1 And king David said to all the assembly: Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is as yet young and tender: and the work is great, for a house is prepared not for man, but for God.

2 And I with all my ability have prepared the expenses for the house of my God. Gold for vessels of gold, and silver for vessels of silver, brass for things of brass, iron for things of iron, wood for things of wood: and onyx stones, and stones like alabaster, and of divers colours, and all manner of precious stones, and marble of Paros in great abundance.

3 Now over and above the things which I have offered into the house of my God I give of my own proper goods, gold and silver for the temple of my God, beside what things I have prepared for the holy house.

4 Three thousand talents of gold of the gold of Ophir: and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the temple.

5 And gold for wheresoever there is need of gold: and silver for wheresoever there is need of silver, for the works to be made by the hands of the artificers: now if any man is willing to offer, let him fill his hand today, and offer what he pleaseth to the Lord.

6 Then the heads of the families, and the princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands, and of hundreds, and the overseers of the king’s possessions promised,

7 And they gave for the works of the house of the Lord, of gold, five thousand talents, and ten thousand solids: of silver ten thousand talents: and of brass eighteen thousand talents: and of iron a hundred thousand talents.

8 And all they that had stones, gave them to the treasures of the house of the Lord, by the hand of Jahiel the Gersonite.

9 And the people rejoiced, when they promised their offerings willingly: because they offered them to the Lord with all their heart: and David the king rejoiced also with a great joy.

10 And he blessed the Lord before all the multitude, and he said: Blessed art thou, O Lord the God of Israel, our father from eternity to eternity.

11 Thine, O Lord, is magnificence, and power, and glory, and victory: and to thee is praise: for all that is in heaven, and in earth, is thine: thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art above all princes.

12 Thine are riches, and thine is glory, thou hast dominion over all, in thy hand is power and might: in thy hand greatness, and the empire of all things.

13 Now therefore our God we give thanks to thee, and we praise thy glorious name.

14 Who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to promise thee all these things? all things are thine: and we have given thee what we received of thy hand.

15 For we are sojourners before thee, and strangers, as were all our fathers. Our days upon earth are as a shadow, and there is no stay.

16 O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee a house for thy holy name, is from thy hand, and all things are thine.

17 I know my God that thou provest hearts, and lovest simplicity, wherefore I also in the simplicity of my heart, have joyfully offered all these things: and I have seen with great joy thy people, which are here present, offer thee their offerings.

18 O Lord God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Israel our fathers, keep for ever this will of their heart, and let this mind remain always for the worship of thee.

19 And give to Solomon my son a perfect heart, that he may keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy ceremonies, and do all things: and build the house, for which I have provided the charges.

20 And David commanded all the assembly: Bless ye the Lord our God. And all the assembly blessed the Lord the God of their fathers: and they bowed themselves and worshipped God, and then the king.

21 And they sacrificed victims to the Lord: and they offered holocausts the next day, a thousand bullocks, a thousand rams, a thousand lambs, with their libations, and with every thing prescribed most abundantly for all Israel.

22 And they ate, and drank before the Lord that day with great joy. And they anointed the second time Solomon the son of David. And they anointed him to the Lord to be prince, and Sadoc to be high priest.

23 And Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king instead of David his father, and he pleased all: and all Israel obeyed him.

24 And all the princes, and men of power, and all the sons of king David gave their hand, and were subject to Solomon the king.

25 And the Lord magnified Solomon over all Israel: and gave him the glory of a reign, such as no king of Israel had before him.

26 So David the son of Isai reigned over all Israel.

27 And the days that he reigned over Israel, were forty years: in Hebron he reigned seven years, and in Jerusalem three and thirty years.

28 And he died in a good age, full of days, and riches, and glory. And Solomon his son reigned in his stead.

29 Now the acts of king David first and last are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer:

30 And of all his reign, and his valour, and of the times that passed under him, either in Israel, or in all the kingdoms of the countries.

