuary and officers of God among both the sons of Elea′zar and the sons of Ith′amar. ⁶ And the scribe Shemai′ah the son of Nethan′el, a Levite, recorded them in the presence of the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahim′elech the son of Abi′athar, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the priests and of the Levites; one father’s house being chosen for Elea′zar and one chosen for Ith′amar.

⁷ The first lot fell to Jehoi′arib, the second to Jeda′iah, ⁸ the third to Harim, the fourth to Se-o′rim, ⁹ the fifth to Malchi′jah, the sixth to Mij′amin, ¹⁰ the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abi′jah, ¹¹ the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecani′ah, ¹² the eleventh to Eli′ashib, the twelfth to Jakim, ¹³ the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jesheb′e-ab, ¹⁴ the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, ¹⁵ the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Hap′pizzez, ¹⁶ the nineteenth to Pethahi′ah, the twentieth to Jehez′kel, ¹⁷ the twenty-first to Jachin, the twenty-second to Gamul, ¹⁸ the twenty-third to Delai′ah, the twenty-fourth to Ma-azi′ah. ¹⁹ These had as their appointed duty in their service to come into the house of the Lord according to the procedure established for them by Aaron their father, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him.

Other Levites

²⁰ And of the rest of the sons of Levi: of the sons of Amram, Shu′ba-el; of the sons of Shu′ba-el, Jehde′iah. ²¹ Of Rehabi′ah: of the sons of Rehabi′ah, Isshi′ah the chief. ²² Of the Iz′harites, Shelo′moth; of the sons of Shelo′moth, Jahath. ²³ The sons of Hebron:^[b] Jeri′ah the chief,^[c] Amari′ah the second, Jaha′ziel the third, Jekame′am the fourth. ²⁴ The sons of Uz′ziel, Micah; of the sons of Micah, Shamir. ²⁵ The brother of Micah, Isshi′ah; of the sons of Isshi′ah, Zechari′ah. ²⁶ The sons of Merar′i: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Ja-azi′ah: Beno. ²⁷ The sons of Merar′i: of Ja-azi′ah, Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri. ²⁸ Of Mahli: Elea′zar, who had no sons. ²⁹ Of Kish, the sons of Kish: Jerah′meel. ³⁰ The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jer′imoth. These were the sons of the Levites according to their fathers’ houses. ³¹ These also, the head of each father’s house and his younger brother alike, cast lots, just as their brethren the sons of Aaron, in the presence of King David, Zadok, Ahim′elech, and the heads of fathers’ houses of the priests and of the Levites.

The Temple Musicians

25 David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service certain of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jedu′thun, who should prophesy with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals. The list of those who did the work and of their duties was: ² Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethani′ah, and Ashare′lah, sons of Asaph, under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king. ³ Of Jedu′thun, the sons of Jedu′thun: Gedali′ah, Zeri, Jesha′iah, Shim′e-i,^[d] Hashabi′ah, and Mattithi′ah, six, under the direction of their father Jedu′thun, who prophesied with the lyre in thanksgiving and praise to the Lord. ⁴ Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukki′ah, Mattani′ah, Uz′ziel, Shebu′el, and Jer′imoth, Hanani′ah, Hana′ni, Eli′athah, Giddal′ti, and Romam′ti-e′zer, Joshbekash′ah, Mallo′thi, Hothir, Maha′zi-oth. ⁵ All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer, according to the promise of God to exalt him; for God had given Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. ⁶ They were all under the direction of their father in the music in the house of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jedu′thun, and Heman were under the order of the king. ⁷ The number of them along with their brethren, who were trained in singing to the Lord, all who were skilful, was two hundred and eighty-eight. ⁸ And they cast lots for their duties, small and great, teacher and pupil alike.

