Study Desk

Here are David's last words: "This is the speech of David the son of Yishai, the speech of the man who has been raised up, the one anointed by the God of Ya‘akov, the sweet singer of Isra'el.

The God of Isra'el spoke; the Rock of Isra'el said to me, ‘A ruler over people must be upright, ruling in the fear of God;

"For my house stands firm with God — he made an everlasting covenant with me. It is in order, fully assured, that he will bring to full growth all my salvation and every desire.

Yo'av said to the king, "May Adonai your God add to the people a hundredfold, no matter how many there are; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king take pleasure in doing this?"

All this, O king, Aravnah gives to the king." Then Aravnah said to the king, "May Adonai your God accept you."

But the king said to Aravnah, "No; I insist on buying it from you at a price. I refuse to offer to Adonai my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for one-and-a-quarter pounds of silver shekels.

She answered him, "My lord, you swore by Adonai your God to your servant, ‘Your son Shlomo will be king after me; he will sit on my throne.'

as I swore to you by Adonai the God of Isra'el, ‘Your son Shlomo will be king after me; he will sit on my throne in my place,' so will I do today."

B'nayah responded to the king by saying, "Amen! May Adonai , the God of my lord the king, confirm it!

More than that, the king's servants came and blessed our lord King David with these words: ‘May God make the name of Shlomo better than your name and his throne greater than your throne,' after which the king bowed down on the bed.

Finally, the king said, ‘Blessed be Adonai the God of Isra'el, who has given someone to sit on my throne today, when my own eyes can see it.'"

Observe the charge of Adonai your God to go in his ways and keep his regulations, mitzvot, rulings and instructions in accordance with what is written in the Torah of Moshe; so that you will succeed in all you do and wherever you go.

Then King Shlomo swore by Adonai , "May God do terrible things to me and worse if Adoniyah hasn't condemned himself to death with this request!

At Giv‘on Adonai appeared to Shlomo in a dream at night; God said, "Tell me what I should give you."

So now, Adonai my God, you have made your servant king in the place of David my father; but I am a mere child — I don't know how to lead!

God said to him, "Because you have made this request instead of asking long life or riches for yourself, or your enemies' death, but rather asked for yourself understanding to discern justice;

God gave Shlomo exceptional wisdom and understanding, as well as a heart as vast as the sandy beach by the sea.

"You know that David my father wasn't able to build a house for the name of Adonai his God, because of the wars that beset him from every side, until Adonai put his enemies under the soles of my feet.

But now Adonai my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor calamity. So now I intend to build a house for the name of Adonai my God, in keeping with what Adonai said to David my father, ‘Your son, whom I will put on your throne in your place, will be the one to build the house for my name.' Therefore, order your people to cut down cedar trees from the L'vanon for me. My servants will be with your servants. I will pay your servants according to everything you say; for you know that we have no one among us as skilled in felling trees as the Tzidonim." When Hiram heard Shlomo's message, he was very happy and said, "Blessed be Adonai today, who has given David a wise son to rule this great people." Then Hiram sent Shlomo this message: "I have heard the message you sent me, and I will do everything you want concerning cedar logs and cypress logs. My servants will bring them down from the L'vanon to the sea. I will make them into rafts to go by sea to whatever place you tell me and will have them broken up there, and you will receive them. You will compensate me by providing food for my household." So Hiram gave Shlomo all the cedar logs and cypress logs he wanted; and Shlomo gave Hiram 100,000 bushels of wheat as food for his household and a thousand gallons of oil from pressed olives — this is what Shlomo gave Hiram each year. Adonai gave Shlomo wisdom, as he had promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Shlomo — the two of them formed an alliance together. King Shlomo conscripted 30,000 men from all Isra'el for forced labor. He sent them to the L'vanon in monthly relays of 10,000; they would stay a month in the L'vanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor. Shlomo had 70,000 men to carry loads and another 80,000 stonecutters in the hills, besides Shlomo's 3,300 supervisors who were in charge of the people doing the work. The king gave orders; and they quarried large stones, expensive stones, to lay the foundation of the house with cut stone. Shlomo's and Hiram's builders, along with the men from G'val, worked the stones and prepared the timber and stones for building the house.

as he said: "Blessed be Adonai , the God of Isra'el, who spoke to my father David with his mouth and fulfilled his promise with his hand. He said,