Study Desk

"As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father. Serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord looks into all hearts, and understands every plan and thought. If you look to Him, He will let you find Him. But if you turn away from Him, He will turn away from you forever.

He gave him the plan of all he had in mind. It showed the open spaces of the Lord's house, and all the rooms around them. It showed the store-houses of the house of God, and the store-houses of the holy things.

Then David said to his son Solomon, "Be strong. Have strength of heart, and do it. Do not be afraid or troubled, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not stop helping you. He will not leave you until all the work of the house of the Lord is finished.

See, the religious leaders and the Levites are divided up to do all the work of the house of God. Every willing man who is able to do a special work will help you in all that is to be done. The leaders and all the people will do what you say."

Then King David said to all the people, "My son Solomon is the one God has chosen. He is still young and has not had much time to know what to do. It is a very big work because this beautiful house is not for man, but for the Lord God.

I have given all that I have been able to give for the house of my God. I have given the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, and the brass for the things of brass. I have given the iron for the things of iron, and the wood for the things of wood. I have given stones of much worth, stones for setting, silver-white stones, and stones of different colors. I have given all kinds of stones of much worth, and many smooth, special white stones.

The house of my God means much to me. I have much gold and silver and I give it to the house of my God, together with all I have already given for the holy house.

For the work of the house of God, they gave gold weighing as much as 5,000 men, and 10,000 gold pieces. They gave silver weighing as much as 10,000 men. They gave brass weighing as much as 18,000 men, and iron weighing as much as 100,000 men.

So David praised the Lord in front of all the people. He said, "Honor and thanks be to You, O Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever.

So now, our God, we thank You. We praise Your great and honored name.

O Lord our God, from Your hand are all these many things that we have given to build You a house for Your holy name. It all belongs to You.

O my God, I know that You test the heart and are pleased with what is right. I have given these things because I have wanted to with a clean heart. And now I have seen with joy how Your people who are here give gifts to You because they want to.

O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the thoughts of the hearts of Your people. Lead their hearts to You.

Then David said to all the people, "Now praise the Lord your God." And all the people gave praise to the Lord, the God of their fathers. They bowed low to the ground before the Lord and the king.

The acts of King David, from first to last, are written in the books of Samuel, Nathan, and Gad, the men of God.

Solomon the son of David became a strong king. The Lord his God was with him, and gave him much honor.

(But David had brought up the special box of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place he had made ready for it. For he had set up a tent for it in Jerusalem.)

That night God showed Himself to Solomon and said to him, "Ask Me for anything and I will give it to you."

Solomon said to God, "You have acted toward my father David with great loving-kindness. And You have made me king in his place.

Now, O Lord God, Your promise to my father David has come true. For You have made me king over as many people as the dust of the earth.