Old/New Testament
David’s Plans for the Temple
28 David ·commanded [summoned] all the ·leaders [officials] of Israel to come to Jerusalem. There were the ·leaders [officials; commanders; chiefs] of the tribes, ·commanders [officers] of the army divisions serving the king, commanders of a thousand men and of a hundred men, ·leaders [officials; overseers] who took care of the property and animals that belonged to the king and his sons, ·men over the palace [palace officials], the ·powerful [mighty] men, and all the ·brave [valiant] warriors.
2 King David stood up and said, “Listen to me, my ·relatives [brothers] and my people. I ·wanted [intended; planned; had my heart set] to build a place to keep the Ark of the ·Agreement [Testimony; Treaty; Covenant] with the Lord. I wanted it to be God’s footstool. So I made ·plans [preparations] to build ·a temple [it]. 3 But God said to me, ‘You must not build a ·temple [L house] for ·worshiping me [my name/Name], because you are a ·soldier [man of war] and have ·killed many people [shed blood; C he completed the conquest of Canaan].’
4 “·But [Yet; Nevertheless] the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole ·family [clan; father’s house] to be king of Israel forever. He chose the tribe of Judah to ·lead [rule], and from the ·people [house] of Judah, he chose my father’s ·family [clan; L house]. From ·that family [L my father’s sons] God was pleased to make me king ·of [over all] Israel. 5 The Lord has given me many sons, and from those sons he has chosen Solomon to ·be the new king [L sit on the throne] of Israel. Israel is the Lord’s kingdom. 6 The Lord said to me, ‘Your son Solomon will build my ·Temple [L house] and ·its courtyards [my courts]. I have chosen Solomon to be my son, and I will be his father. 7 He is obeying my laws and commands now. If he continues ·to obey them [resolutely; unswervingly], I will ·make his kingdom strong [establish/secure his kingdom] forever.’”
8 David said, “Now, in ·front [the sight] of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of God, I tell you these things: Be careful to ·obey [observe; follow] all the commands of the Lord your God. Then you will ·keep [possess] this good land and ·pass it on [L leave it as an inheritance] to your ·descendants [children] forever.
9 “And you, my son Solomon, ·accept [acknowledge; L know] the God of your father. Serve him ·completely and willingly [L with your whole heart and a willing mind/spirit], because the Lord ·knows what is in everyone’s mind [L searches every heart]. He understands ·everything you think [every desire/motive and thought]. If you ·go to him for help [seek him], ·you will get an answer [you will find him; or he will let you find him]. But if you ·turn away from [abandon; forsake] him, he will ·leave [reject] you forever. 10 Solomon, ·you must understand this [see now]. The Lord has chosen you to build ·the Temple [L a house] as his ·holy place [sanctuary]. Be strong and ·finish the job [do it; go to work].”
11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for ·building the Temple [the porch/portico]. They included its buildings, its storerooms, its upper rooms, its inside rooms, and the ·place where the people’s sins were removed [room for atonement/T the mercy seat]. 12 David gave him plans for everything he had in mind: the courtyards around the Lord’s ·Temple [L house] and all the rooms around it, the ·Temple treasuries [storehouses of God’s house], and the ·treasuries [storehouse] of the ·holy items used in the Temple [dedicated/consecrated things/gifts]. 13 David gave Solomon directions for the ·groups [divisions; orders] of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of serving in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, and about the ·items [utensils] to be used for service in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord 14 that were made of gold or silver. David told Solomon ·how much [the weight of] gold or silver to use to make each thing. 15 David told him ·how much [the weight of] gold to use for each gold lampstand and its lamps and ·how much [the weight of] silver to use for each silver lampstand and its lamps according to how the lampstands were to be used . 16 David told ·how much [the weight of] gold to use for each table that held the ·holy [T show] bread and ·how much [the weight of] silver to use for the silver tables. 17 He told ·how much [the weight of] pure gold to use to make the forks, ·bowls [basins], and pitchers and ·how much [the weight of] gold to use to make each gold ·dish [bowl]. He told ·how much [the weight of] silver to use to make each silver ·dish [bowl] 18 and ·how much [the weight of] pure gold to use for the altar of incense. He also gave Solomon the plans for the ·chariot [or seat] of the ·golden creatures [cherubim] that spread their wings over the Ark of the ·Agreement [Testimony; Treaty; Covenant] with the Lord.
19 David said, “All these plans were written with the Lord ·guiding [directing] me. He ·helped me understand [made clear to me; gave me insight into/understanding of] everything in the plans.”