⁹ The first lot fell for Asaph to Joseph; the second to Gedali′ah, to him and his brethren and his sons, twelve; ¹⁰ the third to Zaccur, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹¹ the fourth to Izri, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹² the fifth to Nethani′ah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹³ the sixth to Bukki′ah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹⁴ the seventh to Jeshare′lah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹⁵ the eighth to Jesha′iah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹⁶ the ninth to Mattani′ah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹⁷ the tenth to Shim′e-i, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹⁸ the eleventh to Az′arel, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹⁹ the twelfth to Hashabi′ah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²⁰ to the thirteenth, Shu′ba-el, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²¹ to the fourteenth, Mattithi′ah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²² to the fifteenth, to Jer′emoth, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²³ to the sixteenth, to Hanani′ah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²⁴ to the seventeenth, to Joshbekash′ah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²⁵ to the eighteenth, to Hana′ni, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²⁶ to the nineteenth, to Mallo′thi, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²⁷ to the twentieth, to Eli′athah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²⁸ to the twenty-first, to Hothir, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²⁹ to the twenty-second, to Giddal′ti, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ³⁰ to the twenty-third, to Maha′zi-oth, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ³¹ to the twenty-fourth, to Romam′ti-e′zer, his sons and his brethren, twelve.

The Gatekeepers

26 As for the divisons of the gatekeepers: of the Kor′ahites, Meshelemi′ah the son of Kor′e, of the sons of Asaph. ² And Meshelemi′ah had sons: Zechari′ah the first-born, Jedi′a-el the second, Zebadi′ah the third, Jath′ni-el the fourth, ³ Elam the fifth, Jeho-ha′nan the sixth, Eli-e-ho-e′nai the seventh. ⁴ And O′bed-e′dom had sons: Shemai′ah the first-born, Jeho′zabad the second, Jo′ah the third, Sachar the fourth, Nethan′el the fifth, ⁵ Am′mi-el the sixth, Is′sachar the seventh, Pe-ul′lethai the eighth; for God blessed him. ⁶ Also to his son Shemai′ah were sons born who were rulers in their fathers’ houses, for they were men of great ability. ⁷ The sons of Shemai′ah: Othni, Reph′a-el, Obed, and Elza′bad, whose brethren were able men, Eli′hu and Semachi′ah. ⁸ All these were of the sons of O′bed-e′dom with their sons and brethren, able men qualified for the service; sixty-two of O′bed-e′dom. ⁹ And Meshelemi′ah had sons and brethren, able men, eighteen. ¹⁰ And Hosah, of the sons of Merar′i, had sons: Shimri the chief (for though he was not the first-born, his father made him chief), ¹¹ Hilki′ah the second, Tebali′ah the third, Zechari′ah the fourth: all the sons and brethren of Hosah were thirteen.

¹² These divisions of the gatekeepers, corresponding to their chief men, had duties, just as their brethren did, ministering in the house of the Lord; ¹³ and they cast lots by fathers’ houses, small and great alike, for their gates. ¹⁴ The lot for the east fell to Shelemi′ah. They cast lots also for his son Zechari′ah, a shrewd counselor, and his lot came out for the north. ¹⁵ O′bed-e′dom’s came out for the south, and to his sons was allotted the storehouse. ¹⁶ For Shuppim and Hosah it came out for the west, at the gate of Shal′lecheth on the road that goes up. Watch corresponded to watch. ¹⁷ On the east there were six each day,^[e] on the north four each day, on the south four each day, as well as two and two at the storehouse; ¹⁸ and for the parbar^[f] on the west there were four at the road and two at the parbar. ¹⁹ These were the divisions of the gatekeepers among the Kor′ahites and the sons of Merar′i.

