Study Desk

So David ^(F1)gave orders to gather ^(C1)the strangers who were in the land of Israel, and ^(C2)he set stonecutters to cut out stones to build the house of God.

And David ^(C1)prepared large quantities of iron ^(F1)to make the nails for the doors of the gates and for the clamps, and more ^(C2)bronze than could be weighed;

and timbers of cedar beyond number, for ^(C1)the Sidonians and Tyrians brought large quantities of cedar timber to David.

David said, "My son ^(C1)Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the LORD shall be exceedingly magnificent, famous, and glorious throughout the lands. Therefore I now will make preparations for it." So David made ample preparations before his death.

Then ^(C1)he called for his son Solomon, and commanded him to build a house for the LORD God of Israel.

David said to Solomon, "^(C1)My son, ^(F1)I had intended to build a house for the name of the LORD my God.

"But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, '^(C1)You have shed much blood and have ^(F1)waged great wars; you shall not build a house to My name, because you have shed so much blood on the earth before Me.

'Behold, a son will be born to you, who shall be a man of rest, and ^(C1)I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for ^(C2)his name will be ^(F1)Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days.

'^(C1)He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son and I will be his Father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.'

"Now, my son, ^(C1)the LORD be with you that you may be successful, and build the house of the LORD your God just as He has spoken concerning you.

"^(C1)Only the LORD give you discretion and understanding, and put you in charge of Israel, so that you may ^(C2)keep the Law of the LORD your God.

"^(C1)Then you will prosper, if you are careful to ^(F1)follow the statutes and the ordinances which the LORD commanded Moses concerning Israel. ^(C2)Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be dismayed.

"Now behold, ^(F1)with great pains I have prepared for the house of the LORD ^(C1)a hundred thousand ^(F2)talents of gold and a million talents of silver, and ^(C2)bronze and iron beyond measure, for ^(F3)they are in great quantity; I have also prepared timber and stone, and you may add to that.

"Moreover there are many workmen with you, stonecutters, masons of stone, and carpenters; and all of them are skillful in every kind of work.

"Of the gold, silver, bronze, and iron there is no limit. Arise and work, and may ^(C1)the LORD be with you."

^(C1)David also commanded all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon, saying,

"Is the LORD your God not with you? And ^(C1)has He not given you rest on every side? For He has handed over to me the inhabitants of the land, and the land is subdued before the LORD and before His people.

"Now ^(C1)set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; then arise, and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, ^(C2)so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy vessels of God into the house that is to be built ^(C3)for the name of the LORD."

^(C1)Now when David ^(F1)reached old age, ^(C2)he made his son Solomon king over Israel.

And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel with the priests and the Levites.

^(C1)Now the Levites were counted from thirty years old and upward, and ^(C2)their number by ^(F1)head count of men was thirty-eight thousand.

Of these, twenty-four thousand were ^(C1)to oversee the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand were ^(C2)officers and judges,

and four thousand were gatekeepers, and ^(C1)four thousand were praising the LORD with the instruments which ^(F1)David made for giving praise.

David divided them into divisions ^(C1)according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Of the Gershonites there were ^(F1)Ladan and Shimei.

The sons of Ladan were Jehiel the first, and Zetham and Joel, three.

The sons of Shimei were Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers' households of Ladan.

The sons of Shimei were Jahath, ^(F1)Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.

Jahath was the first and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they became a father's household, one group for duty.

The sons of Kohath were four in number: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

^(C1)The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. And ^(C2)Aaron was set apart to sanctify him as most holy, he and his sons forever, ^(C3)to burn incense before the LORD, to serve Him and bless in His name forever.

But as for ^(C1)Moses, the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi.

The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer.

The ^(F1)son of Gershom was ^(F2)Shebuel the chief.

The ^(F1)son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

The ^(F1)son of Izhar was ^(F2)Shelomith the chief.

The sons of Hebron were Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

The sons of Uzziel were Micah the first and Isshiah the second.

The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish.

Eleazar died and had no sons, but only daughters; so their relatives, the sons of Kish, took them as wives.

The sons of Mushi were three: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth.

^(C1)These were the sons of Levi according to their fathers' households, the heads of the fathers' households of those among them who were ^(F1)counted, in the number of names by their ^(F2)head count, doing the work for the service of the house of the LORD, ^(C2)from twenty years old and upward.

For David said, "The LORD God of Israel ^(C1)has given rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem forever.

"Also, ^(C1)the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its utensils for its service."

For by the last words of David, the sons of Levi were counted from twenty years old and upward.

For their office is ^(F1)to assist the sons of Aaron with the service of the house of the LORD, in the courtyards and in the chambers, and in the purification of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God,

^(C1)and with the showbread, and ^(C2)the fine flour for a grain offering, and unleavened wafers, or ^(C3)what is baked in the pan or ^(C4)what is well-mixed, and ^(C5)all measures of volume and size.

They are to stand every morning to thank and to praise the LORD, and likewise at evening,

and to offer all burnt offerings to the LORD, ^(C1)on the Sabbaths, the new moons and ^(C2)the appointed festivals, in the number determined by the ordinance concerning them, continually before the LORD.

So ^(C1)they are to perform the ^(F1)duties of the tent of meeting, the holy place, and ^(C2)of assisting the sons of Aaron their relatives, for the service of the house of the LORD.