1 And David assembled all the chief men of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies, who waited on the king: and the captains over thousands, and over hundreds, and them who had the charge over the substance and possessions of the king, and his sons with the officers of the court, and the men of power, and all the bravest of the army at Jerusalem.

2 And the king rising up, and standing said: Hear me, my brethren and my people: I had a thought to have built a house, in which the ark of the Lord, and the footstool of our God might rest: and I prepared all things for the building.

3 And God said to me: Thou shalt not build a house to my name: because thou art a man of war, and hast shed blood.

4 But the Lord God of Israel chose me of all the house of my father, to be king over Israel for ever: for of Juda he chose the princes: and of the house of Juda, my father’s house: and among the sons of my father, it pleased him to choose me king over all Israel.

5 And among my sons (for the Lord hath given me many sons) he hath chosen Solomon my son, to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.

6 And he said to me: Solomon thy son shall build my house, and my courts: for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be a father to him.

7 And I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he continue to keep my commandments, and my judgments, as at this day.

8 Now then before all the assembly of Israel, in the hearing of our God, keep ye, and seek all the commandments of the Lord our God: that you may possess the good land, and may leave it to your children after you for ever.

9 And thou my son Solomon, know the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the thoughts of minds. If thou seek him, thou shalt find him: but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

10 Now therefore seeing the Lord hath chosen thee to build the house of the sanctuary, take courage, and do it.

11 And David gave to Solomon his son a description of the porch, and of the temple, and of the treasures, and of the upper floor, and of the inner chambers, and of the house for the mercy seat,

12 As also of all the courts, which he had in his thought, and of the chambers round about, for the treasures of the house of the Lord, and for the treasures of the consecrated things,

13 And of the divisions of the priests and of the Levites, for all the works of the house of the Lord, and for all the vessels of the service of the temple of the Lord.

14 Gold by weight for every vessel for the ministry. And silver by weight according to the diversity of the vessels and uses.

15 He gave also gold for the golden candlesticks, and their lamps, according to the dimensions of every candlestick, and the lamps thereof. In like manner also he gave silver by weight for the silver candlesticks, and for their lamps according to the diversity of the dimensions of them.

16 He gave also gold for the tables of proposition, according to the diversity of the tables: in like manner also silver for other tables of silver.

17 For fleshhooks also, and bowls, and censers of fine gold, and for little lions of gold, according to the measure he gave by weight, for every lion. In like manner also for lions of silver he set aside a different weight of silver.

18 And for the altar of incense, he gave the purest gold: and to make the likeness of the chariot of the cherubims spreading their wings, and covering the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

19 All these things, said he, came to me written by the hand of the Lord that I might understand all the works of the pattern.

20 And David said to Solomon his son: Act like a man, and take courage, and do: fear not, and be not dismayed: for the Lord my God will be with thee, and will not leave thee, nor forsake thee, till thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.

21 Behold the courses of the priests and the Levites, for every ministry of the house of the Lord, stand by thee, and are ready, and both the princes, and the people know how to execute all thy commandments.

1 Now the children of Israel according to their number, the heads of families, captains of thousands and of hundreds, and officers, that served the king according to their companies, who came in and went out every month in the year, under every chief were four and twenty thousand.

2 Over the first company the first month Jesboam, the son of Zabdiel was chief, and under him were four and twenty thousand.

3 Of the sons of Phares, the chief of all the captains in the host in the first month.

4 The company of the second month was under Dudia, an Ahohite, and after him was another named Macelloth, who commanded a part of the army of four and twenty thousand.

5 And the captain of the third company for the third month, was Banaias the son of Joiada the priest: and in his division were four and twenty thousand.

6 This is that Banaias the most valiant among the thirty, and above the thirty. And Amizabad his son commanded his company.

7 The fourth, for the fourth month, was Asahel the brother of Joab, and Zabadias his son after him: and in his company were four and twenty thousand.