20 David also said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and brave, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, because the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or ·leave [abandon; forsake] you until all the work for the service of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord is finished. 21 The ·groups [divisions; orders] of the priests and Levites are ready for all the ·work on [service of] the ·Temple [L house] of God. Every skilled worker is ready to help you with all the work. The ·leaders [officials] and all the ·people [nation] will ·obey every command you give [be at your command].”
Gifts for Building the Temple
29 King David said to ·all the Israelites who were gathered [the entire assembly], “God chose my son Solomon, who is young and ·hasn’t yet learned what he needs to know [inexperienced], ·but [and] the ·work is important [task is great/huge]. This ·palace [temple] is not for ·people [mortals]; it is for the Lord God. 2 I have ·done my best [made every effort; L according to all my strength] to prepare for building the ·Temple [L house] of my God. I have given gold for the things made of gold and silver for the things made of silver. I have given bronze for the things made of bronze and iron for the things made of iron. I have given wood for the things made of wood and onyx for the settings. I have given turquoise gems of many different colors, ·valuable [precious] stones, and ·white marble [alabaster]. I have given all these things in ·abundance [great quantities]. 3 I have already given this for the ·Temple [L house], but because of my ·devotion to [commitment to; delight in] the ·Temple [L house] of my God, I am also giving my own treasures of gold and silver. 4 I am giving ·about two hundred twenty thousand pounds [L three thousand talents] of gold from Ophir and ·about five hundred twenty thousand pounds [L seven thousand talents] of ·pure [refined] silver. They will be used to ·cover [overlay] the walls of the buildings 5 and for all the gold and silver work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is ·ready [willing] to ·give himself [consecrate/devote yourself] to the service of the Lord today [C by also making an offering]?”
6 The ·family [clan] leaders and the ·leaders [chiefs; heads] of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of a thousand men and of a hundred men, and the ·leaders [officials; overseers] ·responsible for [in charge of] the king’s work gave willingly. 7 They donated ·about three hundred eighty thousand pounds [L five thousand talents] of gold, ·about seven hundred fifty thousand pounds [L ten thousand darics] of silver, ·about one million three hundred fifty thousand pounds [L eighteen thousand talents] of bronze, and ·about seven million five hundred thousand pounds [L one hundred thousand talents] of iron to the ·Temple [L house] of God. 8 People who had ·valuable gems [precious stones] gave them to the treasury of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, under the care of Jehiel, from the Gershon ·family [clan]. 9 The leaders gave ·willingly and completely [freely and wholeheartedly] to the Lord. The people rejoiced to see their leaders give so gladly, and King David was also ·very happy [filled with joy].
David’s Prayer
10 David ·praised [blessed] the Lord in ·front [the presence] of all the ·people who were gathered [assembly]. He said:
“We ·praise [bless] you, Lord,
God of our father Israel,
forever and ever.
11 Lord, ·you are great and powerful [yours is the greatness and power].
You have glory, victory, and ·honor [majesty; splendor].
Everything in heaven and on earth belongs to you.
·The kingdom [Sovereignty; Dominion] belongs to you, Lord;
you are ·the ruler [head; exalted] over everything.
12 ·Riches [Wealth] and honor come from you.
You rule everything.
·You have the [L In your hand is] power and ·strength [might]
to make ·anyone [everyone] great and strong.
13 Now, our God, we thank you
and praise your glorious name.
14 “·These things did not really come from me and my people. [L But who am I and who are my people that we have this much to give?]
Everything comes from you;
we have given you back what ·you [L your hand] gave us.
15 We are like ·foreigners [aliens; T sojourners] and ·strangers [transients; nomads],
as our ·ancestors [fathers] were.
Our ·time [L days] on earth is like a shadow.
There is no ·hope [or security].
16 Lord our God, we have gathered all this abundance
to build your ·Temple [L house] for ·worship to you [L your holy name/Name].
But everything has come from ·you [L your hand];
everything belongs to you.
17 I know, my God, that you ·test [examine; search] people’s hearts.
You ·are happy when people do what is right [L delight/rejoice in integrity/T uprightness].
I ·was happy to [willingly; freely] give all these things,
and I gave with ·an honest heart [pure motives].
Your people gathered here ·are happy to [willingly] give to you,
and I rejoice to see their giving.
18 Lord, you are the God of our ·ancestors [fathers],
the God of Abraham, Isaac, and ·Jacob [Israel].
·Make your people want to serve you always [Keep these motives always in their heart],
and ·make them want to obey you [direct their heart toward you].
19 Give my son Solomon a ·desire to serve you [perfect heart; undivided mind; L whole heart].
Help him always obey your commands, laws, and rules.
