Then David said, “This will be the house of Yahweh God, and this altar of burnt offering for Israel.”

David’s Preparations for Building the Temple

2 And David commanded to assemble the resident aliens who were in the land of Israel and appointed stone craftsmen to cut dressed stones to build the house of God. 3 And David provided much iron for nails for the doors of the gates and for the seams, and abundant copper that could not be weighed, 4 and cedar timbers without number, for the Sidonians and Tyrians brought abundant cedars to David. 5 Then David said, “Solomon my son is a boy and inexperienced, and the house built for Yahweh must be exceedingly great in fame and splendor throughout every land. I will make preparations for him.” So David provided abundant materials before he died.

Solomon Charged with Building the Temple of Yahweh

6 Then he called to Solomon his son and commanded him to build a house for Yahweh, the God of Israel. 7 And David said to Solomon his son, “I myself had in my heart to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God, 8 but it happened that the word of Yahweh came over me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have made much war; you shall not build a house for my name because you have shed much blood upon the ground before me. 9 Behold, a son shall be born to you; he himself will be a man of rest, and I will give rest to him from all his enemies all around, for his name will be Solomon, and peace and quietness I will give to Israel in his days. 10 He himself will build a house for my name, and he himself will be to me a son, and I will be to him as a father, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’ 11 Now, my son, Yahweh will be with you, that you may succeed and build the house of Yahweh your God as he has spoken concerning you. 12 Only may Yahweh give to you understanding and insight that he might give you charge over Israel and the keeping of the law of Yahweh your God. 13 Then you will prosper if you take care to do the statutes and judgments which Yahweh commanded Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and be courageous; fear not and do not be dismayed. 14 Now see, with great effort I have made provision for the house of Yahweh: 100,000 talents of gold, 1,000,000 talents of silver, and bronze and iron that cannot be weighed, for there is an abundance. Also timber and stone I have provided, but to these you should add. 15 And with you there is an abundance of craftsmen: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and everyone skilled in every kind of craftsmanship 16 with gold, silver, bronze, and iron without number. Arise and work! Yahweh will be with you!”

17 And David commanded all the commanders of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, 18 “Is not Yahweh your God with you? And has he not given you rest all around? For he has put in my hand the inhabitants of the land, and the land is subdued before Yahweh and before his people. 19 Now set your heart and mind to seek Yahweh your God, and arise and build the sanctuary of Yahweh God, that the ark of the covenant of Yahweh and the holy vessels of God might be brought into the house built for the name of Yahweh.

David Organizes the Levites

23 Now David was old and full of days. And he made Solomon his son king over Israel. 2 And he assembled all the commanders of Israel and the priests and the Levites. 3 And the Levites from ⌊thirty years old⌋a and above were counted, and their number according to their head count for the men was thirty-eight thousand. 4 Of these, David said, “Twenty-four thousand are to direct the work of the house of Yahweh, along with six thousand judges and officials, 5 four thousand gatekeepers, and four thousand offering praise to Yahweh with the instruments that I have made for praise.” 6 And David organized them in divisions according to the sons of Levi: to Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

7 For the Gershonites were Ladan and Shimei. 8 The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief and Zetham and Joel, three. 9 The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the ⌊families⌋b of Ladan. 10 And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah; these four were the sons of Shimei. 11 And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second, but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons. They were enrolled as one for the house of a father.

12 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. 13 The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was set apart to consecrate the most holy things. He and his sons were to burn offerings forever before Yahweh to serve him and to bless in his name forever. 14 But Moses the man of God and his sons were reckoned among the tribe of Levi. 15 The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. 16 The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief. 17 And the sons of Eliezer were Rehabiah, the head. And Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. 18 The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief. 19 The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. 20 The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief and Isshiah the second.

21 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. 22 And Eleazar died, and he did not have sons, but only daughters. And the sons of Kish, their relatives, married them. 23 The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

24 These were the sons of Levi according to the house of their fathers, the heads of the ⌊families⌋,c according to their enrollment, by the number of the names, according to their head count, who were to do the work of the service of the house of Yahweh, from ⌊twenty years old⌋d and above. 25 For David said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people, and he dwells in Jerusalem forever. 26 And also, the Levites do not need to carry the tabernacle and all its vessels for its service.” 27 For by the last words of David, they are the number of the sons of Levi, from ⌊twenty years old⌋e and above. 28 For their station was ⌊to assist⌋f the sons of Aaron with the service of the house of Yahweh, over the courtyards, over the chambers, and over the cleansing of all the sanctified objects, and with the work of the service of the house of God, 29 and with the rows of bread, the flour, the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the baked offering, the offering mixed with oil, and for all the amounts and measurements. 30 And they were to stand ⌊every morning⌋,g thanking and praising Yahweh, and likewise in the evening, 31 and for every burnt offering offered to Yahweh, on Sabbaths, on new moon festivals, and at the appointed feasts, according to the customary number ⌊required of them⌋,h regularly before Yahweh. 32 And they shall keep the responsibility of the tent of assembly,i the responsibility of the sanctified objects, and the responsibility of the sons of Aaron, their brothers, to serve the house of Yahweh.