8 The fifth captain for the fifth month, was Samaoth a Jezerite: and his company were four and twenty thousand.

9 The sixth, for the sixth month, was Hira the son of Acces a Thecuite: and in his company were four and twenty thousand.

10 The seventh, for the seventh month, was Helles a Phallonite of the sons of Ephraim: and in his company were four and twenty thousand.

11 The eighth, for the eighth month, was Sobochai a Husathite of the race of Zarahi: and in his company were four and twenty thousand.

12 The ninth, for the ninth month, was Abiezer an Anathothite of the sons of Jemini, and in His company were four and twenty thousand.

13 The tenth, for the tenth month, was Marai, who was a Netophathite of the race of Zarai: and in his company were four and twenty thousand.

14 The eleventh, for the eleventh month, was Banaias, a Pharathonite of the sons of Ephraim: and in his company were four and twenty thousand.

15 The twelfth, for the twelfth month, was Holdai a Netophathite, of the race of Gothoniel: and in his company were four and twenty thousand.

16 Now the chiefs over the tribes of Israel were these: over the Rubenites, Eliezer the son of Zechri was ruler: over the Simeonites, Saphatias the son of Maacha:

17 Over the Levites, Hasabias the son of Camuel: over the Aaronites, Sadoc:

18 Over Juda, Eliu the brother of David: over Issachar, Amri the son of Michael:

19 Over the Zabulonites, Jesmaias the son of Adias: over the Nephtalites, Jerimoth the son of Ozriel:

20 Over the sons of Ephraim, Osee the: son of Ozaziu: over the half tribe of Manasses, Joel the son of Phadaia:

21 And over the half tribe of Manasses: in Galaad, Jaddo the son of Zacharias: and over Benjamin, Jasiel the son of Abner.

22 And over Dan, Ezrihel the son of Jeroham: these were the princes of the children of Israel.

23 But David would not number them from twenty years old and under: because the Lord had said that he would multiply Israel like the stars of heaven.

24 Joab the son of Sarvia began to number, but he finished not: because upon this there fell wrath upon Israel: and therefore the number of them that were numbered, was not registered in the chronicles of king David.

25 And over the king’s treasures was Azmoth the son of Adiel: and over those stores which were in the cities, and is the villages, and in the castles, was Jonathan the son of Ozias.

26 And over the tillage, and the husbandmen, who tilled the ground, was Ezri the son of Chelub:

27 And over the dressers of the vineyards, was Semeias a Romathite: and over the wine cellars, Zabdias an Aphonite.

28 And over the oliveyards and the fig groves, which were in the plains, was Balanam a Gederite: and over the oil cellars, Joas.

29 And over the herds that fed in Saron, was Setrai a Saronite: and over the. oxen in the valleys, Saphat the son of Adli:

30 And over the camels, Ubil an Ishmahelite: and over the asses, Jadias a Meronathite:

31 And over the sheep Jazia an Agarene. All these were the rulers of the substance of king David.

32 And Jonathan David’s uncle, a counsellor, a wise and learned man: he and Jahiel the son of Hachamoni were with the king’s sons.

33 And Achitophel was the king’s counsellor, and Chusai the Arachite, the king’s friend.

34 And after Achitophel was Joiada the son of Banaias, and Abiathar. And the general of the king’s army was Joab.

1 And the divisions of the porters: of the Corites Meselemia, the son of Core, of the sons of Asaph.

2 The sons of Meselemia: Zacharias the firstborn, Jadihel the second, Zabadias the third, Jathanael the fourth,

3 Elam the fifth, Johanan the sixth, Elioenai the seventh.

4 And the sons of Obededom, Semeias the firstborn, Jozabad the second, Joaha the third, Sachar the fourth, Nathanael the fifth,

5 Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Phollathi the eighth: for the Lord had blessed him.

6 And to Semei his son were born sons, herds of their families: for they were men of great valour.

7 The sons then of Semeias were Othni, and Raphael, and Obed, Elizabad, and his brethren most valiant men: and Eliu, and Samachias.

