1 And David said, “This is the house of God, and this is the altar for the holocaust of Israel.”
2 And he instructed them to gather all the new converts from the land of Israel. And from these he appointed stoneworkers, to hew stones and to polish them, so that he might build the house of God.
3 Also, David prepared very much iron to use for the nails of the gates, and for the seams and joints, as well as an immeasurable weight of brass.
4 Also, the cedar trees, which the Sidonians and Tyrians had transported to David, were not able to be counted.
5 And David said: “My son Solomon is a young and tender boy. But the house that I desire to be built to the Lord ought to be so great that it is renowned in every region. Therefore, I will prepare what will be necessary for him.” And for this reason, before his death, he prepared all the expenses.
6 And he called for Solomon, his son. And he instructed him to build a house to the Lord, the God of Israel.
7 And David said to Solomon: “My son, it was my will that I build a house to the name of the Lord my God.
8 But the word of the Lord came to me, saying: ‘You have shed much blood, and you have battled in many wars. You are not able to build a house to my name, so great was the shedding of blood before me.
9 The son who shall be born to you will be a very quiet man. For I will cause him to have rest from all his enemies on every side. And for this reason, he shall be called Peaceful. And I will grant peace and tranquility to Israel during all his days.
10 He shall build a house to my name. And he shall be a son to me, and I will be a father to him. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel unto eternity.’
11 Now then, my son, may the Lord be with you, and may you prosper and build a house to the Lord your God, just as he has spoken concerning you.
12 Also, may the Lord give you prudence and understanding, so that you may be able to rule Israel and to guard the law of the Lord your God.
13 For then you will be able to advance, if you keep the commandments and judgments that the Lord instructed Moses to teach to Israel. Be strengthened and act manfully. You should not fear, and you should not dread.
14 Behold, in my poverty I have prepared the expenses for the house of the Lord: one hundred thousand talents of gold, and one million of talents of silver. Yet truly, there is no measuring the brass and the iron. For their magnitude is beyond numbering. And I have prepared the timber and the stones for the entire project.
15 Also, you have very many artisans: stoneworkers, and builders of walls, and craftsmen of wood, and those most prudent in doing the work of every art,
16 with gold and silver, and with brass and iron, of which there is no number. Therefore, rise up and act. And the Lord will be with you.”
17 Also, David instructed all the leaders of Israel, so that they would assist his son Solomon,
18 saying: “You discern that the Lord your God is with you, and that he has given you rest on all sides, and that he has delivered all your enemies into your hands, and that the land has been subdued before the Lord and before his people.
19 Therefore, offer your hearts and your souls, so that you seek the Lord your God. And rise up and build a sanctuary to the Lord God, so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the vessels consecrated to the Lord, may be brought into the house that is built to the name of the Lord.”
1 Then David, being old and full of days, appointed his son Solomon as king over Israel.
2 And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel, with the priests as well as the Levites.
3 And the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward. And there were found thirty-eight thousand men.
4 Of these, twenty-four thousand were chosen and distributed to the ministry of the house of the Lord. Then six thousand were overseers and judges.
5 Moreover, four thousand were porters. And the same number were the singers of psalms to the Lord, with the musical instruments which he had made for the music.
6 And David distributed them into courses according to the sons of Levi, specifically, Gershom, and Kohath, and Merari.
7 The sons of Gershom: Ladan and Shimei.
8 The sons of Ladan: the leader Jahiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.
9 The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the leaders of the families of Ladan.
10 Then the sons of Shimei: Jahath, and Zizah, and Jeush, and Beriah. These were the sons of Shimei, four.
11 Now Jahath was first, Zizah second, but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, and for this reason they were reckoned as one family and one house.
12 The sons of Kohath: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel, four.
13 The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Now Aaron was separated so that he might minister in the Holy of Holies, he and his sons forever, and so that he might burn incense to the Lord, according to his rite, and so that he might bless his name in perpetuity.
14 The sons of Moses, the man of God, were also numbered in the tribe of Levi.
15 The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.
16 The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the first.
17 Now the sons of Eliezer were Rehabiah the first. And there were no other sons for Eliezer. But the sons of Rehabiah were multiplied exceedingly.
18 The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the first.
19 The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth.
20 The sons of Uzziel: Micah the first, Isshiah the second.
21 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.
22 Then Eleazar died, and had no sons, but only daughters. And so the sons of Kish, their brothers, married them.
23 The sons of Mushi: Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.
24 These are the sons of Levi, in their kindred and families, leaders in turns, and the number of each of the heads who were doing the works of the ministry of the house of the Lord, from twenty years of age and upward.
25 For David said: “The Lord, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people, and a habitation in Jerusalem even unto eternity.
26 Neither shall it be the office of the Levites any more to carry the tabernacle with all its equipment for use in the ministry.”
27 Also, according to the last precepts of David, the sons of Levi shall be counted by number from twenty years of age and upward.
28 And they shall be under the hand of the sons of Aaron, in the care of the house of the Lord, in the vestibule, and in the chambers, and in the place of purification, and in the sanctuary, and in all the works of the ministry of the temple of the Lord.
