Study Desk

But David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place he had prepared for it, because he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.

God replied to Solomon, "Because this was in your heart and you did not ask for riches, possessions or honor and personal glory, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself so that you may rule and administer justice to My people over whom I have made you king,

"But who is able to build a house for Him, since the heavens and [even] the highest heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I to build a house for Him, except [as a place] to burn incense before Him?

He also made ten [portable] basins in which to wash, and he put five on the right (south) side and five on the left (north). They would rinse things for the burnt offering in them, but the Sea was for the priests to wash in.

The poles were so long that the ends of the poles of the ark were visible from the front of the Holy of Holies (inner sanctuary), but were not visible from the outside. They are there to this day.

but I have chosen Jerusalem that My Name might be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.'

"But the LORD said to my father David, 'Because it was in your heart to build a house for My Name, you did well that it was in your heart.

'Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who will be born to you, he shall build the house for My Name.'

"But will God actually dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built!

"Also in regard to the foreigner who is not from Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for the sake of Your great name and Your mighty power and Your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this house,

"But if you [people] turn away and abandon My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and you go and serve other gods and worship them,

but were descendants of those who were left in the land, whom the Israelites had not destroyed—Solomon brought them up as forced laborers to this day.

But Solomon did not make slaves of the Israelites for his work; they were men of war, his chief captains, and commanders of his chariots and his horsemen.

but I did not believe the reports until I came and saw it with my own eyes. Behold, the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told to me; you have surpassed the report that I heard.

But the king rejected the advice which the elders gave him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him [as advisers].

The young men who grew up with him told him, "Tell the people who said to you, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us': 'My little finger is thicker than my father's loins!

'Now my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, but I will add [more weight] to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions (extremely painful scourges).'"

He spoke to them in accordance with the advice of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions."

But as for the Israelites who lived in Judah's cities, Rehoboam ruled over them.

But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,