8 All these of the sons of Obededom: they, and their sons, and their brethren most able men for service, sixty-two of Obededom.

9 And the sons of Meselemia, and their brethren strong men, were eighteen.

10 And of Hosa, that is, of the sons of Merari: Semri the chief, (for he had not a firstborn, and therefore his father made him chief.)

11 Helcias the second, Tabelias the third, Zacharias the fourth: all these the sons, and the brethren of Hosa, were thirteen.

12 Among these were the divisions of the porters, so that the chiefs of the wards, as well as their brethren, always ministered in the house of the Lord.

13 And they cast lots equally, both little and great, by their families for every one of the gates.

14 And the lot of the east fell to Selemias. But to his son Zacharias, a very wise and learned man, the north gate fell by lot.

15 And to Obededom and his sons that towards the south: in which part of the house was the council of the ancients.

16 To Sephim, and Hosa towards the west, by the gate which leadeth to the way of the ascent: ward against ward.

17 Now towards the east were six Levites: and towards the north four a day: and towards the south likewise four a day: and where the council was, two and two.

18 In the cells also of the porters toward the west four in the way: and two at every cell.

19 These are the divisions of the porters of the sons of Core, and of Merari.

20 Now Achias was over the treasures of the house of God, and the holy vessels.

21 The sons of Ledan, the sons of Gersonni: of Ledan were heads of the families, of Ledan, and Gersonni, Jehieli.

22 The sons of Jehieli: Zathan and Joel, his brethren over the treasures of the house of the Lord,

23 With the Amramites, and Isaarites, and Hebronites, and Ozielites.

24 And Subael the son of Gersom, the son of Moses, was chief over the treasures.

25 His brethren also, Eliezer, whose son Rohobia, and his son Isaias, and his son Joram, and his son Zechri, and his son Selemith.

26 Which Selemith and his brethren were over the treasures of the holy things, which king David, and the heads of families, and the captains over thousands and over hundreds, and the captains of the host had dedicated,

27 Out of the wars, and the spoils won in battles, which they had consecrated to the building and furniture of the temple of the Lord.

28 And all these things that Samuel the seer and Saul the son of Cis, and Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Sarvia had sanctified: and whosoever had sanctified those things, they were under the hand of Selemith and his brethren.

29 But Chonenias and his sons were over the Isaarites, for the business abroad over Israel to teach them and judge them.

30 And of the Hebronites Hasabias, and his brethren most able men, a thousand seven hundred had the charge over Israel beyond the Jordan westward, in all the works of the Lord, and for the service of the king.

31 And the chief of the Hebronites was Jeria according to their families and kindreds. In the fortieth year of the reign of David they were numbered, and there were found most valiant men in Jazer Galaad,

32 And his brethren of stronger age, two thousand seven hundred chiefs of families. And king David made them rulers over the Rubenites and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasses, for all the service of God, and the king.

1 Moreover David and the chief. officers of the army separated for the ministry the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Idithun: to prophesy with harps, and with psalteries, and with cymbals according to their number serving in their appointed office.

2 Of the sons of Asaph: Zacchur, and Joseph, and Nathania, and Asarela, sons of Asaph: under the hand of Asaph prophesying near the king.

3 And of Idithun: the sons of Idithun, Godolias, Serf, Jeseias, and Hasabias, and Mathathias, six, under the hand of their father Idithun, who prophesied with a harp to give thanks and to praise the Lord.

4 Of Heman also: the sons of Heman, Bocciau, Mathaniau, Oziel, Subuel, and Jerimoth, Hananias, Hanani, Eliatha, Geddelthi, and Romemthiezer, and Jesbacassa, Mellothi, Othir, Mahazioth:

5 All these were the sons of Heman the seer of the king in the words of God, to lift up the horn: and God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

6 All these under their father’s hand were distributed to sing in the temple of the Lord, with cymbals, and psalteries and harps, for the service of the house of the Lord near the king: to wit, Asaph, and Idithun, and Heman.

