Gifts for Building the Temple
1 David told the crowd:
God chose my son Solomon to build the temple, but Solomon is young and has no experience. This is not just any building—this is the temple for the Lord God! 2 That's why I have done my best to get everything Solomon will need to build it—gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, onyx, turquoise, colored gems, all kinds of precious stones, and marble.
3 Besides doing all that, I have promised to give part of my own gold and silver as a way of showing my love for God's temple. 4 More than 100 tons of my finest gold and almost 240 tons of my silver will be used to decorate its walls 5 and to make the gold and silver objects. Now, who else will show their dedication to the Lord by giving gifts for building his temple?
6 After David finished speaking, the family leaders, the tribal leaders, the army commanders, and the government officials voluntarily gave gifts 7 for the temple. These gifts included more than 170 tons of gold, over 340 tons of silver, 620 tons of bronze, and more than 3,400 tons of iron. 8 Everyone who owned precious stones also donated them to the temple treasury, where Jehiel from the Levite clan of Gershon guarded them.
9 David and the people were very happy that so much had been given to the Lord, and they all celebrated.
David Praises the Lord
10 Then, in front of everyone, David sang praises to the Lord:
I praise you forever, Lord! You are the God our ancestor Jacob worshiped. 11 Your power is great, and your glory is seen everywhere in heaven and on earth. You are king of the entire world, 12 and you rule with strength and power. You make people rich and powerful and famous. 13 We thank you, our God, and praise you.
14 But why should we be happy that we have given you these gifts? They belong to you, and we have only given back what is already yours. 15 We are only foreigners living here on earth for a while, just as our ancestors were. And we will soon be gone, like a shadow that suddenly disappears.
16 Our Lord God, we have brought all these things for building a temple to honor you. They belong to you, and you gave them to us. 17 But we are happy, because everyone has voluntarily given you these things. You know what is in everyone's heart, and you are pleased when people are honest. 18 Always make us eager to give, and help us be faithful to you, just as our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob faithfully worshiped you. 19 And give Solomon the desire to completely obey your laws and teachings, and the desire to build the temple for which I have provided these gifts.
20 David then said to the people, “Now it's your turn to praise the Lord, the God your ancestors worshiped!” So everyone praised the Lord, and they bowed down to honor him and David their king.
Solomon Is Crowned King
21 The next day, the Israelites slaughtered 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, and 1,000 lambs, and they offered them as sacrifices to please the Lord, along with offerings of wine. 22 The people were very happy, and they ate and drank there at the Lord's altar.
That same day, Solomon was again crowned king. The people celebrated and poured olive oil on Solomon's head to show that he would be their next king. They also poured oil on Zadok's head to show that he was their priest.
23 So Solomon became king after David his father. Solomon was successful, and everyone in Israel obeyed him. 24 Every official and every soldier, as well as all of David's other sons, were loyal to him. 25 The Lord made Solomon a great king, and the whole nation was amazed at how famous he was. In fact, no other king of Israel was as great as Solomon.
David Dies
26 David the son of Jesse was king of Israel 27 for 40 years. He ruled from Hebron for 7 years and from Jerusalem for 33 years. 28 David was rich and respected and lived to be an old man. Then he died, and his son Solomon became king.
29 Everything David did while he was king is included in the history written by the prophets Samuel, Nathan, and Gad. 30 They wrote about his powerful rule and about the things that happened not only to him, but also to Israel and the other nations.
Gifts for Building the Temple
1 King David announced to the whole assembly: “My son Solomon is the one whom God has chosen, but he is still young and lacks experience. The work to be done is tremendous, because this is not a palace for people but a temple for the Lord God. 2 I have made every effort to prepare materials for the Temple—gold, silver, bronze, iron, timber, precious stones and gems, stones for mosaics, and quantities of marble. 3 Over and above all this that I have provided, I have given silver and gold from my personal property because of my love for God's Temple. 4 I have given 115 tons of the finest gold and 265 tons of pure silver for decorating the walls of the Temple 5 and for all the objects which the skilled workers are to make. Now who else is willing to give a generous offering to the Lord?”
6 Then the heads of the clans, the officials of the tribes, the commanders of the army, and the administrators of the royal property volunteered to give 7 the following for the work on the Temple: 190 tons of gold, 380 tons of silver, 675 tons of bronze, and 3,750 tons of iron. 8 Those who had precious stones gave them to the Temple treasury, which was administered by Jehiel of the Levite clan of Gershon. 9 The people had given willingly to the Lord, and they were happy that so much had been given. King David also was extremely happy.
David Praises God
10 There in front of the whole assembly King David praised the Lord. He said, “Lord God of our ancestor Jacob, may you be praised forever and ever! 11 You are great and powerful, glorious, splendid, and majestic. Everything in heaven and earth is yours, and you are king, supreme ruler over all. 12 All riches and wealth come from you; you rule everything by your strength and power; and you are able to make anyone great and strong. 13 Now, our God, we give you thanks, and we praise your glorious name.
14 “Yet my people and I cannot really give you anything, because everything is a gift from you, and we have only given back what is yours already. 15 You know, O Lord, that we pass through life like exiles and strangers, as our ancestors did. Our days are like a passing shadow, and we cannot escape death. 16 O Lord, our God, we have brought together all this wealth to build a temple to honor your holy name, but it all came from you and all belongs to you. 17 I know that you test everyone's heart and are pleased with people of integrity. In honesty and sincerity I have willingly given all this to you, and I have seen how your people who are gathered here have been happy to bring offerings to you. 18 Lord God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, keep such devotion forever strong in your people's hearts and keep them always faithful to you. 19 Give my son Solomon a wholehearted desire to obey everything that you command and to build the Temple for which I have made these preparations.”
20 Then David commanded the people, “Praise the Lord your God!” And the whole assembly praised the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and they bowed low and gave honor to the Lord and also to the king.
21 The following day they killed animals as sacrifices, dedicating them to the Lord, and then gave them to the people to eat. In addition, they sacrificed a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, which they burned whole on the altar. They also brought the offerings of wine. 22 So that day they were very happy as they ate and drank in the presence of the Lord.
For a second time they proclaimed Solomon king. In the name of the Lord they anointed him as their ruler and Zadok as priest. 23 So Solomon succeeded his father David on the throne which the Lord had established. He was a successful king, and the whole nation of Israel obeyed him. 24 All the officials and soldiers, and even all of David's other sons, promised to be loyal to Solomon as king. 25 The Lord made the whole nation stand in awe of Solomon, and he made him more glorious than any other king that had ruled Israel.
Summary of David's Reign
26 David son of Jesse ruled over all Israel 27 for forty years. He ruled in Hebron for seven years and in Jerusalem for thirty-three. 28 He died at a ripe old age, wealthy and respected, and his son Solomon succeeded him as king. 29 The history of King David from beginning to end is recorded in the records of the three prophets, Samuel, Nathan, and Gad. 30 The records tell how he ruled, how powerful he was, and all the things that happened to him, to Israel, and to the surrounding kingdoms.