29 But the priests shall be over the bread of the presence, and the sacrifice of fine wheat flour, and the unleavened cakes, and the frying pan, and the roasting, and over every weight and measure.
30 Yet truly, the Levites shall stand to confess and to sing to the Lord, in the morning, and similarly in the evening,
31 as much in the oblation of the holocausts of the Lord, as in the Sabbaths and new moons and other solemnities, according to the number and ceremonies for each and every matter, perpetually before the Lord.
32 And let them keep the observances of the tabernacle of the covenant, and the rituals of the sanctuary, and the observance of the sons of Aaron, their brothers, so that they may minister in the house of the Lord.
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1 In the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and a vision in his head on his bed. And, writing down the dream, he understood it in a concise manner, and so, summarizing it tersely, he said:
2 I saw in my vision at night, and behold, the four winds of the heavens fought upon the great sea.
3 And four great beasts, different from one another, ascended from the sea.
4 The first was like a lioness and had the wings of an eagle. I watched as its wings were plucked off, and it was raised from the earth and stood on its feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it.
5 And behold, another beast, like a bear, stood to one side, and there were three rows in its mouth and in its teeth, and they spoke to it in this way: “Arise, devour much flesh.”
6 After this, I watched, and behold, another like a leopard, and it had wings like a bird, four upon it, and four heads were on the beast, and power was given to it.
7 After this, I watched in the vision of the night, and behold, a fourth beast, terrible yet wondrous, and exceedingly strong; it had great iron teeth, eating yet crushing, and trampling down the remainder with his feet, but it was unlike the other beasts, which I had seen before it, and it had ten horns.
8 I considered the horns, and behold, another little horn rose out of the midst of them. And three of the first horns were rooted out by its presence. And behold, eyes like the eyes of a man were in this horn, and a mouth speaking unnatural things.
9 I watched until thrones were set up, and the ancient of days sat down. His garment was radiant like snow, and the hair of his head like clean wool; his throne was flames of fire, its wheels had been set on fire.
10 A river of fire rushed forth from his presence. Thousands upon thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times hundreds of thousands attended before him. The trial began, and the books were opened.
11 I watched because of the voice of the great words which that horn was speaking, and I saw that the beast had been destroyed, and its body was ruined and had been handed over to be burnt with fire.
12 Likewise, the power of the other beasts was taken away, and a limited time of life was appointed to them, until one time and another.
13 I watched, therefore, in the vision of the night, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man arrived, and he approached all the way to the ancient of days, and they presented him before him.
14 And he gave him power, and honor, and the kingdom, and all peoples, tribes, and languages will serve him. His power is an eternal power, which will not be taken away, and his kingdom, one which will not be corrupted.
15 My spirit was terrified. I, Daniel, was fearful at these things, and the visions of my head disturbed me.
20 Doth the seat of iniquity stick to thee, who framest labour in commandment?
21 They will hunt after the soul of the just, and will condemn innocent blood.
22 But the Lord is my refuge: and my God the help of my hope.
23 And he will render them their iniquity: and in their malice he will destroy them: the Lord our God will destroy them.
1 So what shall we say? Should we remain in sin, so that grace may abound?
2 Let it not be so! For how can we who have died to sin still live in sin?
3 Do you not know that those of us who have been baptized in Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death?
4 For through baptism we have been buried with him into death, so that, in the manner that Christ rose from the dead, by the glory of the Father, so may we also walk in the newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together, in the likeness of his death, so shall we also be, in the likeness of his resurrection.
6 For we know this: that our former selves have been crucified together with him, so that the body which is of sin may be destroyed, and moreover, so that we may no longer serve sin.
7 For he who has died has been justified from sin.
8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live together with Christ.
9 For we know that Christ, in rising up from the dead, can no longer die: death no longer has dominion over him.
10 For in as much as he died for sin, he died once. But in as much as he lives, he lives for God.
11 And so, you should consider yourselves to be certainly dead to sin, and to be living for God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore, let not sin reign in your mortal body, such that you would obey its desires.
13 Nor should you offer the parts of your body as instruments of iniquity for sin. Instead, offer yourselves to God, as if you were living after death, and offer the parts of your body as instruments of justice for God.
14 For sin should not have dominion over you. For you are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What is next? Should we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? Let it not be so!
16 Do you not know to whom you are offering yourselves as servants under obedience? You are the servants of whomever you obey: whether of sin, unto death, or of obedience, unto justice.
17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be the servants of sin, now you have been obedient from the heart to the very form of the doctrine into which you have been received.
18 And having been freed from sin, we have become servants of justice.
19 I am speaking in human terms because of the infirmity of your flesh. For just as you offered the parts of your body to serve impurity and iniquity, for the sake of iniquity, so also have you now yielded the parts of your body to serve justice, for the sake of sanctification.
20 For though you were once the servants of sin, you have become the children of justice.
21 But what fruit did you hold at that time, in those things about which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
22 Yet truly, having been freed now from sin, and having been made servants of God, you hold your fruit in sanctification, and truly its end is eternal life.
23 For the wages of sin is death. But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