7 And the number of them with their brethren, that taught the song of the Lord, all the teachers, were two hundred and eighty-eight,

8 And they cast lots by their courses, the elder equally with the younger, the learned and the unlearned together.

9 And the first lot came forth to Joseph, who was of Asaph. The second to Godolias, to him and his sons, and his brethren twelve.

10 The third to Zachur, to his sons and his brethren twelve.

11 The fourth to Isari, to his sons and his brethren twelve.

12 The fifth to Nathania, to his sons and his brethren twelve.

13 The sixth to Bocciau, to his sons and his brethren twelve.

14 The seventh to Isreela, to his sons and his brethren twelve.

15 The eighth to Jesaia, to his sons and his brethren twelve.

16 The ninth to Mathanaias, to his sons and his brethren twelve.

17 The tenth to Semeias, to his sons and his brethren twelve.

18 The eleventh to Azareel, to his sons and his brethren twelve.

19 The twelfth to Hasabia, to his sons and his brethren twelve.

20 The thirteenth to Subael, to his sons and his brethren twelve.

21 The fourteenth to Mathathias, to his sons and his brethren twelve.

22 The fifteenth to Jerimoth, to his sons and his brethren twelve.

23 The sixteenth to Hananias, to his sons and his brethren twelve.

24 The seventeenth to Jesbacassa, to his sons and his brethren twelve.

25 The eighteenth to Hanani, to his sons and his brethren twelve.

26 The nineteenth to Mellothi, to his sons and his brethren twelve.

27 The twentieth to Eliatha, to his sons and his brethren twelve.

28 The one and twentieth to Othir, to his sons and his brethren twelve.

29 The two and twentieth to Geddelthi, to his sons and his brethren twelve.

30 The three and twentieth to Mahazioth, to his sons and his brethren twelve.

31 The four and twentieth to Romemthiezer, to his sons and his brethren twelve.

1 Now these were the divisions of the sons of Aaron: The sons of Aaron: Nadab, and Abiu, and Eleazar, and Ithamar.

2 But Nadab and Abiu died before their father, and had no children: so Eleazar, and Ithamar did the office of the priesthood.

3 And David distributed them, that is, Sadoc of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their courses and ministry.

4 And there were found many more of the sons of Eleazar among the principal men, than of the sons of Ithamar. And he divided them so, that there were of the sons of Eleazar, sixteen chief men by their families: and of the sons of Ithamar eight by their families and houses.

5 And he divided both the families one with the other by lot: for there were princes of the sanctuary, and princes of God, both of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.

6 And Semeias the son of Nathanael the scribe a Levite, wrote them down before the king and the princes, and Sadoc the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and the princes also of the priestly and Levitical families: one house, which was over the rest, of Eleazar: and another house, which had the rest under it, of Ithamar.

7 Now the first lot came forth to Joiarib, the second to Jedei,

8 The third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim,

9 The fifth to Melchia, the sixth to Maiman,

10 The seventh to Accos, the eighth to Abia,

11 The ninth to Jesua, the tenth to Sechenia,

12 The eleventh to Eliasib, the twelfth to Jacim,

13 The thirteenth to Hoppha, the fourteenth to Isbaab,

14 The fifteenth to Belga, the sixteenth to Emmer,

15 The seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Aphses,

16 The nineteenth to Pheteia, the twentieth to Hezechiel,

17 The one and twentieth to Jachin, the two and twentieth to Gamul,

18 The three and twentieth to Dalaiau, the four and twentieth to Maaziau.

19 These are their courses according to their ministries, to come into the house of the Lord, and according to their manner under the hand of Aaron their father: as the Lord the God of Israel had commanded.

