Study Desk

When Hadadezer's subjects saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Arameans were unwilling to help the Ammonites anymore.

So these descendants of Rapha in Gath fell at the hands of David and his servants.

So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, "Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan and bring me a report, so that I may know their number."

Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed against Joab. So Joab left and traveled throughout Israel, and then he returned to Jerusalem.

This command was also evil in the sight of God; so He struck Israel.

So Gad went and said to David, "This is what the LORD says: 'Take your choice

So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead.

Then God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem, but as the angel was doing so the LORD saw it and relented from the calamity, and He said to the angel who was destroying the people, "Enough, withdraw your hand now!" At that time the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

So David went up at the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the LORD.

Then David said to Ornan, "Grant me the site of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar to the LORD. Sell it to me for the full price, so that the plague upon the people may be halted."

So David paid Ornan six hundred shekels of gold for the site.

So David gave orders to gather the foreigners in the land of Israel, from whom he appointed stonecutters to prepare finished stones for building the house of God.

And David said, "My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the LORD must be exceedingly magnificent-of fame and glory throughout all lands. Therefore I must make preparations for it." So David made lavish preparations before his death.

but this word of the LORD came to me: 'You have shed much blood and waged great wars. You are not to build a house for My Name because you have shed so much blood on the ground before Me.

Above all, may the LORD give you insight and understanding when He puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the LORD your God.

Now set your heart and soul to seek the LORD your God. Get started building the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy articles of God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD."

Jahath was the first and Zizah was the second; but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they were counted as one family and received a single assignment.

So now the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the articles for its service."

So the Levites were to carry out the responsibilities for the Tent of Meeting and the Holy Place, and, under their brothers the descendants of Aaron, the service of the house of the LORD.

But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and they had no sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.