22 David said, “The temple* of the Lord God and the altar for burning offerings for the people of Israel will be built here.”

David Makes Plans for the Temple

²David gave an order for all foreigners living in Israel to be gathered together. David chose stonecutters* from that group of foreigners. Their job was to cut stones ready to be used for building God’s temple.* ³David got iron for making nails and hinges for the gate doors. David also got more bronze than could be weighed. ⁴And David got more cedar logs than could be counted. The people from the cities of Sidon and Tyre brought many cedar logs to David. ⁵David said, “We should build a very great temple* for the Lord. But my son Solomon is young and he hasn’t learned the things he needs to know. The Lord’s temple should be very great. It should be famous in all the nations because of its greatness and beauty. That is why I will make plans for building the Lord’s temple.” So David made many plans {for building the temple} before he died. ⁶Then David called for his son Solomon. David told Solomon to build the temple* for the Lord God of Israel. ⁷David said to Solomon, “My son, I wanted to build a temple for the name of the Lord my God. ⁸But the Lord said to me, ‘David, you have fought many wars and you have killed many people. So you can’t build a temple for my name. ⁹But you have a son that is a man of peace. I will give your son a time of peace. His enemies around him will not bother him. His name is Solomon.* And I will give Israel peace and quiet during the time that Solomon is king. ¹⁰Solomon will build a temple for my name. Solomon will be my son, and I will be his Father. And I will make Solomon’s kingdom strong. And someone from his family will rule Israel forever!’” ¹¹David also said, “Now, son, may the Lord be with you. May you be successful and build the temple* for the Lord your God, like he said you would. ¹²The Lord will make you the king of Israel. May the Lord give you wisdom and understanding so you can lead the people and obey the law of the Lord your God. ¹³And you will have success, if you are careful to obey the rules and laws that the Lord gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid. ¹⁴“Solomon, I have worked hard making plans for building the Lord’s temple.* I have given 3,750 tons* of gold. And I have given about 37,500 tons* of silver. I have given so much bronze and iron that it can’t be weighed. And I have given wood and stone. Solomon, you can add to them. ¹⁵You have many stonecutters* and carpenters.* You have men skilled in every kind of work. ¹⁶They are skilled in working with gold, silver, bronze, and iron. You have more skilled workers than can be counted. Now begin the work. And may the Lord be with you.” ¹⁷Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon. ¹⁸David said to these leaders, “The Lord your God is with you. He has given you a time of peace. The Lord helped me to defeat the people living around us. The Lord and his people are now in control of this land. ¹⁹Now give your heart and soul to the Lord your God, and do the things he says. Build the holy place of the Lord God. Build the temple* for the Lord’s name. Then bring the Box of the Agreement* and all the other holy things into the temple.”

temple The special building in Jerusalem for worshiping God. stonecutters Men that cut stones and build things with them. Solomon This name is like the Hebrew word meaning, “peace.” 3,750 tons Literally, “100,000 kikars.” 37,500 tons Literally, “1,000,000 kikars.” stonecutters Men that cut stones and build things with them. carpenters Men that build things with wood. Box of the Agreement Also called “The Ark of the Covenant,” the box containing the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments written on them and the other things that proved God was with the people of Israel during their time in the Sinai Desert.

Plans for the Levites to Serve in the Temple

23 David became an old man, so he made his son Solomon the new king of Israel. ²David gathered all the leaders of Israel. He also gathered the priests and Levites. ³David counted the Levites that were 30 years old and older. All together there were 38,000 Levites. ⁴David said, “24,000 Levites will supervise the work of building the Lord’s temple.* 6,000 Levites will be policemen and judges. ⁵4,000 Levites will be gatekeepers. And 4,000 Levites will be musicians. I made special musical instruments for them. They will use those instruments to praise the Lord.” ⁶David separated the Levites into three groups. They were the family groups of Levi’s three sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

The Gershon Family Group

⁷From the family group of Gershon there were Ladan and Shimei. ⁸Ladan had three sons. His oldest son was Jehiel. His other sons were Zethan and Joel. ⁹Shimei’s sons were Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran. These three sons were leaders in Ladan’s families. ¹⁰Shimei had four sons. They were Jahath, Ziza, Jeush, and Beriah. ¹¹Jahath was the oldest son and Ziza was the second son. But Jeush and Beriah did not have many children. So Jeush and Beriah were counted like one family.

