Study Desk

And now, O LORD, Thou alone art God, and hast promised this good thing unto Thy servant;

Be of good courage, and let us prove strong for our people, and for the cities of our God; and the LORD do that which seemeth Him good.'

And God was displeased with this thing; therefore He smote Israel.

And David said unto God: 'I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing; but now, put away, I beseech Thee, the iniquity of Thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.'

And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it; and as he was about to destroy, the LORD beheld, and He repented Him of the evil, and said to the destroying angel: 'It is enough; now stay thy hand.' And the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

And David said unto God: 'Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? let Thy hand, I pray Thee, O LORD my God, be against me, and against my father's house; but not against Thy people, that they should be plagued.'

But David could not go before it to inquire of God; for he was terrified 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 burnt-offering for Israel.'

And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God.

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

And David said to Solomon: 'My son, as for me, it was in my heart to build a house unto the name of the LORD my God.

Now, my son, the LORD be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of the LORD thy God, as He hath spoken concerning thee.

Only the LORD give thee discretion and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel; that so thou mayest keep the law of the LORD thy God.

'Is not the LORD your God with you? and hath He not given you rest on every side? for He hath delivered the inhabitants of the land into my hand; and the land is subdued before the LORD, and before His people.

Now set your heart and your soul to seek after the LORD your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the LORD.'

But as for Moses the man of God, his sons are named among the tribe of Levi.

For David said: 'The LORD, the God of Israel, hath given rest unto His people, and He dwelleth in Jerusalem for ever;

For their station was at the side of the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of the house of God;

Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another; for they were princes of the sanctuary and princes of God, both of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.

These were the orderings of them in their service, to come into the house of the LORD according to the ordinance given unto them by the hand of Aaron their father, as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded him.