20 Now of the rest of the sons of Levi, there was of the sons of Amram, Subael: and of the sons of Subael, Jehedeia.

21 Also of the sons of Rohobia the chief Jesias.

22 And the son of Isaar Salemoth, and the son of Salemoth Jahath:

23 And his son Jeriau the first, Amarias the second, Jahaziel the third, Jecmaan the fourth.

24 The son of Oziel, Micha: the son of Micha, Samir.

25 The brother of Micha, Jesia: and the son of Jesia, Zacharias.

26 The sons of Merari: Moholi and Musi: the son of Oziau: Benno.

27 The son also of Merari: Oziau, and Seam, and Zacchur, and Hebri.

28 And the son of Moholi: Eleazar, who had no sons.

29 And the son of Cis, Jeramael.

30 The sons of Musi: Moholi, Eder, and Jerimoth. These are the sons of Levi according to the houses of their families.

31 And they also cast lots over against their brethren the sons of Aaron before David the king, and Sadoc, and Ahimelech, and the princes of the priestly and Levitical families, both the elder and the younger. The lot divided all equally.

1 And David being old and full of days, made Solomon his son king over Israel.

2 And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, and the priests and Levites.

3 And the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years, and upwards: and there were found of them thirty-eight thousand men.

4 Of these twenty-four thousand were chosen, and distributed unto the ministry of the house of the Lord: and six thousand were the overseers and judges.

5 Moreover four thousand were porters: and as many singers singing to the Lord with the instruments, which he had made to sing with.

6 And David distributed them into courses by the families of the sons of Levi, to wit, of Gerson, and of Caath, and of Merari.

7 The sons of Gerson were Leedan and Semei.

8 The sons of Leedan: the chief Jahiel, and Zethan, and Joel, three.

9 The sons of Semei: Salomith, and Hosiel, and Aran, three: these were the heads of the families of Leedan.

10 And the sons of Semei were Leheth, and Ziza, and Jaus, and Baria: these were the sons of Semei, four.

11 And Leheth was the first, Ziza the second: but Jaus and Baria had not many children, and therefore they were counted in one family, and in one house.

12 The sons of Caath were Amram, and Isaar, Hebron, and Oziel, four.

13 The sons of Amram, Aaron, and Moses. And Aaron was separated to minister in the holy of holies, he and his sons for ever, and to burn incense before the Lord, according to his ceremonies, and to bless his name for ever.

14 The sons also of Moses, the man of God, were numbered in the tribe of Levi.

15 The sons of Moses were Gersom and Eliezer:

16 The sons of Gersom: Subuel the first.

17 And the sons of Eliezer were: Rohobia the first: and Eliezer had no more sons. But the sons of Rohobia were multiplied exceedingly.

18 The sons of Isaar: Salomith the first.

19 The sons of Hebron: Jeriau the first, Amarias the second, Jahaziel the third, Jecmaam the fourth.

20 The sons of Oziel: Micha the first, Jesia the second.

21 The sons of Merari: Moholi, and Musi. The sons of Moholi: Eleazar and Cia.

22 And Eleazar died, and had no sons but daughters: and the sons of Cis their brethren took them.

23 The sons of Musi: Moholi, and Eder, and Jerimoth, three.

24 These are the sons of Levi in their kindreds and families, princes by their courses, and the number of every head that did the works of the ministry of the house of the Lord from twenty years old and upward.

25 For David said: The Lord the God of Israel hath given rest to his people, and a habitation in Jerusalem for ever.

26 And it shall not be the office of the Levites to carry any more the tabernacle, and all the vessels for the service thereof.

27 So according to the last precepts of David, the sons of Levi are to be numbered from twenty years old and upward.

28 And they are to be under the hand of the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord, in the porches, 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 And the priests have the charge of the leaves of proposition, and of the sacrifice of fine flour, and of the unleavened cakes, and of the fryingpan, and of the roasting, and of every weight and measure.

