1 Chronicles 22

David Gets Ready for God’s House

1 Then David said, “This is going to be the spot for the Lord God’s temple, and the altar for burnt offerings for Israel!”

2 David commanded to gather the foreigners living in the land of Israel, and he put them to work as stonecutters to shape stones for building God’s temple.

3 He also got a ton of iron for the nails for the doors of the gates and for the clamps, and a crazy amount of bronze, too much to even weigh.

4 And cedar timber, too much to count, because the Sidonians and Tyrians brought David a lot of cedar timber.

5 David said, “My son Solomon is young and does not have much experience, and the temple that needs to be built for the Lord has to be super grand, super famous and glorious in all countries. So I am going to get it ready for him.” So David got a ton of stuff ready before he passed away.

David Charges Solomon

6 Then he called for his son Solomon and ordered him to build a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel.

7 David told Solomon, “My son, I had it in my heart to build a temple for the Name of the Lord my God.”

8 “But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘You shed a lot of blood and fought in major wars. You are not going to build a temple for My Name, because you shed too much blood on the ground in My sight.’”

9 “’Look, you are going to have a son who is going to be a man of peace and quiet. I am going to give him rest from all his enemies all around, because his name is going to be Solomon (which means ‘peace’), and I am going to give peace and quiet to Israel in his days.’”

10 “’He is the one who is going to build a temple for My Name. He is going to be My son, and I am going to be his father. And I am going to make his royal throne over Israel last forever.’”

11 “Now, my son, may the Lord be with you, so you can succeed and build the temple for the Lord your God, just like He spoke concerning you.”

12 “May the Lord give you wisdom and understanding, and put you in charge of Israel, so you can keep the Law of the Lord your God.”

13 “Then you will succeed, if you are careful to follow the rules and laws that the Lord commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous! Do not be scared or dismayed!”

14 “Look, in my struggles, I have managed to set aside for the Lord’s temple about seventy-five hundred tons of gold, and about seventy-five thousand tons of silver, and bronze and iron too much to even weigh, because there is so much of it! I also got timber and stone ready, and you can add to that.”

15 “And you got a lot of workmen, stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and all kinds of skilled folks for every type of work.”

16 “There is gold, silver, bronze, and iron, too much to count. So get to work, and may the Lord be with you!”

17 David also ordered all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon, saying,

18 “Is not the Lord your God with you, And is He not given you peace all around, Because He handed over the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is under the Lord’s control and under His people’s control.”

19 “Now, set your hearts and souls to seek the Lord your God. Get up and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so you can bring the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant and the holy items of God into the temple that is going to be built for the Name of the Lord.”