The Reign of David

And David saith, `This is the house of Jehovah God, and this the altar for burnt-offering for Israel.'

And David saith to gather the sojourners who are in the land of Israel, and appointeth hewers to hew hewn-stones to build a house of God.

And iron in abundance for nails for leaves of the gates, and for couplings, hath David prepared, and brass in abundance--there is no weighing.

And cedar-trees even without number, for the Zidonians and the Tyrians brought in cedar-trees in abundance to David.

And David saith, `Solomon my son is a youth and tender, and the house to be built to Jehovah is to be made exceedingly great, for name and for beauty to all the lands; let me prepare, I pray Thee, for it;' and David prepareth in abundance before his death.

And he calleth for Solomon his son, and chargeth him to build a house to Jehovah, God of Israel,

and David saith to Solomon his son, `As for me, it hath been with my heart to build a house to the name of Jehovah my God,

and the word of Jehovah is against me, saying, Blood in abundance thou hast shed, and great wars thou hast made: thou dost not build a house to My name, for much blood thou hast shed to the earth before Me.

`Lo, a son is born to thee; he is a man of rest, and I have given rest to him from all his enemies round about, for Solomon is his name, and peace and quietness I give unto Israel in his days;

he doth build a house to My name, and he is to Me for a son, and I am to him for a father, and I have established the throne of his kingdom over Israel unto the age.

`Now, my son, Jehovah is with thee, and thou hast prospered, and hast built the house of Jehovah thy God, as He spake concerning thee.

Only, Jehovah give to thee wisdom and understanding, and charge thee concerning Israel, even to keep the law of Jehovah thy God;

then thou dost prosper, if thou dost observe to do the statutes and the judgments that Jehovah charged Moses with concerning Israel; be strong and courageous; do not fear, nor be cast down.

`And lo, in mine affliction, I have prepared for the house of Jehovah of gold talents a hundred thousand, and of silver a thousand thousand talents; and of brass and of iron there is no weighing, for in abundance it hath been, and wood and stones I have prepared, and to them thou dost add.

`And with thee in abundance are workmen, hewers and artificers of stone and of wood, and every skilful man for every work.

To the gold, to the silver, and to the brass, and to the iron, there is no number; arise and do, and Jehovah is with thee.'

And David giveth charge to all heads of Israel to give help to Solomon his son,

`Is not Jehovah your God with you? yea, He hath given rest to you round about, for He hath given into my hand the inhabitants of the land, and subdued hath been the land before His people.

`Now, give your heart and your soul to seek to Jehovah your God, and rise and build the sanctuary of Jehovah God, to bring in the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and the holy vessels of God, to the house that is built to the name of Jehovah.'

And David is old, and satisfied with days, and causeth his son Solomon to reign over Israel,

and gathereth all the heads of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites;

and the Levites are numbered from a son of thirty years and upward, and their number, by their polls, is of mighty men thirty and eight thousand.

Of these to preside over the work of the house of Jehovah are twenty and four thousand, and officers and judges six thousand,

and four thousand gatekeepers, and four thousand giving praise to Jehovah, `with instruments that I made for praising,' saith David.

And David distributeth them into courses: Of the sons of Levi: of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.