The Kohath Family Group

¹²Kohath had four sons. They were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ¹³Amram’s sons were Aaron and Moses. Aaron was chosen to be very special. Aaron and his descendants* were chosen to be special forever and ever. They were chosen to prepare the holy things for the Lord’s service. Aaron and his descendants were chosen to burn the incense* before the Lord. They were chosen to serve the Lord as priests. They were chosen to use the Lord’s name and give blessings to the people forever. ¹⁴Moses was the man of God.* Moses’s sons were part of the family group of Levi. ¹⁵Moses’ sons were Gershom and Eliezer. ¹⁶Gershom’s oldest son was Shubael. ¹⁷Eliezer’s oldest son was Rehabiah. Eliezer had no other sons. But Rehabiah had very many sons. ¹⁸Izhar’s oldest son was Shelomith. ¹⁹Hebron’s oldest son was Jeriah. Hebron’s second son was Amariah. Jahaziel was the third son, and Jekameam was the fourth son. ²⁰Uzziel’s oldest son was Micah, and Isshiah was his second son.

The Merari Family Group

²¹Merari’s sons were Mahli and Mushi. Mahli’s sons were Eleazar and Kish. ²²Eleazar died without having sons. He only had daughters. Eleazar’s daughters married their own relatives. Their relatives were Kish’s sons. ²³Mushi’s sons were Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth. There were three sons in all.

The Levites’ Work

²⁴These were Levi’s descendants.* They were listed by their families. They were the leaders of families. Each person’s name was listed. The people that were listed were 20 years old or older. They served in the Lord’s temple.* ²⁵David had said, “The Lord God of Israel has given peace to his people. The Lord has come to Jerusalem to live there forever. ²⁶So the Levites don’t need to carry the Holy Tent* or any of the things used in its services any more.” ²⁷David’s last instructions for the people of Israel was to count the descendants* from the family group of Levi. They counted the Levite men that were 20 years old and older. ²⁸The Levites* had the job of helping Aaron’s descendants* in the service of the Lord’s temple.* The Levites also cared for the temple yard and the side rooms in the temple. They had the job of making all holy things pure. It was their job to serve in God’s temple. ²⁹They were responsible for putting the special bread on the table in the temple. They also were responsible for the flour, the grain offerings, and the bread made without yeast. They were also responsible for the baking pans and the mixed offerings. They did all the measuring. ³⁰The Levites stood every morning and gave thanks and praise to the Lord. They also did this every evening. ³¹The Levites prepared all the burnt offerings* to the Lord on the special days of rest, at the New Moon* celebrations, and at all the special holidays. They served before the Lord every day. There were special rules for how many Levites should serve each time. ³²So the Levites did all the things they were supposed to do. They took care of the Holy Tent.* They took care of the Holy Place.* And they helped their relatives, {the priests,} Aaron’s descendants. The Levites helped the priests with the services at the Lord’s temple.

temple The special building in Jerusalem for Jewish worship. descendants A person’s children and their future families. incense A kind of spice that smells good when it is burned. It was burned as a gift to God. man of God Another name for a prophet. descendants A person’s children and all their future families. temple Here this means the Holy Tent at Shiloh where people went to worship the Lord. Holy Tent Also called the “tabernacle.” The people would go to this tent to meet with God. The people used this tent until Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem. Levites People from the tribe of Levi. The Levites helped the priests in the temple and also worked for the civil government. burnt offering(s) Gifts to God. Usually these were animals that were killed and completely burned on the altar. New Moon This was the first day of the Hebrew month. There were special meetings on these days to worship God. Holy Place The room in the Holy Tent and in the temple that was used by the priests to do their daily service to God.