22 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.”

David Prepares To Build the Temple

² David ordered the foreigners living in Israel to come to Jerusalem. Then he assigned some to cut blocks of stone for building the temple. ³ He got a large supply of iron to make into nails and hinges for the doors, and he provided so much bronze that it could not be weighed. ⁴ He also brought an endless supply of cedar logs from the cities of Sidon and Tyre.

⁵ He said, “The temple for the Lord must be great, so that everyone in the world will know about it. But since my son Solomon is young and has no experience, I will make sure that everything is ready for the temple to be built.”

That's why David did all these things before he died.

David Instructs Solomon To Build the Temple

⁶ David sent for his son Solomon and told him to build a temple for the Lord God of Israel. ^7 (A) He said:

My son, I wanted to build a temple where the Lord my God would be worshiped. ⁸ But some time ago, he told me, “David, you have killed too many people and have fought too many battles. That's why you are not the one to build my temple. ⁹ But when your son becomes king, I will give him peace throughout his kingdom. His name will be Solomon, because during his rule I will keep Israel safe and peaceful.^{[a] 10} Solomon will build my temple. He will be like a son to me, and I will be like a father to him. In fact, one of his descendants will always rule in Israel.”

¹¹ Solomon, my son, I now pray that the Lord your God will be with you and keep his promise to help you build a temple for him. ¹² May he give you wisdom and knowledge, so that you can rule Israel according to his Law. ^13 (B) If you obey the laws and teachings that the Lord gave Moses, you will be successful. Be strong and brave and don't get discouraged or be afraid of anything.

¹⁴ I have all the supplies you'll need to build the temple: You have more than 3,000 tons of gold and over 34,000 tons of silver. There's also plenty of wood, stone, and more bronze and iron than I could weigh. Ask for anything else you need. ¹⁵ I have also assigned men who will cut and lay the stone. And there are carpenters and people who are experts in working with ¹⁶ gold, silver, bronze, and iron. You have plenty of workers to do the job. Now get started, and I pray that the Lord will be with you in your work.

¹⁷ David then gave orders for the leaders of Israel to help Solomon. ¹⁸ David said:

The Lord our God has helped me defeat all the people who lived here before us, and he has given you peace from all your enemies. Now this land belongs to the Lord and his people. ¹⁹ Obey the Lord your God with your heart and soul. Begin work on the temple to honor him, so that the sacred chest and the things used for worship can be kept there.

David Assigns the Levites Their Duties

23 ^(C) David was old when he chose his son Solomon to be king of Israel. ² Some time later, David called together all of Israel's leaders, priests, and Levites. ³ He then counted the Levite men who were at least 30 years old, and the total was 38,000. ⁴ He said, “Twenty-four thousand of the Levites will be in charge of the temple, 6,000 will be temple officials and judges, ⁵ 4,000 will be guards at the temple, and 4,000 will praise the Lord by playing the musical instruments I have given them.”

⁶ David then divided the Levites into three groups according to the clans of Levi's sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

⁷ Gershon had two sons: Ladan and Shimei. ⁸ Ladan was the father of Jehiel, Zetham, and Joel. ⁹ They were all family leaders among their father's descendants. Shimei was the father of Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran. ^10-11 Later, Shimei had four more sons, in the following order: Jahath, Ziza, Jeush, and Beriah. But Jeush and Beriah didn't have many children, so their descendants were counted as one family.

¹² Kohath had four sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ^13 (D) Amram was the father of Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were chosen to be in charge of all the sacred things. They served the Lord by offering sacrifices to him and by blessing the people in his name. ^14-15 Moses, the man of God, was the father of Gershom and Eliezer, and their descendants were considered Levites. ¹⁶ Gershom's oldest son was Shebuel. ¹⁷ Rehabiah, who was Eliezer's only son, had many children. ¹⁸ The second son born to Kohath was Izhar, and his oldest son was Shelomith. ¹⁹ Hebron, the third son of Kohath, was the father of Jeriah, Amariah, Jahaziel, and Jekameam. ²⁰ Kohath's youngest son, Uzziel, was the father of Micah and Isshiah.

²¹ Merari had two sons: Mahli and Mushi. Mahli was the father of Eleazar and Kish. ²² Eleazar had no sons, only daughters, and they married their uncle's sons. ²³ Mushi the second son of Merari, was the father of Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth.

²⁴ These were the clans and families of the tribe of Levi. Those who were 20 years and older were assigned to work at the Lord's temple.

²⁵ David said:

The Lord God of Israel has given his people peace, and he will live in Jerusalem forever. ^26 (E) And so, the Levites won't need to move the sacred tent and the things used for worship from place to place. ²⁷ From now on, all Levites at least 20 years old ^28 (F) will serve the Lord by helping Aaron's descendants do their work at the temple, by keeping the courtyards and rooms of the temple clean, and by making sure that everything used in worship stays pure. ²⁹ They will also be in charge of the sacred loaves of bread, the flour for the grain sacrifices, the thin wafers, any offerings to be baked, and the flour mixed with olive oil. These Levites will weigh and measure these offerings.

³⁰ Every morning and evening, the Levites are to give thanks to the Lord and sing praises to him. ³¹ They must also give thanks and sing praises when sacrifices are offered on each Sabbath, as well as during New Moon Festivals and other religious feasts. There must always be enough Levites on duty at the temple to do everything that needs to be done. ³² They were once in charge of taking care of the sacred tent; now they are responsible for the temple and for helping Aaron's descendants.