Study Desk

And with them were Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those who should sound aloud, and with instruments for the songs of God, and the sons of Jeduthun for the gate.

Then Nathan said to David, "Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you."

It came about the same night that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

Then David the king went in and sat before the LORD and said, "Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house that You have brought me this far?

"This was a small thing in Your eyes, O God; but You have spoken of Your servant's house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the standard of a man of high degree, O LORD God.

"O LORD, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

"And what one nation in the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make You a name by great and terrible things, in driving out nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed out of Egypt?

"For Your people Israel You made Your own people forever, and You, O LORD, became their God.

"Let Your name be established and magnified forever, saying, 'The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel; and the house of David Your servant is established before You.'

"For You, O my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build for him a house; therefore Your servant has found courage to pray before You.

"Now, O LORD, You are God, and have promised this good thing to Your servant.

"Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the LORD do what is good in His sight."

God was displeased with this thing, so He struck Israel.

David said to God, "I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing. But now, please take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly."

And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was about to destroy it, the LORD saw and was sorry over the calamity, and said to the destroying angel, "It is enough; now relax your hand." And the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

David said to God, "Is it not I who commanded to count the people? Indeed, I am the one who has sinned and done very wickedly, but these sheep, what have they done? O LORD my God, please let Your hand be against me and my father's household, but not against Your people that they should be plagued."

But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was terrified by 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 burnt offering for Israel."

So David gave orders to gather the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, and he set stonecutters to hew out stones to build the house of God.

Then he called for his son Solomon, and charged him to build a house for the LORD God of Israel.