Study Desk

Be of good courage, and let us be strong for the sake of our people and for the sake of the cities of our God; and let the LORD do that which is good in his sight.

And Joab said to King David, May the LORD make his people a hundred times so many more as they are, and let the eyes of my lord the king see it, for they are all his servants; why then should our lord the king require this thing?

But the Levites, the priests, and the tribe of Benjamin were not counted among them; for the kings word was abominable to Joab, and Joab was unwilling to number them.

And David said to the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing; but now, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

So Gad the prophet came to David and said to him, Thus says the LORD: Choose for yourself

And David said .to Gad, I am in a great distress; let me be delivered into the hands of the LORD; for his mercies are very great; but let me not be delivered into the hand of men.

And David said to the LORD, Is it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? Even I it is who have sinned, and the folly which I have committed is great; but as for these innocent sheep, what have they done? Let thy hand, O LORD my God, be against me and against my fathers house; but let the plague cease from the people.

Then David said to Aran, Give me the place of this threshing floor, that I may build on it an altar to the LORD; you shall give it to me for money at a good price, that the plague may be stayed from the people.

And Aran said to David, Take it to you, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes; and I will give you oxen also for burnt offering and the threshing instrument for wood and the wheat for the meal offering; everything which is needed I shall give it all.

But King David said to Aran, Far be it, but I will surely buy it with money for the full price; for I will not take that which is yours and offer a burnt offering to the LORD without cost.

So David bought from Aran that place of the threshing floor for fifty shekels.

At that time David was exceedingly afraid, and could not go to pray before the LORD for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

THEN David said, This is the house of the LORD God and this is the altar of the burnt offerings for Israel.

And David commanded to gather together all the proselytes who were in the land of Israel, to make some of them stonecutters to hew stones for the house of the LORD;

And to make some of them blacksmiths to forge iron to make axes and hatchets for hewing stones. And David prepared bars of iron, and brass in abundance without weight;

Also cedar trees in abundance; for the Tyrians and the Sidonians brought much cedar wood to David.

And David said, Solomon my son is still a small boy, and concerning him it is said in the book that he will build a house to the LORD which will be exceedingly magnificent, of fame and of glory throughout all countries; I will therefore prepare everything necessary for it while I am living. So David prepared everything that was needed for the house, and lacked nothing.

Then he called for Solomon his son and said to him,

You shall build a house for the LORD God of Israel;

For he has sent to me by a prophet, saying, You have shed blood abundantly and have made great wars; you shall not build a house to my name because you have shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.