The temple

In the end, Absalom was defeated and David did return on the throne. When he grew old, he appointed his son Solomon as his successor, and instructed him to build the temple, both the building and the temple organization.

Chronicles 23:6-16

David summoned his son Solomon and instructed him to build a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel. "My son," he said, "I would have liked to build a temple for the name of the LORD my God myself. But the LORD said to me,

'You have shed much blood and fought many wars in my presence. Therefore, you shall not build a house for my name, for you have shed too much blood. But you will have a son. He will be a man of peace, for I will give him rest from all his enemies. He will be called Solomon, and during his reign I will give Israel rest and peace. He will build a house for my name. He will be my son, and I will be his father, and I will ensure that his throne in Israel will never be shaken.”

Now, my son, may the LORD be with you, so that you may succeed and build a temple for the LORD your God, as He has foretold about you. I also hope that the LORD will give you wisdom and understanding so that, when He appoints you over Israel, you will keep the law of the LORD your God. If you keep the commands and regulations that the LORD gave his servant Moses for Israel, you will surely succeed. Be determined and steadfast, and do not let anything deter or discourage you. Look, I have already made preparations for the construction of a temple for the LORD, sparing no expense: one hundred thousand talents of gold and one million talents of silver, an immeasurable amount of copper and iron, and a supply of beams and stones. You must add to these supplies. A crowd of workers is at your disposal: stonecutters, masons, and woodcarvers, skilled in every kind of craft. And gold, silver, copper, and iron are in abundance, so you can start work immediately. May the LORD be with you.”

1 Chronicles 25, abridged

The descendants of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun were exempted by David and the heads of worship from their regular duties so that they could sing songs of praise accompanied by lyres, harps, and cymbals. They accompanied Asaph when he sang the songs of praise according to the king's instructions. They accompanied their father Jeduthun when he sang to praise and glorify the LORD with the accompaniment of the lyre. They were the sons of Heman, the king's seer, who received the words of God and gave them power. With their other relatives who were trained in the art of singing to the LORD, the group of skilled singers consisted of two hundred and eighty-eight men. The singers were assigned to shifts by lot, without distinction between young and old, skilled singers and apprentices.

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David also had a song for Jeduthun:

Psalm 62
For the choir director. Upon Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

Only in God does my soul find rest;
from him comes my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress, I shall never be shaken.

How long will you attack one man
and threaten him with death?
He is like a wall that is falling,
like a rampart that is about to collapse.

They want to throw him down from his height,
lies are their delight and their life,
a blessing is on their lips,
but in their hearts a curse is hidden.

Find rest, my soul, in God alone,
from Him I continue to expect everything.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress, I will not waver.

With God is my salvation and my honor,
my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
Trust in Him, my people, at all times,
pour out your hearts to Him, God is our refuge.

Nothing but air are the children of Adam,
nothing but a lie are the children of men,
in the balance they go up,
together they are lighter than air.

Do not trust in violence,
in something as fleeting as stolen possessions,
even if money and goods increase,
keep your heart free from them.

Once God has spoken,
twice I have heard it:
"The power belongs to God."

You, Lord, are loving,
You reward every person
according to their deeds.

1 Chronicles 28:11-19

David gave his son Solomon the plans for the front hall and the rooms behind it, the treasuries, the upper rooms, the inner rooms, and the space for the atonement ritual. It also described how everything else was to be done: the temple courtyards and storerooms, the treasuries of the temple of God and the treasuries for the votive offerings, the duty roster of the priests and Levites, the temple services and the objects to be used in them, including the weight of gold or silver that the objects for the various services were to have, namely the weight of gold for each of the golden candlesticks and their lamps, the weight of silver for the silver candlesticks and their lamps, depending on their function, the weight of gold for each of the tables and the weight of silver for the silver tables, the weight of the pure gold forks, sacrificial bowls, and jugs, the weight of gold for each of the small golden bowls, the weight of silver for each of the small silver bowls, the weight of pure gold for the altar of incense, and the gold for the construction of the cart, the cherubim, and the wings that they spread protectively over the ark of the covenant with the LORD.