30 And the Levites are to stand in the morning to give thanks, and to sing praises to the Lord: and in like manner in the evening,

31 As well in the oblation of the holocausts of the Lord, as in the sabbaths and in the new moons, and the rest of the solemnities, according to the number and ceremonies prescribed for every thing, continually before the Lord.

32 And let them keep the observances of the tabernacle of the covenant, and the ceremonies of the sanctuary, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, that they may minister in the house of the Lord.

1 Then David said: This is the house of God, and this is the altar for the holocaust of Israel.

2 And he commanded to gather together all the proselytes of the land of Israel, and out of them he appointed stonecutters to hew stones and polish them, to build the house of God.

3 And David prepared in abundance iron for the nails of the gates, and for the closures and joinings: and of brass an immense weight.

4 And the cedar trees were without number, which the Sidonians, and Tyrians brought to David.

5 And David said: Solomon my son is very young and tender, and the house which I would have to be built to the Lord, must be such as to be renowned in all countries: therefore I will prepare him necessaries. And therefore before his death he prepared all the charges.

6 And he called for Solomon his son: and commanded him to build a house to the Lord the God of Israel.

7 And David said to Solomon: My son, it was my desire to have built a house to the name of the Lord my God.

8 But the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Thou hast shed much blood, and fought many battles, so thou canst not build a house to my name, after shedding so much blood before me:

9 The son, that shall be born to thee, shall be a most quiet man: for I will make him rest from all his enemies round about: and therefore he shall be called Peaceable: and I will give peace and quietness to Israel 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 for ever.

11 Now then, my son, the Lord be with thee, and do thou prosper, and build the house to the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken of thee.

12 The Lord also give thee wisdom and understanding, that thou mayest be able to rule Israel, and to keep the law of the Lord thy God.

13 For then thou shalt be able to prosper, if thou keep the commandments, and judgments, which the Lord commanded Moses to teach Israel: take courage and act manfully, fear not, nor be dismayed.

14 Behold I in my poverty have prepared the charges of the house of the Lord, of gold a hundred thousand talents, and of silver a million of talents: but of brass, and of iron there is no weight, for the abundance surpasseth all account: timber also and stones I have prepared for all the charges.

15 Thou hast also workmen in abundance, hewers of stones, and masons, and carpenters, and of all trades the most skillful in their work,

16 In gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, whereof there is no number. Arise then, and be doing, and the Lord will be with thee.

17 David also charged all the princes of Israel, to help Solomon his son,

18 Saying: You see, that the Lord your God is with you, and hath given you rest round about, and hath delivered all your enemies into your hands, and the land is subdued before the Lord, and before his people.

19 Give therefore your hearts and your souls, to seek the Lord your God: and arise, and build a sanctuary to the Lord God, that the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the vessels consecrated to the Lord, may be brought into the house, which is built to the name of the Lord.

1 And Satan rose up against Israel: and moved David to number Israel.

2 And David said to Joab, and to the rulers of the people: Go, and number Israel from Bersabee even to Dan, and bring me the number of them that I may know it.

3 And Joab answered: The Lord make his people a hundred times more than they are: but, my lord the king, are they not all thy servants: why doth my lord seek this thing, which may be imputed as a sin to Israel?

4 But the king’s word rather prevailed: and Joab departed, and went through all Israel: and returned to Jerusalem.

5 And he gave David the number of them, whom he had surveyed: and all the number of Israel was found to be eleven hundred thousand men that drew the sword: and of Juda four hundred and seventy thousand fighting men.

6 But Levi and Benjamin he did not number: for Joab unwillingly executed the king’s orders.

7 And God was displeased with this thing that was commanded: and he struck Israel.

8 And David said to God: I have sinned exceedingly in doing this: I beseech thee take away the iniquity of thy servant, for I have done foolishly.

9 And the Lord spoke to Gad the seer of David, saying:

10 Go, and speak to David, and tell him: Thus saith the Lord: I give thee the choice of three things: choose one which thou wilt, and I will do it to thee.

