CHAPTER 29
Then King
David
said
to the whole
assembly,
“My son
Solomon,
whom
alone
God
has chosen,
is young
and inexperienced.
The task
is great
because
this palace
will not
be for man,
but
for the LORD
God.
Now with all
my ability
I have made provision
for the house
of my God—
gold
for the gold articles,
silver
for the silver,
bronze
for the bronze,
iron
for the iron,
and wood
for the wood,
as well as onyx
for the settings,
turquoise,
stones of various colors,
all kinds
of precious
stones,
and slabs
of marble—
all in abundance.
Moreover,
because of my delight
in the house
of my God,
I now give
for it
my personal treasures
of gold
and silver,
over and above
all
that I have provided
for this holy
temple:
three
thousand
talents
of gold
(the gold
of Ophir)
and seven
thousand
talents
of refined
silver,
to overlay
the walls
of the buildings,
for the gold work
and the silver work,
and for all
the work
to be done by
the craftsmen.
Now who
will volunteer
to consecrate
himself
to the LORD
today?”
Then the leaders
of the households,
the officers
of the tribes
of Israel,
the commanders
of thousands
and of hundreds,
and the officials
in charge of the king’s
work
gave willingly.
Toward the service
of God’s
house
they gave
5,000
talents
and 10,000
darics
of gold,
10,000
talents
of silver,
18,000
talents
of bronze,
and 100,000
talents
of iron.
Whoever had
precious stones
gave
them to the treasury
of the house
of the LORD,
under
the care
of Jehiel
the Gershonite.
Then the people
rejoiced
at
the willing response of their leaders,
for
they had given
to the LORD
freely and wholeheartedly.
And King
David
also
rejoiced
greatly.
Then David
blessed
the LORD
in the sight
of all
the assembly
and
said:
“May You
be blessed,
O LORD,
God
of our father
Israel,
from everlasting
to
everlasting.
Yours,
O LORD,
is the greatness
and the power
and the glory
and the splendor
and the majesty,
for
everything
in heaven
and on earth belongs to You.
Yours,
O LORD,
is the kingdom,
and You are exalted
as head
over all.
Both riches
and honor
come from You,
and You
are the ruler
over all.
Power
and might
are in Your hand,
and it is in Your hand
to exalt
and to give strength
to all.
But who
am I,
and who
are my people,
that
we should be able
to give as generously
as this?
For
everything
comes from You,
and from Your own hand
we have given
to You.
For
we
are foreigners
and sojourners
in Your presence,
as were all
our forefathers.
Our days
on
earth
are like a shadow,
without
hope.
O LORD
our God,
from Your hand
comes
all
this
abundance
that
we have provided
for building
You
a house
for Your holy
Name,
and all of it
belongs to You.
I know,
my God,
that
You
test
the heart
and delight
in uprightness.
All
these things
I
have given willingly
and with an upright
heart,
and now
I have seen
Your people
who are present
here
giving joyfully
and willingly
to You.
O LORD,
God
of our fathers
Abraham,
Isaac,
and Israel,
keep
this
desire
forever
in the intentions
of the hearts
of Your people,
and direct
their hearts
toward You.
And give
my son
Solomon
a whole
heart
to keep
and carry out
all
Your commandments,
decrees,
and statutes,
and to build
Your palace
for which
I have made provision.”
Then David
said
to the whole
assembly,
“Praise
the LORD
your God.”
So the whole
assembly
praised
the LORD,
the God
of their fathers.
They bowed down
and paid homage
to the LORD
and to the king.
The next day
they offered
sacrifices
and presented burnt offerings
to the LORD:
a thousand
bulls,
a thousand
rams,
and a thousand
lambs,
along with their drink offerings,
and other sacrifices
in abundance
for all
Israel.
That
day
they ate
and drank
with great
joy
in the presence
of the LORD.
Then, for a second
time, they designated David’s
son
Solomon
as king,
anointing him
before the LORD
as ruler,
and Zadok
as the priest.
So Solomon
sat
on
the throne
of the LORD
as king
in place of
his father
David.
He prospered,
and all
Israel
obeyed him.
All
the officials
and mighty men,
as well as
all
of King
David’s
sons,
pledged
their allegiance
to
King
Solomon.
The LORD
highly
exalted
Solomon
in the sight
of all
Israel
and bestowed
on him
royal
majesty
such as
had not
been
bestowed on
any
king
in
Israel
before him.
The length
of David's
reign
over
Israel
was forty
years—
seven
years
in Hebron
and thirty-three years
in Jerusalem.
He died
at a ripe
old age,
full
of days,
riches,
and honor,
and his son
Solomon
became king
in his place.
Now the acts
of King
David,
from first
to last,
they are indeed
written
in
the Chronicles
of Samuel
the Seer,
the Chronicles
of Nathan
the Prophet,
and
the Chronicles
of Gad
the Seer,
together with
all the details
of his reign,
his might,
and the circumstances
that
came
upon him
and
Israel
and
all
the kingdoms
of the lands.