Study Desk

Heman and Jeduthun were their assistants, as well as the other men who had been chosen to praise the Lord for his never-ending love.

Heman and Jeduthun were also responsible for blowing the trumpets, and for playing the cymbals and other instruments during worship at the tent. The Levites in Jeduthun's clan were the guards at Gibeon.

to go to David and tell him: David, you are my servant, so listen carefully: You are not the one to build a temple for me.

I chose special leaders and told them to be like shepherds for my people Israel. But did I ever say anything to even one of them about building a cedar temple for me?

and no one will be able to take his kingdom away from him. He will be the one to build a temple for me.

David went into the tent he had set up for the sacred chest. He sat there and prayed: Lord God, my family and I don't deserve what you have already done for us,

and yet you have promised to do even more for my descendants. You are treating me as if I am a very important person.

It was your choice to do these wonderful things for me and to make these promises.

He also took a lot of bronze from the cities of Tibhath and Cun, which had belonged to Hadadezer. Later, Solomon used this bronze to make the large bowl called the Sea, and to make the pillars and other furnishings for the temple.

Thirty-two thousand troops, as well as the king of Maacah and his army, came and camped near Medeba. The Ammonite troops also left their towns and came to prepare for battle.

The Ammonite troops marched to the entrance of the city and prepared for battle, while the Syrian troops took their positions in the open fields.

Joab told his brother, "If the Syrians are too much for me to handle, come and help me. And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I'll come and help you.

As soon as the Syrians realized they had been defeated, they sent for their troops that were stationed on the other side of the Euphrates River. Shophach, the commander of Hadadezer's army, led these troops to Ammon.

Satan decided to cause trouble for Israel by making David think it was a good idea to find out how many people there were in Israel and Judah.

Will there be three years when the land won't grow enough food for its people? Or will your enemies constantly defeat you for three months? Or will the Lord send a horrible disease to strike your land for three days? Think about it and decide, because I have to give your answer to God who sent me.

David was miserable and said, "It's a terrible choice to make! But the Lord is kind, and I'd rather have him punish me than for anyone else to do it."

Then he sent an angel to destroy the city of Jerusalem. But just as the angel was about to do that, the Lord felt sorry for all the suffering he had caused the people, and he told the angel, "Stop! They have suffered enough." This happened at the threshing place that belonged to Araunah the Jebusite.

Araunah answered, "Take it, Your Majesty, and do whatever you want with it. I'll even give you the oxen for the sacrifice and the wheat for the grain sacrifice. And you can use the threshing-boards for the fire. It's all yours!"

So David paid Araunah six hundred gold coins for his threshing place.

David said, "The temple of the Lord God must be built right here at this threshing place. And the altar for offering sacrifices will also be here."