¶ Then David said, This is the house¹ of the LORD God, and this is the altar² of the burnt offering for Israel.

And David commanded to gather together the strangers³ that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons⁴ to hew wrought stones to build the house of God.

And David prepared iron⁵ in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings; and brass in abundance without weight⁶;

Also cedar trees⁷ in abundance: for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar wood to David.

And David said, Solomon⁸ my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding⁹ magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared¹⁰ abundantly before his death.

¶ Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him¹¹ to build an house for the LORD God of Israel.

And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in¹² my mind to build an house unto the name¹³ of the LORD my God:

But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not¹⁵ build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.

Behold, a son¹⁶ shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give¹⁷ him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon¹⁸, and I will give peace¹⁹ and quietness unto Israel in his days.

¶ He shall build²⁰ an house for my name; and he shall be²¹ my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish²² the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.

Now, my son, the LORD²³ be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of the LORD thy God, as he hath said of thee.

Only the²⁴ LORD give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest²⁵ keep the law of the LORD thy God.

Then shalt²⁶ thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfil²⁷ the statutes and judgments which the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong²⁸, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.

Now, behold, in my trouble²⁹ I have prepared for the house of the LORD an hundred thousand³⁰ talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver³¹; and of brass and iron without weight³²; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto.

Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber³³, and all manner³⁴ of cunning men for every manner of work.

Of the gold³⁵, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise³⁶ therefore, and be doing, and the LORD³⁷ be with thee.

¶ David also commanded all the princes³⁸ of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying,

Is not³⁹ the LORD your God with you? and hath⁴⁰ he not given you rest on every side? for he hath given the inhabitants of the land into mine hand; and the land is subdued before the LORD⁴¹, and before his people.

Now set your⁴² heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise⁴³ therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring⁴⁴ the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name⁴⁵ of the LORD.