11 And when Gad was come to David, he said to him: Thus saith the Lord: choose which thou wilt:

12 Either three years’ famine: or three months to flee from thy enemies, and not to be able to escape their sword: or three days to have the sword of the Lord, and pestilence in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying in all the coasts of Israel: now therefore see what I shall answer him who sent me.

13 And David said to Gad: I am on every side in a great strait: but it is better for me to fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercies are many, than into the hands of men.

14 So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel. And there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.

15 And he sent an angel to Jerusalem, to strike it: and as he was striking it, the Lord beheld, and took pity for the greatness of the evil: and said to the angel that destroyed: It is enough, now stop thy hand. And the angel of the Lord stood by the thrashing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

16 And David lifting up his eyes, saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand, turned against Jerusalem: and both he and the ancients clothed in haircloth, fell down flat on the ground.

17 And David said to God: Am not I he that commanded the people to be numbered? It is I that have sinned: it is I that have done the evil: but as for this flock, what hath it deserved? O Lord my God, let thy hand be turned, I beseech thee, upon me, and upon my father’s house: and let not thy people be destroyed.

18 And the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to tell David, to go up, and build an altar to the Lord God in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

19 And David went up, according to the word of Gad, which he spoke to him in the name of the Lord.

20 Now when Ornan looked up, and saw the angel, he and his four sons hid themselves: for at that time he was thrashing wheat in the floor.

21 And as David was coming to Ornan, Ornan saw him, and went out of the threshingfloor to meet him, and bowed down to him with his face to the ground.

22 And David said to him: Give me this place of thy threshingfloor, that I may build therein an altar to the Lord: but thou shalt take of me as much money as it is worth, that the plague may cease from the people.

23 And Ornan said to David: Take it, and let my lord the king do all that pleaseth him: and moreover the oxen also I give for a holocaust, and the drays for wood, and the wheat for the sacrifice: I will give it all willingly.

24 And king David said to him: It shall not be so, but I will give thee money as much as it is worth: for I must not take it from thee, and so offer to the Lord holocausts free cost.

25 So David gave to Ornan for the place, six hundred sicles of gold of just weight.

26 And he built there an altar to the Lord: and he offered holocausts, and peace offerings, and he called upon the Lord, and he heard him by sending fire from heaven upon the altar of the holocaust.

27 And the Lord commanded the angel: and he put up his sword again into the sheath.

28 And David seeing that the Lord had heard him in the threshingfloor of Oman the Jebusite, forthwith offered victims there.

29 But the tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses made in the desert, and the altar of holocausts, was at that time in the high place of Gabaon.

30 And David could not go to the altar there to pray to God: for he was seized with an exceeding great fear, seeing the sword of the angel of the Lord.

1 And it came to pass after the course of a year, at the time that kings go out to battle, Joab gathered together an army and the strength of the troops, and wasted the land of the children of Ammon: and went and besieged Rabba. But David stayed at Jerusalem, when Joab smote Rabba, and destroyed it.

2 And David took the crown of Melchom from his head, and found in it a talent weight of gold, and most precious stones, and he made himself a diadem of it: he took also the spoils of the city which were very great.

3 And the people that were therein he brought out: and made harrows, and sleds, and chariots of iron to go over them, so that they were cut and bruised to pieces: in this manner David dealt with all the cities of the children of Ammon: and he returned with alibis people to Jerusalem.

4 After this there arose a war at Gazer against the Philistines: in which Sabachai the Husathite slew Saphai of the race of Raphaim, and humbled them.

5 Another battle also was fought against the Philistines, in which Adeodatus the son of Saltus a Bethlehemite slew the brother of Goliath the Gethite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.

6 There was another battle also in Geth, in which there was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand and foot: who also was born of the stock of Rapha.

7 He reviled Israel: but Jonathan the son of Samaa the brother of David slew him.

8 These were the sons of Rapha in Geth, who fell by the hand of David and his servants.