1 Chronicles 28, 29
1 And David assembled all the chief men of Israel—the chief of the judges, the chief men of those who serve in attendance on the king, the captains of divisions, the treasurers, the lords of his substance and all the king’s property, his sons together with the eunuchs, and the mighty men and the warriors of the army.
2 Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Hear me, my brethren and my people. It was in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and a footstool of our God. I made preparations to build it. 3 But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a house for My name, because you have been a man of war and have shed blood.’ 4 Yet the Lord God of Israel chose me from out of the entire house of my father to be king over Israel unto the age. And in Judah, he chose the royal palace; and of the house of Judah, he chose the house of my father; and of the sons of my father, He desired me to become king over all Israel. 5 And of all my sons, for the Lord gave me many, He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.
6 “And He said to me, ‘It is your son Solomon who shall build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father. 7 And if he is steadfast to observe My commandments and My judgments, I will establish his kingdom forever, as it is this day.’ 8 And now before the whole assembly of the Lord and in the hearing of our God, I charge you to keep and seek all the commandments of the Lord our God, that you may inherit the good land and leave this for your sons to inherit after you forever.
9 “And now, my son Solomon, know the God of your fathers, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing soul; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you forever. 10 Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong and do it.”
11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the temple, its houses, its treasuries, its upper chambers, its inner storehouses, and the house of the mercy seat; 12 and the plans that he had in his mind concerning the courts of the house of the Lord, all the chambers round about the storehouses of the house of the Lord, and the storehouses for the dedicated things; 13 also for the quarters for the daily priests and the Levites for all the work of the service of the house of the Lord; and for the storehouses for the serving articles used to worship in the house of the Lord. 14 And the measure of their weight both in gold and in silver, 15 he gave to him the weight of the lamps and of the lamp stands. 16 He gave to him in like manner the weight for the tables of the showbread, for each table in gold and likewise in silver; 17 also for the forks, the basins, the pitchers of gold, and the weight of the gold and the silver bowls for each weight; 18 and the weight of the altar for burning incense made of refined gold he showed to him, and the plans for the chariot of the cherubim that spread out their wings and overshadowed the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 19 All these things in writing from the hand of the Lord David gave to Solomon, so that he would succeed in understanding how to follow the plan.
20 And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it. Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord. 21 And take notice of the division of the priests and Levites for all the daily service of the house of the Lord. With them shall be the men for every workmanship, every one of ready skill in every art. And at your command are the chief men and all the people.”
Collections to Build the Temple
1 Furthermore, King David said to the entire assembly, “My one son Solomon, whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced, and the work is a great work, for the temple is not for man, but for the Lord God. 2 According to all means possible I prepared gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, onyx stones, costly and precious stones of various colors, and much marble for the house of my God. 3 And because I took pleasure in the house of my God, I gave to the house of my God gold and silver over and above what I procured for myself; more than all I prepared for my house of my God, over and above all I prepared for my consecrated house. 4 Three thousand talents of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver to be overlaid in these the walls of the sanctuary 5 by the hands of craftsmen. And who this day zealously dedicates his hands for the Lord?”
6 Then the heads of the families, the princes of the sons of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the officers over the king’s work, offered willingly. 7 They gave for the work of the house of God five thousand talents of gold and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. 8 And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the Lord, into the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite. 9 Then the people rejoiced as a result of their willingness, for they offered willingly to the Lord with their whole heart. King David rejoiced greatly.
David Gives Praise to God
10 With this, King David blessed the Lord before all the assembly, saying, “Blessed are You, O Lord God of Israel, our Father, unto the ages of ages. 11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the might. You are master over all that is in heaven and on the earth. Every king and nation is thrown into confusion before You. 12 From the first, You are the wealth and the glory who reigns over all, as the Lord and dominion of all. In Your hand is power and authority, and you are almighty with Your hand to increase and establish all things. 13 And now, Lord, we give thanks to You, and we praise Your glorious name.