The Treasurers, Officers, and Judges

²⁰ And of the Levites, Ahi′jah had charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries of the dedicated gifts. ²¹ The sons of Ladan, the sons of the Gershonites belonging to Ladan, the heads of the fathers’ houses belonging to Ladan the Gershonite: Jehi′eli.^[g]

²² The sons of Jehi′eli, Zetham and Jo′el his brother, were in charge of the treasuries of the house of the Lord. ²³ Of the Am′ramites, the Iz′harites, the He′bronites, and the Uz′zielites— ²⁴ and Sheb′uel the son of Gershom, son of Moses, was chief officer in charge of the treasuries. ²⁵ His brethren: from Elie′zer were his son Rehabi′ah, and his son Jesha′iah, and his son Joram, and his son Zichri, and his son Shelo′moth. ²⁶ This Shelo′moth and his brethren were in charge of all the treasuries of the dedicated gifts which David the king, and the heads of the fathers’ houses, and the officers of the thousands and the hundreds, and the commanders of the army, had dedicated. ²⁷ From spoil won in battles they dedicated gifts for the maintenance of the house of the Lord. ²⁸ Also all that Samuel the seer, and Saul the son of Kish, and Abner the son of Ner, and Jo′ab the son of Zeru′iah had dedicated—all dedicated gifts were in the care of Shelo′moth^[h] and his brethren.

²⁹ Of the Iz′harites, Chenani′ah and his sons were appointed to outside duties for Israel, as officers and judges. ³⁰ Of the He′bronites, Hashabi′ah and his brethren, one thousand seven hundred men of ability, had the oversight of Israel westward of the Jordan for all the work of the Lord and for the service of the king. ³¹ Of the He′bronites, Jeri′jah was chief of the He′bronites of whatever genealogy or fathers’ houses. (In the fortieth year of David’s reign search was made and men of great ability among them were found at Jazer in Gilead.) ³² King David appointed him and his brethren, two thousand seven hundred men of ability, heads of fathers’ houses, to have the oversight of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manas′sites for everything pertaining to God and for the affairs of the king.

The Military Divisions

27 This is the list of the people of Israel, the heads of fathers’ houses, the commanders of thousands and hundreds, and their officers who served the king in all matters concerning the divisions that came and went, month after month throughout the year, each division numbering twenty-four thousand:

² Jasho′beam the son of Zab′di-el was in charge of the first division in the first month; in his division were twenty-four thousand. ³ He was a descendant of Perez, and was chief of all the commanders of the army for the first month. ⁴ Dodai the Aho′hite^[i] was in charge of the division of the second month; in his division were twenty-four thousand. ⁵ The third commander, for the third month, was Bena′iah, the son of Jehoi′ada the priest, as chief; in his division were twenty-four thousand. ⁶ This is the Bena′iah who was a mighty man of the thirty and in command of the thirty; Ammiz′abad his son was in charge of his division.^{[j] 7} As′ahel the brother of Jo′ab was fourth, for the fourth month, and his son Zebadi′ah after him; in his division were twenty-four thousand. ⁸ The fifth commander, for the fifth month, was Shamhuth, the Iz′rahite; in his division were twenty-four thousand. ⁹ Sixth, for the sixth month, was Ira, the son of Ikkesh the Teko′ite; in his division were twenty-four thousand. ¹⁰ Seventh, for the seventh month, was Helez the Pel′onite, of the sons of E′phraim; in his division were twenty-four thousand. ¹¹ Eighth, for the eighth month, was Sib′becai the Hu′shathite, of the Ze′rahites; in his division were twenty-four thousand. ¹² Ninth, for the ninth month, was Abi-e′zer of An′athoth, a Benjaminite; in his division were twenty-four thousand. ¹³ Tenth, for the tenth month, was Ma′harai of Neto′phah, of the Ze′rahites; in his division were twenty-four thousand. ¹⁴ Eleventh, for the eleventh month, was Bena′iah of Pir′athon, of the sons of E′phraim; in his division were twenty-four thousand. ¹⁵ Twelfth, for the twelfth month, was Heldai the Netoph′athite, of Oth′niel; in his division were twenty-four thousand.

