Military Divisions

27 This is the number 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 24,000:

2 ^eJashobeam the son of Zabdiel was in charge of the first division in the first month; in his division were 24,000. 3 He was a descendant of Perez and was chief of all the commanders. He served for the first month. 4 Dodai the Ahohite¹ was in charge of the division of the second month; in his division were 24,000. 5 The third commander, for the third month, was Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada the chief priest; in his division were 24,000. 6 This is the Benaiah who was a mighty man of the thirty and in command of the thirty; Ammizabad his son was in charge of his division.² 7 Asahel the brother of Joab was fourth, for the fourth month, and his son Zebadiah after him; in his division were 24,000. 8 The fifth commander, for the fifth month, was Shamhuth the Izrahite; in his division were 24,000. 9 Sixth, for the sixth month, was Ira, the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite; in his division were 24,000. 10 Seventh, for the seventh month, was Helez the Pelonite, of the sons of Ephraim; in his division were 24,000. 11 Eighth, for the eighth month, was Sibbecai the Hushathite, of the Zerahites; in his division were 24,000. 12 Ninth, for the ninth month, was Abiezer of Anathoth, a Benjaminite; in his division were 24,000. 13 Tenth, for the tenth month, was Maharai of Netophah, of the Zerahites; in his division were 24,000. 14 Eleventh, for the eleventh month, was Benaiah of Pirathon, of the sons of Ephraim; in his division were 24,000. 15 Twelfth, for the twelfth month, was Heldai the Netophathite, of Othniel; in his division were 24,000.

Leaders of Tribes

16 Over the tribes of Israel, for the Reubenites, Eliezer the son of Zichri was chief officer; for the Simeonites, Shephatiah the son of Maacah; 17 for Levi, Hashabiah the son of Kemuel; for Aaron, Zadok; 18 for Judah, Elihu, one of David’s brothers; for Issachar, Omri the son of Michael; 19 for Zebulun, Ishmaiah the son of Obadiah; for Naphtali, Jeremoth the son of Azriel; 20 for the Ephraimites, Hoshea the son of Azaziah; for the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joel the son of Pedaiah; 21 for the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo the son of Zechariah; for Benjamin, Jaasiel the son of Abner; 22 for Dan, Azarel the son of Jeroham. These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel. 23 David did not count those below twenty years of age, for the Lord had promised to make Israel ^fas many as the stars of heaven. 24 Joab the son of Zeruiah began to count, ^gbut did not finish. Yet ^hwrath came upon Israel for this, and the number was not entered in the chronicles of King David.

25 Over the king’s treasuries was Azmaveth the son of Adiel; and over the treasuries in the country, in the cities, in the villages, and in the towers, was Jonathan the son of Uzziah; 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 Shimei the Ramathite; and over the produce of the vineyards for the wine cellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite. 28 Over the olive and ⁱsycamore trees in the Shephelah was Baal-hanan the Gederite; and over the stores of oil was Joash. 29 Over the herds that pastured in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite; over the herds in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai. 30 Over the camels was Obil the Ishmaelite; and over the donkeys was Jehdeiah the Meronothite. 31 Over the flocks was Jaziz the Hagrite. 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 Jehiel the son of Hachmoni attended the king’s sons. 33 ^jAhithophel was the king’s counselor, and ^kHushai the Archite was the king’s friend. 34 Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, and ^lAbiathar. ^mJoab was commander of the king’s army.

David’s Charge to Israel

28 David assembled at Jerusalem ⁿall 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 livestock of the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the ^omighty men and all the seasoned warriors. 2 Then King David rose to his feet and said: “Hear me, my brothers and my people. I had it ^pin my heart to build a house of rest ^qfor the ark of the covenant of the Lord and for the ^rfootstool of our God, and ^sI made preparations for building. 3 But God said to me, ^t‘You may not build a house ^ufor my name, for you are a man of war and have shed blood.’ 4 Yet the Lord God of Israel ^vchose me from all my father’s house to be king over Israel forever. For he chose ^wJudah as leader, and in the house of Judah ^xmy father’s house, and ^yamong 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 ^zmany sons) ^ahe has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. 6 He said to me, ^b‘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 forever ^cif he continues strong in keeping my commandments and my rules, 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 forever.

David’s Charge to Solomon

9 “And you, Solomon my son, ^dknow 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. ^eIf you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever. 10 Be careful 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 ^fvestibule of the temple,¹ and of its houses, its treasuries, its ^gupper rooms, and its inner chambers, and of the room for the ^hmercy seat; 12 and the plan of all that he had in mind for the ⁱcourts of the house of the Lord, all the surrounding ^jchambers, the ^ktreasuries of the house of God, and the ^ltreasuries for dedicated gifts; 13 for the ^mdivisions 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 ⁿlampstands 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 ^otable for the showbread, the silver for the silver tables, 17 and pure gold for the forks, the ^pbasins and the cups; for the golden bowls and the weight of each; for the silver bowls and the weight of each; 18 for the ^qaltar of incense made of refined gold, and its weight; also his plan for the golden chariot of the ^rcherubim that spread their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 19 “All this he made clear to me in writing from the hand of the Lord, all the work to be done according to the plan.”