"I have recorded all this at the instruction of the LORD, who showed me how the building plan should be carried out."

I Chronicles 29

Then David turned to the assembled Israelites: "God has chosen my son Solomon, him alone, a young man, without experience. His task is a heavy one, for the fortress he must build is not for man, but for the LORD God. I myself have made every effort to gather as much material as possible for the temple of my God: I have gathered gold for the gold objects, silver for the silver objects, copper for the copper objects, iron for the iron objects, wood for the wood objects, and also a large quantity of onyx stones and precious stones, mosaic stones for inlaying, and all kinds of other precious stones and types of marble. Moreover, the temple of my God is so dear to me that I have added to all that I have already gathered for the sanctuary my entire personal wealth of gold and silver for the temple of my God: three thousand talents of gold from Ophir and seven thousand talents of pure silver to decorate the walls of the rooms, gold for the gold objects that the craftsmen will make and silver for those made of silver. Who among you will serve the LORD today by giving a voluntary gift?"

The heads of families and the leaders of Israel, the commanders of thousands and hundreds, and the heads of service all gave a voluntary gift. They set aside five thousand talents of gold and ten thousand darics, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze, and one hundred thousand talents of iron for the work on the temple of God. Those who had precious stones gave them to Jehiel the Gershonite for the treasury of the temple of the LORD. The people brought their gifts with joy, for they were wholehearted in their willingness to give to the LORD. King David was also very pleased.

Then David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly. He said, "Praise be to you, LORD, God of our ancestor Israel, forever and ever. You, LORD, are great and mighty, full of splendor, glory, and majesty. Everything in heaven and on earth belongs to you, LORD; you possess kingship and dominion. Glory and wealth come from you; you rule over everything. Power and strength are in your hand; you decide who is great and powerful. Therefore, we thank You, our God, and praise Your glorious name. What am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to give up so many treasures? Everything comes from You, and what we give You comes from Your hand. Like all our ancestors, we are only strangers staying with You as guests; our existence on earth is like a shadow, without any certainty. Lord, our God, all this wealth that we have gathered to build a temple for Your holy name comes from Your hand and is destined for You. I know, my God, that You test the hearts of men and desire sincerity. Now, from the sincerity of my heart, I have given You all this, and I have also seen Your people, who are gathered here, give their contributions with joy. Lord, God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep such thoughts and desires alive forever among your people, and let their hearts be focused on you. Grant also that my son Solomon may faithfully observe your commandments, statutes, and laws, and do everything necessary to build the temple fortress for which I have made preparations."

Then David commanded the community to praise the LORD their God. The whole community praised the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and knelt down and bowed low before the LORD and the king.

The next day they offered peace offerings and burnt offerings to the LORD: a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, and a thousand yearling lambs, with their accompanying wine offerings. A huge number of animals were slaughtered for the assembled Israelites. They ate and drank joyfully that day in the presence of the LORD. David's son Solomon was proclaimed king for the second time. In the presence of the LORD, he was anointed prince, and Zadok was anointed high priest. So Solomon ascended the throne of the LORD and succeeded his father David as king. Everything he undertook succeeded, and all Israel accepted him. All the leaders and heroes, as well as all the other sons of King David, pledged their loyalty to him.

II Chronicles 5

When all the work that King Solomon had done on the temple of the LORD was finished, he brought his father David's gifts to the temple. He stored the gold, silver, and other items in the treasuries of God's temple.
Then King Solomon summoned the elders of Israel and the heads of the tribes, all the heads of families, to Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the stronghold of David, the mountain of Zion. All the Israelites came to the king for the festival in the seventh month.

When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites took up the ark. The ark, the tent of meeting, and the associated sacred objects were carried by the Levitical priests. Meanwhile, King Solomon held a sacrifice with the Israelites who had gathered around the ark with him, offering so many sheep, goats, and cattle that their number could not be determined.