Leaders of Tribes

¹⁶ Over the tribes of Israel, for the Reubenites Elie′zer the son of Zichri was chief officer; for the Simeonites, Shephati′ah the son of Ma′acah; ¹⁷ for Levi, Hashabi′ah the son of Kemu′el; for Aaron, Zadok; ¹⁸ for Judah, Eli′hu, one of David’s brothers; for Is′sachar, Omri the son of Michael; ¹⁹ for Zeb′ulun, Ishma′iah the son of Obadi′ah; for Naph′tali, Jer′emoth the son of Az′riel; ²⁰ for the E′phraimites, Hoshe′a the son of Azazi′ah; for the half-tribe of Manas′seh, Jo′el the son of Peda′iah; ²¹ for the half-tribe of Manas′seh in Gilead, Iddo the son of Zechari′ah; for Benjamin, Ja-a′siel the son of Abner; ²² for Dan, Az′arel the son of Jero′ham. These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel. ²³ David did not number those below twenty years of age, for the Lord had promised to make Israel as many as the stars of heaven. ²⁴ Jo′ab the son of Zeru′iah began to number, but did not finish; yet wrath came upon Israel for this, and the number was not entered in the chronicles of King David.

Other Civic Officials

²⁵ Over the king’s treasuries was Az′maveth the son of Ad′i-el; and over the treasuries in the country, in the cities, in the villages and in the towers, was Jonathan the son of Uzzi′ah; ²⁶ and over those who did the work of the field for tilling the soil was Ezri the son of Chelub; ²⁷ and over the vineyards was Shim′e-i the Ra′mathite; and over the produce of the vineyards for the wine cellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite. ²⁸ Over the olive and sycamore trees in the Shephe′lah was Ba′al-ha′nan the Gede′rite; and over the stores of oil was Jo′ash. ²⁹ Over the herds that pastured in Sharon was Shitrai the Sha′ronite; over the herds in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai. ³⁰ Over the camels was Obil the Ish′maelite; and over the she-asses was Jehde′iah the Meron′othite. Over the flocks was Jaziz the Hagrite. ³¹ All these were stewards of King David’s property.

³² Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a counselor, being a man of understanding and a scribe; he and Jehi′el the son of Hach′moni attended the king’s sons. ³³ Ahith′ophel was the king’s counselor, and Hushai the Archite was the king’s friend. ³⁴ Ahith′ophel was succeeded by Jehoi′ada the son of Bena′iah, and Abi′athar. Jo′ab was commander of the king’s army.

Solomon Instructed to Build the Temple

28 David assembled at Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, the officials of the tribes, the officers of the divisions that served the king, the commanders of thousands, the commanders of hundreds, the stewards of all the property and cattle of the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the mighty men, and all the seasoned warriors. ² Then King David rose to his feet and said: “Hear me, my brethren and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God; and I made preparations for building. ³ But God said to me, ‘You may not build a house for my name, for you are a warrior and have shed blood.’ ⁴ Yet the Lord God of Israel chose me from all my father’s house to be king over Israel for ever; for he chose Judah as leader, and in the house of Judah my father’s house, and among my father’s sons he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. ⁵ And of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons) he has chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. ⁶ He said to me, ‘It is Solomon your son who shall build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. ⁷ I will establish his kingdom for ever if he continues resolute in keeping my commandments and my ordinances, as he is today.’ ⁸ Now therefore in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God; that you may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you for ever.

⁹ “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will cast you off for ever. ¹⁰ Take heed now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong, and do it.”

¹¹ Then David gave Solomon his son the plan of the vestibule of the temple, and of its houses, its treasuries, its upper rooms, and its inner chambers, and of the room for the mercy seat; ¹² and the plan of all that he had in mind for the courts of the house of the Lord, all the surrounding chambers, the treasuries of the house of God, and the treasuries for dedicated gifts; ¹³ for the divisions of the priests and of the Levites, and all the work of the service in the house of the Lord; for all the vessels for the service in the house of the Lord, ¹⁴ the weight of gold for all golden vessels for each service, the weight of silver vessels for each service, ¹⁵ the weight of the golden lampstands and their lamps, the weight of gold for each lampstand and its lamps, the weight of silver for a lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand in the service, ¹⁶ the weight of gold for each table for the showbread, the silver for the silver tables, ¹⁷ and pure gold for the forks, the basins, and the cups; for the golden bowls and the weight of each; for the silver bowls and the weight of each; ¹⁸ for the altar of incense made of refined gold, and its weight; also his plan for the golden chariot of the cherubim that spread their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord. ¹⁹ All this he made clear by the writing from the hand of the Lord concerning it,^[k] all the work to be done according to the plan.

