1 Chronicles 22

1 Then David said, “Here, [at the edge of Jerusalem, ] is where [we will build] the temple for our God Yahweh, and where [we will make] the altar for burning the offerings that the Israeli [people will bring].”

Then David said, “Here shall be the house of the LORD God, as well as the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”

2 So David commanded that the foreigners who lived in Israel must gather together. [When they did that, ] he appointed [some of those] men to [cut huge] stones [from the quarries] and to smooth their surfaces, to be used to build the temple of God.

So David gave orders to gather the foreigners in the land of Israel, from whom he appointed stonecutters to prepare finished stones for building the house of God.

3 David provided a large amount of iron for making nails and hinges for the doors in the gates of the temple. He also provided so much bronze [for making the altar and various utensils], that no one could weigh it all.

David provided a large quantity of iron to make the nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, together with more bronze than could be weighed

4 He also provided [money for buying] a large amount of cedar logs. Because there was a huge number of them, no one was able to count them. Those were logs that men from Tyre and Sidon [cities] sent to David.

and more cedar logs than could be counted; for the Sidonians and Tyrians had brought a large quantity of cedar logs to David.

5 David [provided all those things because he] thought, “My son Solomon is still young and he does not know what he needs to know [about building], and the temple of Yahweh must be (magnificent/very beautiful). It must be a glorious building that will become famous, and people throughout the world must consider it to be glorious/splendid. So now I will begin to prepare for it to be built, [and Solomon will be responsible for building it].” So David collected a great amount of building materials before he died.

And David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the LORD must be exceedingly magnificent—famous and glorious throughout all lands. Therefore I must make preparations for it.” So David made lavish preparations before his death.

6 [When] David [was old, he] summoned his son Solomon, and told him that he should arrange for a temple to be built for Yahweh, the God whom the Israelis [worshiped].

Then David called for his son Solomon and instructed him to build a house for the LORD, the God of Israel.

7 He said to him, “I wanted [IDM] to build a temple to honor [MTY] Yahweh, my God.

“My son,” said David to Solomon, “it was in my heart to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God,

8 But Yahweh told [a prophet to tell] me, ‘You have killed many men [MTY] in the battles that you have fought. I have seen the blood of all the people whom you killed, so you will not be the one who will arrange for a temple to be built to honor me [MTY].

but this word of the LORD came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and waged great wars. You are not to build a house for My Name because you have shed so much blood on the ground before Me.

9 But you will have a son [who will be king of Israel after you die]. He will be a man who is peaceful and quiet, [not a man who kills others]. And I will cause that there will be peace between him and his enemies who are in all the nearby lands. His name will be Solomon, [which sounds like the word for peace]. During the time that he is king, people in Israel will be peaceful and safe.

But a son will be born to you who will be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side; for his name will be Solomon, and I will grant to Israel peace and quiet during his reign.

10 He is the one who will arrange for a temple to be built to honor me [MTY]. He will be [like] a son to me, and I will cause some of his descendants to rule [MTY] over Israel forever [HYP].’

He is the one who will build a house for My Name. He will be My son, and I will be his Father. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’

11 “So now, my son, I hope/wish that Yahweh will help you, and enable you to be successful in arranging for building the temple of Yahweh, your God, which is what he said that you would do.

Now, my son, may the LORD be with you, and may you succeed in building the house of the LORD your God, as He said you would.

12 I also hope/wish that he will enable you to be wise and to understand what you need to know, and enable you to obey his laws while you rule over Israel.

Above all, may the LORD give you insight and understanding when He puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the Law of the LORD your God.

13 If you carefully obey all the laws and regulations/commands that Yahweh gave to Moses to give to us Israeli people, you will be successful. So be steadfast/strong and courageous. Do not be afraid of anything, and do not become discouraged!

Then you will succeed, if you carefully follow the statutes and ordinances that the LORD commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.

14 “I have tried hard to provide [materials] for [building] the temple of Yahweh. I have provided nearly 4,000 tons of gold, and nearly 40,000 tons of silver. I have also provided a very large amount of iron and bronze; no one has been able to weigh it all. I have also gathered/provided lumber and stone [for the walls of the temple], but you may need to get some more of those things.

Now behold, I have taken great pains to provide for the house of the LORD—100,000 talents of gold, 1,000,000 talents of silver, and bronze and iron too great to be weighed. I have also provided timber and stone, and you may add to them.

15 There are many men [in Israel] who have good ability to cut big stones for making stone walls, and carpenters, and men who are very skilled at making various kinds of things.

You also have many workers: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and men skilled in every kind of work—

16 There are many men who know how to make things from gold and silver and bronze and iron. So now [I say to you], begin the work [of building the temple], and I hope/wish that Yahweh will help/be with you.”

in gold and silver, bronze and iron—craftsmen beyond number. Now begin the work, and may the LORD be with you.”

17 Then David commanded that all the Israeli leaders must assist Solomon. He said to them,

Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon:

18 “Yahweh our God is certainly with/helping you [RHQ]. He has allowed you to have peace with all the nearby nations [RHQ]. He has enabled my [army] to conquer [IDM] them, so now Yahweh and my people control them.

“Is not the LORD your God with you, and has He not granted you rest on every side? For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land has been subdued before the LORD and His people.

19 Now you must obey Yahweh completely. Help Solomon to arrange for building the temple for Yahweh God, in order that you can bring the Sacred Chest that contains the Ten Commandments and the other sacred items that belong to God into the temple that you will build to honor Yahweh.”

Now set your heart and soul to seek the LORD your God. Get started building the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy articles of God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD.”