Study Desk

With them were Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those who were to sound aloud, and instruments for [accompanying] the songs of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were to be at the gate.

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

But it came about that 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 and family 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 and estate of a man of high degree (prominence), O LORD God.

"O LORD, there is no one like You, nor is there any God except You, according to all 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 a name for Yourself by great and awesome and terrible things, by driving out nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed out of Egypt?

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

"Let Your name [and the character that it denotes] endure and be magnified forever, saying, 'The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, yes, a God to Israel; and the house of Your servant David is established before You.'

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

"And now, O LORD, You are God, and you have spoken and 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."

Now God was displeased with this act [of arrogance and pride], and He struck Israel.

Then David said to God, "I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing. But now, I beseech You, take away the wickedness and guilt of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly."

God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; and as he was destroying it, the LORD looked, and relented concerning the catastrophe and said to the destroying angel, "It is enough; now remove your hand [of judgment]." 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 the people to be counted? I am the one who has sinned and done evil; but as for these sheep [the people of Israel], what have they done? O LORD my God, please let Your hand be against me and my father's house, 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 assigned stonecutters to hew out stones to build the house of God.

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