The First Book of the Chronicles

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- Chapter 29 -

Then King David said to all the people who had gathered there, “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen to be the next king, is young and does not have much experience. This work of building the temple is great, because this glorious building will not be to honor people, but to honor Yahweh our God.

From all the things that I possess, I have provided what will be needed to build the temple of my God, gold for the things to be made of gold, silver for the things to be made of silver, bronze for the things to be made of bronze, iron for the things to be made of iron, wood for the things to be made of wood, and large amounts of onyx and turquoise and other valuable stones of various colors, and marble and all kinds of valuable stones.

In addition to all these things that I have given for the temple, I am giving my own treasures of gold and silver, because I very earnestly desire that this holy temple for my God be built.

I am giving about 100 metric tons of gold from Ophir and 230 metric tons of refined silver to cover the walls of the buildings,

for making the other items of gold and silver, and for the other work to be done by the craftsmen. So now, I ask you, who is willing to show by contributing other gifts for the building of the temple that he has dedicated himself to Yahweh?”

Then the leaders of the families, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of one thousand soldiers and the commanders of one hundred soldiers, and the officials who supervised the work that the king wanted done, gave gifts willingly.

For the work at the temple they gave 165 metric tons and eighty-four kilograms of gold, 330 metric tons of silver, 600 metric tons of bronze, and 3,300 metric tons of iron.

Any people who owned valuable stones gave them to be put in the storeroom of the temple. Jehiel, a descendant of Gershon, was appointed to be in charge of them.

The people were happy to see that their leaders wanted to give those things; they were happy and enthusiastic to give those things to Yahweh. And King David also was very happy.

David’s Prayer of Blessing

Then, while all the people there were listening, David praised Yahweh. He said, “We praise you, Yahweh, the God whom our ancestor Jacob worshiped. We will praise you forever!

You alone are great and powerful; only you are truly glorious and majestic and wonderful. And that is true because everything in heaven and on the earth is yours. You are the king of all the people in this world; you are the ruler of everything.

Because you are very powerful, you are able to cause anyone to be great and be strong.

So now, our God, we thank you, and we praise you for being very great.

But I and my people are not really able to give anything to you, because everything that we have comes from you; the things that we have given to you are only the things that we have received from you.

You know that we are like foreigners and strangers to you, as our ancestors were. Our years here on earth are like a shadow that disappears quickly; we know that there is nothing that can enable us to escape dying.

Yahweh our God, we have gathered all these things to use in building your temple, but all of it really belongs to you, and you have given it to us.

My God, I know that you test us people, and you are pleased if you find out that we do what is right. All these things I have given to you because I wanted to. And now I have seen that your people have joyfully and generously given things to you.

Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob worshiped, I desire that your people will continue to desire to do things like this forever, and that they will always be loyal to you.

And now, please enable my son Solomon to faithfully and sincerely do everything that is needed to build this beautiful building for which I have provided all these things.”

Then David said to all the people who were gathered there, “Praise Yahweh our God!” So they all praised Yahweh the God whom their ancestors also worshiped. They prostrated themselves on the ground in front of Yahweh and in front of the king.

Solomon Anointed King

(1 Kings 1:32–40)

The next day the people offered sacrifices to Yahweh. They presented many animals to be completely burned on the altar: A thousand bulls, a thousand rams, a thousand male sheep, offerings of wine, and many other sacrifices for all the people of Israel to eat.

On that day the people were joyful and ate and drank in Yahweh’s honor. Then for the second time they declared that Solomon was now the king. As Yahweh had commanded, they anointed him with olive oil to be the king, and they anointed Zadok to be the high priest.

So Solomon sat on the throne because Yahweh wanted him to be the king to succeed his father David. During the following years Solomon prospered, and all the Israelite people obeyed him.

King David’s other sons and all the officers and mighty warriors accepted Solomon to be their king, and they solemnly promised to obey him.

Yahweh caused Solomon to be highly respected by all the Israelite people, and they honored him very much. No king of Israel had been honored as much as Solomon was.

David’s Reign and Death

(1 Kings 2:10–12)

Jesse’s son David was the king who ruled all of Israel.

He ruled for forty years: seven years in the city of Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

He was very rich and very much honored, and he became an old man. Then he died, and his son Solomon became the king of Israel.

A record of all the things that King David did while he ruled, from the beginning to the end, was on scrolls written by the prophets Samuel, Nathan, and Gad.

They told about his powerful rule, and all the things that happened to him and to the people of Israel and in the kingdoms of other countries while he was ruling Israel.

David the king said to all the assembly, “Solomon my son, whom alone God has chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great; for the palace is not for man, but for the LORD God.

Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, the bronze for the things of bronze, iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood, also onyx stones, stones to be set, stones for inlaid work of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance.

In addition, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, since I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, I give it to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house:

even three thousand talents of gold,(a) of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents

(b)

of refined silver, with which to overlay the walls of the houses;

of gold for the things of gold, and of silver for the things of silver, and for all kinds of work to be made by the hands of artisans. Who then offers willingly to consecrate himself today to the LORD?”

Then the princes of the fathers’ households, and the princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers over the king’s work, offered willingly;

and they gave for the service of God’s house of gold five thousand talents

(c)

and ten thousand darics,(d) of silver ten thousand talents, of bronze eighteen thousand talents, and of iron one hundred thousand talents.

People with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure of the LORD’s house, under the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite.

Then the people rejoiced, because they offered willingly, because with a perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD; and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.

David’s Prayer of Blessing

Therefore David blessed the LORD before all the assembly; and David said, “You are blessed, LORD, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever.

Yours, LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty! For all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, LORD, and you are exalted as head above all.

Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all! In your hand is power and might! It is in your hand to make great, and to give strength to all!

Now therefore, our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name.

But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from you, and we have given you of your own.

For we are strangers before you and foreigners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is no remaining.

LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build you a house for your holy name comes from your hand, and is all your own.

I know also, my God, that you try the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things. Now I have seen with joy your people, who are present here, offer willingly to you.

LORD, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this desire forever in the thoughts of the heart of your people, and prepare their heart for you;

and give to Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for which I have made provision.”

Then David said to all the assembly, “Now bless the LORD your God!” All the assembly blessed the LORD, the God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads and prostrated themselves before the LORD and the king.

Solomon Anointed King

(1 Kings 1:32–40)

They sacrificed sacrifices to the LORD and offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the next day after that day, even one thousand bulls, one thousand rams, and one thousand lambs, with their drink offerings and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel,

and ate and drank before the LORD on that day with great gladness. They made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and anointed him before the LORD to be prince, and Zadok to be priest.

Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him.

All the princes, the mighty men, and also all of the sons of King David submitted themselves to Solomon the king.

The LORD magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and gave to him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.

David’s Reign and Death

(1 Kings 2:10–12)

Now David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel.

The time that he reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

He died at a good old age, full of days, riches, and honor; and Solomon his son reigned in his place.

Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the history of Samuel the seer, and in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the history of Gad the seer,

with all his reign and his might, and the events that involved him, Israel, and all the kingdoms of the lands.

Footnotes

(a)29:4 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces, so 3000 talents is about 90 metric tons

(b)29:4 about 210 metric tons

(d)29:7 a daric was a gold coin issued by a Persian king, weighing about 8.4 grams or about 0.27 troy ounces each.