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David said, “This is the House of the Lord God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”
2 So David gave orders to gather all the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, and he set stonemasons to prepare dressed stone for building the house of God. 3 David prepared large quantities of iron to make nails for the doors of the gates and for the fittings, and more bronze than could be weighed, 4 and cedar logs beyond number, for the Sidonians and Tyrians brought large quantities of cedar wood to David.
5 David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the House that is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, famous, and glorious throughout all lands. Therefore I will make preparations for it.” So David made extensive preparations before his death.
6 Then he called for his son Solomon and charged him to build a House for the Lord, the God of Israel. 7 David said to Solomon, “My son, it was in my mind to build a house to the Name of the Lord my God. 8 But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have waged great wars; you shall not build a House to My Name, because you have shed so much blood on the earth before Me. 9 Look, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. 10 He shall build a House for My Name. He shall be My son, and I will be his father, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever’.
11 “Now, my son, the Lord be with you, and give you success in building the House of the Lord your God, as He has said about you. 12 Only, the Lord give you discretion and understanding when He gives you charge over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God. 13 Then you will prosper, if you are careful to follow the statutes and the ordinances which the Lord commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and of good courage; do not fear nor be dismayed.
14 “See how I have gone to much trouble to prepare for the House of the Lord—a hundred thousand talents of gold, one million talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond weight, for they are in such great quantity; timber and stone also I have prepared, and you may add more to them. 15 Moreover, you have an abundance of workmen: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and all kinds of craftsmen beyond number who are skilled in every type of work, 16 In gold, silver, bronze, and iron. Set to work then, and the Lord be with you.”
17 David also commanded all the leaders of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, 18 “Is not the Lord your God with you? And has He not given you rest on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the Lord, and before His people. 19 Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God. Therefore arise, and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that he may bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God into the House that is to be built for the Name of the Lord.”