Study Desk

But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a house for my name, for you are a warrior and have shed blood.'

"And you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve him with single mind and willing heart; for the Lord searches every mind, and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will abandon you forever.

King David said to the whole assembly, "My son Solomon, whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced, and the work is great; for the temple will not be for mortals but for the Lord God.

"But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to make this freewill offering? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.

(But David had brought the ark of God up from Kiriath-jearim to the place that David had prepared for it; for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.)

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 rule my people over whom I have made you king,

But who is able to build him a house, since heaven, even highest heaven, cannot contain him? Who am I to build a house for him, except as a place to make offerings before him?

The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the holy place in front of the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside; they are there to this day.

but I have chosen Jerusalem in order that my name may be there, and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.'

But the Lord said to my father David, ‘You did well to consider building a house for my name;

nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.'

"But will God indeed reside with mortals on earth? Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built!

"When your people Israel, having sinned against you, are defeated before an enemy but turn again to you, confess your name, pray and plead with you in this house,

"But if you turn aside and forsake my statutes and my commandments that I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them,

But of the people of Israel Solomon made no slaves for his work; they were soldiers, and his officers, the commanders of his chariotry and cavalry.

but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes saw it. Not even half of the greatness of your wisdom had been told to me; you far surpass the report that I had heard.

But he rejected the advice that the older men gave him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and now attended him.

The young men who had grown up with him said to him, "Thus should you speak to the people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you must lighten it for us'; tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father's loins.

Now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.'"

he spoke to them in accordance with the advice of the young men, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions."