David

Then David said, "This is the house of ADONAI, God; and this is the altar Isra'el is to use for burnt offerings."

David ordered that the foreigners in the land of Isra'el should be assembled, and he appointed stone-workers to shape stones for building the house of God.

David prepared a large store of iron from which to make nails and clamps for the gateway doors and, a quantity of bronze too great to weigh,

and cedar logs beyond numbering - because the Tzidonim and the people from Tzor brought cedar logs in abundance to David.

David said, "Shlomo my son is young and inexperienced, while the house to be built for ADONAI must be so magnificent and splendid that its fame and glory will be known in every country; so I will make preparations for him." Therefore David made extensive preparations before his death.

"My son,"said David to Shlomo, "my heart was set on building a house for the name of ADONAI my God.

David also ordered all the leaders of Isra'el to help Shlomo his son:

David had now grown old; he had lived many years; so he made Shlomo his son king over Isra'el.

4,000 were gatekeepers, and 4,000 sang praise to ADONAI "with the instruments I made for the purpose of singing praise."

David organized them into divisions named after the sons of Levi - Gershon, K'hat and M'rari.

For David said, "ADONAI the God of Isra'el has given rest to his people, and he lives in Yerushalayim forever.

For, according to David's last instructions, the descendants of Levi twenty years old and over were to be counted.

David, together with Tzadok from the descendants of El'azar, and Achimelekh from the descendants of Itamar, arranged them in divisions for service.

These likewise cast lots, as had their kinsmen the descendants of Aharon, in the presence of David the king, Tzadok, Achimelekh, and the clan leaders of the cohanim and of the L'vi'im; with the senior and junior clans casting lots equally.

For the service, David and the army commanders selected some of the descendants of Asaf, of Heman and of Y'dutun to prophesy with lyres, lutes and cymbals. The list of those doing this work, according to the type of work performed was:

This Shlomit and his kinsmen were in charge of all the stores of the dedicated things that David the king, the clan heads, the captains over thousands and hundreds and the commanders of the army had dedicated.

Yeriyah was chief of the Hevroni according to their generations by clans. In the fortieth year of David's reign the Hevroni were sought out, and there were found among them strong, brave men at Ya'zer in Gil'ad.

King David appointed 2,700 of his kinsmen, valiant men and clan leaders, as overseers over the Re'uveni, the Gadi and the half-tribe of the M'nashi for every matter pertaining to God and for the affairs of the king.

of Y'hudah: Elihu, one of David's brothers; of Yissakhar: 'Omri the son of Mikha'el;

But David did not include in the registration those twenty years old or less, because ADONAI had said he would increase Isra'el's numbers like the stars in the sky.

Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah began a census of these, but he did not finish, and wrath came upon Isra'el because of this; moreover the number was not entered into the Annals of King David.

and Yaziz the Hagri over the flocks [of sheep and goats]. All of these were responsible for King David's property.

Y'honatan David's uncle was an adviser, a man of understanding and a secretary. Yechi'el the son of Hachmoni took care of the king's sons.

David assembled in Yerushalayim all the leaders of Isra'el - the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of the divisions serving the king, the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and the supervisors over the property and livestock of the king, along with his sons, the officials, the warrior-heroes, and anyone else who was a leader.

Then David the king rose to his feet and said: "My kinsmen and my people! Listen to me! I set my heart on building a house where the ark for the covenant of ADONAI could remain at rest. It would have been God's footstool, and I prepared to build it.