²⁰ Then David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it. Fear not, be not dismayed; for the Lord God, even my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished. ²¹ And behold the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God; and with you in all the work will be every willing man who has skill for any kind of service; also the officers and all the people will be wholly at your command.”

Offerings for Building the Temple

29 And David the king said to all the assembly, “Solomon my son, whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced, and the work is great; for the palace will not be for man but for the Lord God. ² So I have provided for the house of my God, so far as I was able, the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, and the bronze for the things of bronze, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood, besides great quantities of onyx and stones for setting, antimony, colored stones, all sorts of precious stones, and marble. ³ Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God: ⁴ three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for overlaying the walls of the house, ⁵ and for all the work to be done by craftsmen, gold for the things of gold and silver for the things of silver. Who then will offer willingly, consecrating himself today to the Lord?”

⁶ Then the heads of fathers’ houses made their freewill offerings, as did also the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officers over the king’s work. ⁷ They gave for the service of the house of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze, and a hundred thousand talents of iron. ⁸ And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the Lord, in the care of Jehi′el the Gershonite. ⁹ Then the people rejoiced because these had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord; David the king also rejoiced greatly.

David’s Praise to God

¹⁰ Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly; and David said: “Blessed art thou, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. ¹¹ Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. ¹² Both riches and honor come from thee, and thou rulest over all. In thy hand are power and might; and in thy hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. ¹³ And now we thank thee, our God, and praise thy glorious name.

¹⁴ “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from thee, and of thy own have we given thee. ¹⁵ For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding.^{[l] 16} O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building thee a house for thy holy name comes from thy hand and is all thy own. ¹⁷ I know, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness; in the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen thy people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to thee. ¹⁸ O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep for ever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of thy people, and direct their hearts toward thee. ¹⁹ Grant to Solomon my son that with a whole heart he may keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, performing all, and that he may build the palace for which I have made provision.”

²⁰ Then David said to all the assembly, “Bless the Lord your God.” And all the assembly blessed the Lord, the God of their fathers, and bowed their heads, and worshiped the Lord, and did obeisance to the king. ²¹ And they performed sacrifices to the Lord, and on the next day offered burnt offerings to the Lord, a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel; ²² and they ate and drank before the Lord on that day with great gladness.

Solomon Anointed King

And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and they anointed him as prince for the Lord, and Zadok as priest.

²³ Then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king instead of David his father; and he prospered, and all Israel obeyed him. ²⁴ All the leaders and the mighty men, and also all the sons of King David, pledged their allegiance to King Solomon. ²⁵ And the Lord gave Solomon great repute in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.

Summary of David’s Reign

²⁶ Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. ²⁷ The time that he reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. ²⁸ Then he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honor; and Solomon his son reigned in his stead. ²⁹ Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are written in the Chronicles of Samuel the seer, and in the Chronicles of Nathan the prophet, and in the Chronicles of Gad the seer, ³⁰ with accounts of all his rule and his might and of the circumstances that came upon him and upon Israel, and upon all the kingdoms of the countries.

Solomon Requests Wisdom

1 Solomon the son of David established himself in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly great.^[m]

² Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to all the leaders in all Israel, the heads of fathers’ houses. ³ And Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for the tent of meeting of God, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness, was there. ⁴ (But David had brought up the ark of God from Kir′iath-je′arim to the place that David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.) ⁵ Moreover the bronze altar that Bez′alel the son of Uri, son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of the Lord. And Solomon and the assembly sought the Lord. ⁶ And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the Lord, which was at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it.

⁷ In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” ⁸ And Solomon said to God, “Thou hast shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and hast made me king in his stead. ⁹ O Lord God, let thy promise to David my father be now fulfilled, for thou hast made me king over a people as many as the dust of the earth. ¹⁰ Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this thy people, that is so great?” ¹¹ God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked long life, but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may rule my people over whom I have made you king, ¹² wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.” ¹³ So Solomon came from^[n] the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem. And he reigned over Israel.