14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we are able to be zealous in offering to You? For all things are Yours, and of Your own we give to You. 15 For we are strangers before You and sojourners, as were all our fathers. Our days upon the earth are as a shadow, and there are none that remain. 16 O Lord our God, as for all this abundance which I have prepared that a house should be built to Your holy name, it is of Your hand and all is Yours. 17 I know also, O Lord, that You search the heart and You love righteousness. As for me, in the sincerity of my heart I willingly offer all these things. And now I see Your people who brought themselves here joyfully to offer willingly to You. 18 O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep under guard these things in the thoughts of the heart of Your people forever, and lead their heart toward You. 19 And give my son Solomon a fitting heart to keep Your commandments and Your testimonies and Your ordinances and bring to an end the final preparation of Your house.”
20 Then David said to all the congregation, “Now bless the Lord your God.” And everyone in the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and bowed down before the Lord and the king.
Solomon Anointed King
21 The next day after the first day, David sacrificed and offered up whole burnt offerings to the Lord—even a thousand calves, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs—along with their drink offerings, and an abundance of sacrifices for all Israel. 22 So they ate and drank before the Lord with great gladness on that day. And they made Solomon the son of David king a second time and anointed him king before the Lord, and Zadok to the priesthood. 23 Then Solomon sat upon the throne of David his father, and was well pleased, and prospered; and all Israel listened to him. 24 All the leaders and the mighty men, as well as all the sons of King David his father, were subject to him. 25 And the Lord exalted Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel and gave him the glory of a king, which was not given any king of Israel before him.
Review of David’s Reign
26 Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over Israel 27 forty years, in Hebron for seven years and in Jerusalem for thirty-three years. 28 So he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and glory. Solomon his son reigned in his stead. 29 And the remaining works of King David, the former and the latter, are written in the book of Samuel the seer, in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer, 30 concerning all his reign, his power, and the events that happened to him, to Israel, and to all the kingdoms of the lands.
Psalm 118:65–80
65 O Lord, You dealt with Your servant in goodness,
According to Your word.
66 Teach me goodness, instruction, and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
67 Before I was humbled, I transgressed;
Therefore, I kept Your teaching.
68 You are good, O Lord, and in Your goodness
Teach me Your ordinances.
69 The unrighteousness of the arrogant multiplied against me,
But I will search out Your commandments with my whole heart.
70 Their heart was curdled like milk,
But I meditated on Your law.
71 It is good for me that You humbled me,
That I might learn Your ordinances.
72 The law of Your mouth is good for me,
Rather than thousands of pieces of gold and silver.
73 Your hands made and fashioned me;
Instruct me, and I will learn Your commandments.
74 Those who fear You will see me and be glad,
Because I hope in Your words.
75 I know, O Lord, Your judgments are righteousness,
And You humbled me with truth.
76 Let Your mercy be for my comfort,
According to Your teaching to Your servant.
77 Let Your compassions come to me, and I shall live;
For Your law is my meditation.
78 Let the arrogant be shamed, for they transgressed unjustly against me;
But I shall meditate on Your commandments.
79 Let those who fear You turn to me,
And those who know Your testimonies.
80 Let my heart be blameless in Your ordinances,
That I may not be disappointed.
Proverbs 26:6–9
6 He shall drink reproach at his own feet
Who sends a word through an undiscerning messenger.
7 Remove the motion of the legs
And a proverb from the mouth of men without discernment.
8 He who binds a stone in a sling
Is like one who gives glory to a man without discernment.
9 Thorny plants grow in the hand of a drunkard
And slavery in the hand of men without discernment.
John 10:22–42
22 Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.
23 And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch.
24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me.
26 “But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.
27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
28 “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
30 “I and My Father are one.”
Renewed Efforts to Stone Jesus
31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.
32 Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”
33 The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”
34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods” ’?
35 “If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),
36 “do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?
37 “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me;
38 “but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.”
39 Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.
The Believers Beyond Jordan
40 And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed.
41 Then many came to Him and said, “John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true.”
42 And many believed in Him there.