Study Desk

But Joab answered, "May the Lord make his nation 100 times as large! Sir, all the Israelites are your servants. Why do you want to do this thing, my lord and king? You will make all the Israelites guilty of sin!"

But King David was stubborn. Joab had to do what the king said. So Joab left and went through all the country of Israel counting the people. Then he came back to Jerusalem

God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But when the angel started to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord saw it and felt sorry for all the suffering. So he said to the angel who was destroying the people, "Stop! That is enough!" This happened when the angel of the Lord was standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

David said to God, "I am the one who sinned. I gave the order for the people to be counted! I was wrong. The Israelites did not do anything wrong. Lord my God, punish me and my family, but stop the terrible sicknesses that are killing your people."

But King David answered Araunah, "No, I will pay you the full price. I will not take anything that is yours and give it to the Lord . I will not give offerings that cost me nothing."

David said, "We should build a very great Temple for the Lord , but my son Solomon is young and does not yet have enough experience to know how to do it well. It should be so great and beautiful that it will be famous among all the nations. So I will prepare what is needed to build it." So before David died he prepared everything needed to build a great Temple.

But the Lord said to me, ‘David, you have fought many wars and you have killed many people. So you cannot build a temple for my name.

But you have a son who is a man of peace. I will give your son a time of peace. His enemies around him will not bother him. His name is Solomon. And I will give Israel peace and quiet during the time that he is king.

Jahath was the oldest son and Ziza was the second son. But Jeush and Beriah did not have many children. So Jeush and Beriah were counted like one family.

Eliezer's oldest son was Rehabiah. Eliezer had no other sons. But Rehabiah had very many sons.

But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did. Nadab and Abihu had no sons, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as the priests.

Mahli's son was Eleazar, but Eleazar did not have sons.

Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the people, but he did not finish. God became angry with the Israelites. That is why the number of the people was not put in the book, The History of King David.

But God said to me, ‘No David, you must not build a house for my name. You must not do that because you are a soldier, and you have killed many men.'

The Lord has given me many sons. And from all those sons, he chose Solomon to be the new king of Israel. But really, Israel is the Lord 's kingdom.

"And you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father. Serve God with a pure heart. Be happy to serve him, because the Lord knows what is in everyone's heart. He knows what you are thinking. If you go to him for help, you will get an answer. But if you turn away from him, he will leave you forever.

King David said to all the Israelites who were gathered together, "God chose my son Solomon. Solomon is young and does not know all that he needs to do this work. But the work is very important. This house is not for people; this house is for the Lord God.

Lord our God, we gathered all these things to build your Temple. We build it to honor your name. But all these things have come from you. Everything belongs to you.

But the bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri, who was the son of Hur, had made was in front of the Holy Tent at Gibeon. So Solomon and the people went there to ask the Lord for advice.

So I will give you wisdom and knowledge, but I will also give you wealth, riches, and honor. No king who lived before you has ever had so much wealth and honor, and no king in the future will have as much wealth and honor."