and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. I will subdue all your enemies. “‘“I declare to you that the Lord will build a dynastic house for you!

You made Israel your very own nation for all time. You, O Lord, became their God.

for you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a dynasty for him. That is why your servant has had the courage to pray to you.

Now you are willing to bless your servant’s dynasty so that it may stand permanently before you, for you, O Lord, have blessed it and it will be blessed from now on into the future.”

When King Tou of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of King Hadadezer of Zobah,

He placed garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s subjects. The Lord protected David wherever he campaigned.

Later there was a battle with the Philistines in Gezer. At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the Rephaim, and the Philistines were subdued.

There was another battle with the Philistines in which Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear had a shaft as big as the crossbeam of a weaver’s loom.

When David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David; he came out from the threshing floor and bowed to David with his face to the ground.

David ordered the resident foreigners in the land of Israel to be called together. He appointed some of them to be stonecutters to chisel stones for the building of God’s temple.

Only may the Lord give you insight and understanding when he places you in charge of Israel, so you may obey the law of the Lord your God.

David did not count the males twenty years old and under, for the Lord had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky.

David praised the Lord before the entire assembly: “O Lord God of our father Israel, you deserve praise forevermore!

Now give me wisdom and discernment so I can effectively lead this nation. Otherwise no one is able to make judicial decisions for this great nation of yours.”

King Huram of Tyre sent this letter to Solomon: “Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you their king.”

He designated 70,000 as common laborers, 80,000 as stonecutters in the hills, and 3,600 as supervisors to make sure the people completed the work.

Solomon laid the foundation for God’s temple; its length (determined according to the old standard of measure) was 90 feet, and its width 30 feet.

He paneled the main hall with boards made from evergreen trees and plated it with fine gold, decorated with palm trees and chains.

He set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right side and the other on the left. He named the one on the right Jachin, and the one on the left Boaz.

The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its assigned place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, in the most holy place under the wings of the cherubs.