Study Desk

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

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

But it happened that same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

David said to God, "I have sinned greatly, by doing this thing. But now, please overlook Your servant's guilt, for I have behaved 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 about the catastrophe, 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.

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

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 strangers who were in the land of Israel, and he set stonecutters to cut out stones to build the house of God.

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