Study Desk

He began building on the second day of the second month of the fourth year of his reign.

When Solomon had finished constructing the Lord 's temple, he put the holy items that belonged to his father David (the silver, gold, and all the other articles) in the treasuries of God's temple.

The priests and Levites carried the ark, the tent where God appeared to his people, and all the holy items in the tent.

The trumpeters and musicians played together, praising and giving thanks to the Lord . Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, they loudly praised the Lord , singing: "Certainly he is good; certainly his loyal love endures!" Then a cloud filled the Lord 's temple.

He stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire assembly of Israel and spread out his hands.

Solomon had made a bronze platform and had placed it in the middle of the enclosure. It was seven and one-half feet long, seven and one-half feet wide, and four and one-half feet high. He stood on it and then got down on his knees in front of the entire assembly of Israel. He spread out his hands toward the sky,

But respond favorably to your servant's prayer and his request for help, O Lord my God. Answer the desperate prayer your servant is presenting to you.

"When someone is accused of sinning against his neighbor and the latter pronounces a curse on the alleged offender before your altar in this temple,

When all the Israelites saw the fire come down and the Lord 's splendor over the temple, they got on their knees with their faces downward toward the pavement. They worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord , saying, "Certainly he is good; certainly his loyal love endures!"

The priests stood in their assigned spots, along with the Levites who had the musical instruments used for praising the Lord . (These were the ones King David made for giving thanks to the Lord and which were used by David when he offered praise, saying, "Certainly his loyal love endures.") Opposite the Levites, the priests were blowing the trumpets, while all Israel stood there.

On the twenty-third day of the seventh month, Solomon sent the people home. They left happy and contented because of the good the Lord had done for David, Solomon, and his people Israel.

After Solomon finished building the Lord 's temple and the royal palace, and accomplished all his plans for the Lord 's temple and his royal palace,

After twenty years, during which Solomon built the Lord 's temple and his royal palace,

and built up Baalath, all the storage cities that belonged to him, and all the cities where chariots and horses were kept. He built whatever he wanted in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and throughout his entire kingdom.

Their descendants remained in the land (the Israelites were unable to wipe them out). Solomon conscripted them for his work crews and they continue in that role to this very day.

Solomon did not assign Israelites to these work crews; the Israelites served as his soldiers, officers, charioteers, and commanders of his chariot forces.

As his father David had decreed, Solomon appointed the divisions of the priests to do their assigned tasks, the Levitical orders to lead worship and help the priests with their daily tasks, and the divisions of the gatekeepers to serve at their assigned gates. This was what David the man of God had ordered.

Huram sent him ships and some of his sailors, men who were well acquainted with the sea. They sailed with Solomon's men to Ophir, and took from there 450 talents of gold, which they brought back to King Solomon.

the food in his banquet hall, his servants and attendants in their robes, his cupbearers in their robes, and his burnt sacrifices which he presented in the Lord 's temple, she was amazed.

May the Lord your God be praised because he favored you by placing you on his throne as the one ruling on his behalf! Because of your God's love for Israel and his lasting commitment to them, he made you king over them so you could make just and right decisions."