Solomon’s Military and Commercial Activity

¹⁴ Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. ¹⁵ And the king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephe′lah. ¹⁶ And Solomon’s import of horses was from Egypt and Ku′e, and the king’s traders received them from Ku′e for a price. ¹⁷ They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty; likewise through them these were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.

Preparations for Building the Temple

2 ^[o] Now Solomon purposed to build a temple for the name of the Lord, and a royal palace for himself. ^2 [p]And Solomon assigned seventy thousand men to bear burdens and eighty thousand to quarry in the hill country, and three thousand six hundred to oversee them. ³ And Solomon sent word to Huram the king of Tyre: “As you dealt with David my father and sent him cedar to build himself a house to dwell in, so deal with me. ⁴ Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God and dedicate it to him for the burning of incense of sweet spices before him, and for the continual offering of the showbread, and for burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths and the new moons and the appointed feasts of the Lord our God, as ordained for ever for Israel. ⁵ The house which I am to build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. ⁶ But who is able to build him a house, since heaven, even highest heaven, cannot contain him? Who am I to build a house for him, except as a place to burn incense before him? ⁷ So now send me a man skilled to work in gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue fabrics, trained also in engraving, to be with the skilled workers who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided. ⁸ Send me also cedar, cypress, and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber in Lebanon. And my servants will be with your servants, ⁹ to prepare timber for me in abundance, for the house I am to build will be great and wonderful. ¹⁰ I will give for your servants, the hewers who cut timber, twenty thousand cors of crushed wheat, twenty thousand cors of barley, twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.”

¹¹ Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in a letter which he sent to Solomon, “Because the Lord loves his people he has made you king over them.” ¹² Huram also said, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, endued with discretion and understanding, who will build a temple for the Lord, and a royal palace for himself.

¹³ “Now I have sent a skilled man, endued with understanding, Huram-abi, ¹⁴ the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre. He is trained to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, blue, and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and to do all sorts of engraving and execute any design that may be assigned him, with your craftsmen, the craftsmen of my lord, David your father. ¹⁵ Now therefore the wheat and barley, oil and wine, of which my lord has spoken, let him send to his servants; ¹⁶ and we will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon, and bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa, so that you may take it up to Jerusalem.”

¹⁷ Then Solomon took a census of all the aliens who were in the land of Israel, after the census of them which David his father had taken; and there were found a hundred and fifty-three thousand six hundred. ¹⁸ Seventy thousand of them he assigned to bear burdens, eighty thousand to quarry in the hill country, and three thousand six hundred as overseers to make the people work.

Solomon Builds the Temple

3 Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Mori′ah, where the Lord had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jeb′usite. ² He began to build in the second month of the fourth year of his reign. ³ These are Solomon’s measurements^[q] for building the house of God: the length, in cubits of the old standard, was sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. ⁴ The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house;^[r] and its height was a hundred and twenty cubits. He overlaid it on the inside with pure gold. ⁵ The nave he lined with cypress, and covered it with fine gold, and made palms and chains on it. ⁶ He adorned the house with settings of precious stones. The gold was gold of Parva′im. ⁷ So he lined the house with gold—its beams, its thresholds, its walls, and its doors; and he carved cherubim on the walls.

⁸ And he made the most holy place; its length, corresponding to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and its breadth was twenty cubits; he overlaid it with six hundred talents of fine gold. ⁹ The weight of the nails was one shekel^[s] to fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.

¹⁰ In the most holy place he made two cherubim of wood^[t] and overlaid^[u] them with gold. ¹¹ The wings of the cherubim together extended twenty cubits: one wing of the one, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and its other wing, of five cubits, touched the wing of the other cherub; ¹² and of this cherub, one wing, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and the other wing, also of five cubits, was joined to the wing of the first cherub. ¹³ The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits; the cherubim^[v] stood on their feet, facing the nave. ¹⁴ And he made the veil of blue and purple and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and worked cherubim on it.