20 Then David said to Solomon his son, ^s“Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God, is ^twith you. ^uHe will not leave 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 the Temple

29 And David the king said to all the assembly, “Solomon my son, ^vwhom alone God has chosen, ^wis young and inexperienced, and the work is great, for the palace will not be for man but for the Lord God. 2 So ^xI 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 ^y3,000 talents¹ of gold, of the gold of ^zOphir, and 7,000 talents of refined silver, for overlaying the walls of the house,² 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 himself³ today to the Lord?”

6 Then the ^aleaders 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 5,000 talents and 10,000 darics⁴ of gold, 10,000 talents of silver, 18,000 talents of bronze and 100,000 talents of iron. 8 And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the Lord, in the care of Jehiel the Gershonite. 9 Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

David Prays in the Assembly

10 Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. 11 Yours, 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 yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. 12 Both ^briches and honor come from you, and ^cyou rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. 13 And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.

14 “But ^dwho am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. 15 For ^ewe are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are ^flike a shadow, and there is no abiding.⁵ 16 O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house ^gfor your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own. 17 I know, my God, that ^hyou test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you. 18 O Lord, ⁱthe God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you. 19 ^jGrant to Solomon my son a ^kwhole heart that he may keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your 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 ^lbowed their heads and paid homage to the Lord and to the king. 21 And they offered sacrifices to the Lord, and on the next day offered burnt offerings to the Lord, 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, and 1,000 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 ^manointed him as ⁿprince for the Lord, and ^oZadok as priest.

23 Then Solomon ^psat on the throne of the Lord as king in place of David his father. And he prospered, and all Israel obeyed him. 24 All the leaders and the ^qmighty men, and also all the ^rsons of King David, pledged their allegiance to King Solomon. 25 And the Lord made Solomon very great in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him such royal majesty ^sas had not been on any king before him in Israel.

The Death of David

26 ^tThus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. 27 The time that he reigned over Israel was forty years. He reigned ^useven years ^vin Hebron and thirty-three years ^win Jerusalem. 28 Then he died ^xat a good age, ^yfull of days, ^zriches, and honor. And Solomon his son reigned in his place. 29 Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are written in the Chronicles of ^aSamuel the ^bseer, and in the Chronicles of ^cNathan the prophet, and in the Chronicles of ^dGad 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.

2 Chronicles

Solomon Worships at Gibeon

1 ^aSolomon the son of David ^bestablished himself in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was ^cwith him and made him ^dexceedingly great.

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 ^eGibeon, ^ffor the tent of meeting of God, ^gwhich Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness, was there. 4 (But ^hDavid had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the ⁱplace that David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.) 5 Moreover, the ^jbronze altar that ^kBezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, ^lhad made, was there before the tabernacle of the Lord. And Solomon and the assembly sought it¹ out. 6 And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the Lord, which was at the tent of meeting, and offered ^ma thousand burnt offerings on it.

Solomon Prays for Wisdom

7 ⁿIn that night ^oGod appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” 8 And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king ^pin his place. 9 O Lord God, ^qlet your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people ^ras numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 ^sGive me now wisdom and knowledge to ^tgo out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?” 11 God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 ^uwisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, ^vsuch as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.” 13 So Solomon came from² the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem. And he reigned over Israel.

Solomon Given Wealth

14 ^wSolomon gathered together ^xchariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 15 And the king made ^ysilver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the ^zsycamore of the Shephelah. 16 And Solomon’s import of ^ahorses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king’s traders would buy them from Kue for a price. 17 They imported a chariot from Egypt for 600 shekels³ of silver, and a horse for 150. Likewise through them these were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.

Preparing to Build the Temple

2 ^bNow Solomon purposed to build a temple ^cfor the name of the Lord, and a ^droyal palace for himself. ¹ 2 And Solomon assigned 70,000 men to bear burdens and 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and 3,600 to oversee them. 3 And Solomon sent word to Hiram the king of Tyre: “As you dealt with David my father and ^esent 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 ^fincense of sweet spices before him, and for the regular arrangement of the ^gshowbread, and for burnt offerings ^hmorning and evening, ⁱon the Sabbaths and the ^jnew moons and the ^kappointed feasts of the Lord our God, as ordained forever for Israel. 5 ^lThe house that I am to build will be great, for our God is ^mgreater than all gods. 6 But ⁿwho is able to build him a house, since heaven, even highest heaven, cannot contain him? ^oWho am I to build a house for him, except as a place to make offerings before him? 7 So now send me a man skilled to work in gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and in ^ppurple, crimson, and blue fabrics, trained also in engraving, to be with the skilled workers who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, ^qwhom 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 woodsmen who cut timber, 20,000 cors² of crushed wheat, 20,000 cors of barley, 20,000 baths³ of wine, and 20,000 baths of oil.”

11 Then Hiram the king of Tyre answered in a letter that he sent to Solomon, “Because the Lord ^rloves his people, he has made you king over them.” 12 Hiram also said, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, who has 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, who has understanding, ^sHuram-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.”