Help him build ·the Temple [this temple/palace]
for which I have ·prepared [provided].”
20 Then David said to all the ·people who were gathered [assembly], “·Praise [Bless] the Lord your God.” So they all ·praised [blessed] the Lord, the God of their ·ancestors [fathers], and they bowed to the ground ·to give honor to [and prostrated themselves before] the Lord and the king.
Solomon Becomes King(A)
21 The next day the people sacrificed to the Lord. They offered burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] to him of a thousand bulls, a thousand ·male sheep [rams], and a thousand male lambs. They also brought ·drink offerings [libations]. Many sacrifices were made for all the people of Israel. 22 That day the people ·ate and drank [feasted] with much joy, ·and the Lord was with them [L before the Lord].
And they ·made [designated; acknowledged] David’s son Solomon king for the second time. They ·poured olive oil on Solomon to appoint [anointed] him king ·in the presence of [before] the Lord. And they ·poured oil on Zadok to appoint him [anointed Zadok] as priest. 23 Then Solomon sat on the Lord’s throne as king and took his father David’s place. Solomon ·was very successful [prospered], and all the people of Israel obeyed him. 24 All the ·leaders [officials; chiefs] and ·soldiers [mighty warriors] and King David’s sons ·accepted Solomon as king and promised to obey him [pledged their allegiance to King Solomon]. 25 The Lord ·made Solomon great before [exalted Solomon in the sight of] all the Israelites and gave him greater royal ·splendor [majesty] than any king before him in Israel.
David’s Death
26 David son of Jesse was king over all Israel. 27 He had ·ruled [reigned] over Israel forty years—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 28 David died when he was old. He had lived a good, long life ·and had received many [full of] riches and honors. His son Solomon ·became king after him [reigned in his place].
29 ·Everything David did as king [The acts/events of King David], from ·beginning to end [first to last], is ·recorded [written] in the ·records [chronicles; annals] of Samuel the ·seer [prophet], the ·records [chronicles; annals] of Nathan the prophet, and the ·records [chronicles; annals] of Gad the ·seer [prophet]. 30 Those writings tell what David did ·as king of Israel [during his reign]. They tell about his power and what happened to him and to Israel and to all the kingdoms ·around them [of the earth/land].
24 So for the second time, they called the man who had been blind. They said, “·You should give God the glory by telling the truth [L Give God the glory; C see Josh. 7:19 where this phrase is a command to tell the truth]. We know that this man is a sinner.”
25 [L So; Then] He answered, “I don’t know if he is a sinner. One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I see.”
26 [L So; Then] They asked, “What did he do to you? How did he ·make you see again [L open your eyes]?”
27 He answered them, “I already told you, and you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his ·followers [disciples] too?”
28 Then they ·insulted [ridiculed; reviled] him and said, “You are his ·follower [disciple], but we are ·followers [disciples] of Moses. 29 We know that God spoke to Moses [Ex. 33:11; Num. 12:8; Deut. 34:10], but we don’t even know where this man comes from.”
30 The man answered, “This is a very ·strange [astonishing; marvelous] thing. You don’t know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We all know that God does not listen to sinners, but he listens to anyone who ·worships [is devout; is godfearing] and ·obeys him [L does his will]. 32 Nobody has ·ever [or since the beginning of the world; L from the age/eternity] heard of anyone giving sight to a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
34 They answered, “You were born ·full of sin [or in utter sinfulness]! Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out [C of the synagogue; an act of excommunication].
Spiritual Blindness
35 When Jesus heard that they had ·thrown [cast; driven] him out [C of the synagogue], Jesus found him and said, “Do you ·believe [trust] in the Son of Man [C a title for the Messiah; Dan. 7:13–14]?”
36 He asked, “Who is ·the Son of Man [L he], sir, so that I can ·believe [trust] in him?”
37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him. ·The Son of Man [L He] is the one talking with you.”
38 He said, “·Lord [C the same word is rendered “sir” in v. 36, but here may have a more solemn sense], I ·believe [trust]!” Then the man ·worshiped [prostrated himself before] Jesus.
39 Jesus said, “I came into this world ·so that the world could be judged [L for judgment]. I came so that the blind would see and so that those who see will become blind.” [C Those who acknowledge they are spiritually blind will see the truth; and those who think they see spiritually (the Jewish religious leaders) are actually blind; Is. 6:10; 42:19.]
40 Some of the Pharisees who were nearby heard Jesus say this and asked, “Are you saying we are blind, too?”
41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin. But since you keep saying you see, your ·guilt [or sin] remains.”
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