¹⁵ In front of the house he made two pillars thirty-five cubits high, with a capital of five cubits on the top of each. ¹⁶ He made chains like a necklace^[w] and put them on the tops of the pillars; and he made a hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains. ¹⁷ He set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the south, the other on the north; that on the south he called Jachin, and that on the north Bo′az.

Furnishings of the Temple

4 He made an altar of bronze, twenty cubits long, and twenty cubits wide, and ten cubits high. ² Then he made the molten sea; it was round, ten cubits from brim to brim, and five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference. ³ Under it were figures of gourds,^[x] for thirty^[y] cubits, compassing the sea round about; the gourds^[z] were in two rows, cast with it when it was cast. ⁴ It stood upon twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; the sea was set upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward. ⁵ Its thickness was a handbreadth; and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily; it held over three thousand baths. ⁶ He also made ten lavers in which to wash, and set five on the south side, and five on the north side. In these they were to rinse off what was used for the burnt offering, and the sea was for the priests to wash in.

⁷ And he made ten golden lampstands as prescribed, and set them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. ⁸ He also made ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. And he made a hundred basins of gold. ⁹ He made the court of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid their doors with bronze; ¹⁰ and he set the sea at the southeast corner of the house.

¹¹ Huram also made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. So Huram finished the work that he did for King Solomon on the house of God: ¹² the two pillars, the bowls, and the two capitals on the top of the pillars; and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; ¹³ and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were upon the pillars. ¹⁴ He made the stands also, and the lavers upon the stands, ¹⁵ and the one sea, and the twelve oxen underneath it. ¹⁶ The pots, the shovels, the forks, and all the equipment for these Huram-abi made of burnished bronze for King Solomon for the house of the Lord. ¹⁷ In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zer′edah. ¹⁸ Solomon made all these things in great quantities, so that the weight of the bronze was not ascertained.

¹⁹ So Solomon made all the things that were in the house of God: the golden altar, the tables for the bread of the Presence, ²⁰ 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 purest gold; ²² the snuffers, basins, dishes for incense, and firepans, of pure gold; and the sockets^[aa] of the temple, for the inner doors to the most holy place and for the doors of the nave of the temple were of gold.

5 Thus all the work that Solomon did for the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated, and stored the silver, the gold, and all the vessels in the treasuries of the house of God.

The Ark Brought into the Temple

² Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ houses of the people of Israel, in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion. ³ And all the men of Israel assembled before the king at the feast which is in the seventh month. ⁴ And all the elders of Israel came, and the Levites took up the ark. ⁵ And they brought up the ark, the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent; the priests and the Levites brought them up. ⁶ And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who had assembled before him, were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. ⁷ So the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, in the inner sanctuary of the house, in the most holy place, underneath the wings of the cherubim. ⁸ For the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim made a covering above the ark and its poles. ⁹ And the poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the holy place before the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside; and they are there to this day. ¹⁰ There was nothing in the ark except the two tables which Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the people of Israel, when they came out of Egypt. ¹¹ Now when the priests came out of the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without regard to their divisions; ¹² and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, and Jedu′thun, their sons and kinsmen, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps, and lyres, stood east of the altar with a hundred and twenty priests who were trumpeters; ¹³ and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord), and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the Lord,

the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, ¹⁴ so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

Dedication of the Temple

6 Then Solomon said,

³ Then the king faced about, and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel stood. ⁴ And he said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to David my father, saying, ⁵ ‘Since the day that I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city in all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, that my name might be there, and I chose no man as prince over my people Israel; ⁶ but I have chosen Jerusalem that my name may be there and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.’ ⁷ Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. ⁸ But the Lord said to David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart; ⁹ nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.’ ¹⁰ Now the Lord has fulfilled his promise which he made; for I have risen in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹¹ And there I have set the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord which he made with the people of Israel.”

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication

¹² Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands. ¹³ Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the court; and he stood upon it. Then he knelt upon his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven; ¹⁴ and said, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to thy servants who walk before thee with all their heart; ¹⁵ who hast kept with thy servant David my father what thou didst declare to him; yea, thou didst speak with thy mouth, and with thy hand hast fulfilled it this day. ¹⁶ Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father what thou hast promised him, saying, ‘There shall never fail you a man before me to sit upon the throne of Israel, if only your sons take heed to their way, to walk in my law as you have walked before me.’ ¹⁷ Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, let thy word be confirmed, which thou hast spoken to thy servant David.

¹⁸ “But will God dwell indeed with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built! ¹⁹ Yet have regard to the prayer of thy servant and to his supplication, O Lord my God, hearkening to the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prays before thee; ²⁰ that thy eyes may be open day and night toward this house, the place where thou hast promised to set thy name, that thou mayest hearken to the prayer which thy servant offers toward this place. ²¹ And hearken thou to the supplications of thy servant and of thy people Israel, when they pray toward this place; yea, hear thou from heaven^[ab] thy dwelling place; and when thou hearest, forgive.

²² “If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and comes and swears his oath before thy altar in this house, ²³ then hear thou from heaven, and act, and judge thy servants, requiting the guilty by bringing his conduct upon his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness.

²⁴ “If thy people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against thee, when they turn again and acknowledge thy name, and pray and make supplication to thee in this house, ²⁵ then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again to the land which thou gavest to them and to their fathers.

²⁶ “When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against thee, if they pray toward this place, and acknowledge thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them, ²⁷ then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, thy people Israel, when thou dost teach them the good way^[ac] in which they should walk; and grant rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people as an inheritance.

²⁸ “If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or locust or caterpillar; if their enemies besiege them in any of their cities; whatever plague, whatever sickness there is; ²⁹ whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by any man or by all thy people Israel, each knowing his own affliction, and his own sorrow and stretching out his hands toward this house; ³⁰ then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each whose heart thou knowest, according to all his ways (for thou, thou only, knowest the hearts of the children of men); ³¹ that they may fear thee and walk in thy ways all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest to our fathers.

³² “Likewise when a foreigner, who is not of thy people Israel, comes from a far country for the sake of thy great name, and thy mighty hand, and thy outstretched arm, when he comes and prays toward this house, ³³ hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to thee; in order that all the peoples of the earth may know thy name and fear thee, as do thy people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name.

³⁴ “If thy people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way thou shalt send them, and they pray to thee toward this city which thou hast chosen and the house which I have built for thy name, ³⁵ then hear thou from heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

³⁶ “If they sin against thee—for there is no man who does not sin—and thou art angry with them, and dost give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to a land far or near; ³⁷ yet if they lay it to heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to thee in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, and have acted perversely and wickedly’; ³⁸ if they repent with all their mind and with all their heart in the land of their captivity, to which they were carried captive, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest to their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name, ³⁹ then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee. ⁴⁰ Now, O my God, let thy eyes be open and thy ears attentive to a prayer of this place.

Solomon Dedicates the Temple

7 When Solomon had ended his prayer, fire came down^[ad] from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. ² And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. ³ When all the children of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the Lord upon the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the earth on the pavement, and worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying,

⁴ Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the Lord. ⁵ King Solomon offered as a sacrifice twenty-two thousand oxen and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. ⁶ The priests stood at their posts; the Levites also, with the instruments for music to the Lord which King David had made for giving thanks to the Lord—for his steadfast love endures for ever—whenever David offered praises by their ministry; opposite them the priests sounded trumpets; and all Israel stood.

⁷ And Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord; for there he offered the burnt offering and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar Solomon had made could not hold the burnt offering and the cereal offering and the fat.

⁸ At that time Solomon held the feast for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of Egypt. ⁹ And on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly; for they had kept the dedication of the altar seven days and the feast seven days. ¹⁰ On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their homes, joyful and glad of heart for the goodness that the Lord had shown to David and to Solomon and to Israel his people.