1 Kings 3:2 Cross References - NSB

² A Temple had not yet been built for Jehovah. The people were still offering sacrifices at many different altars.

³ »Any Israelite who slaughters a bull, sheep, or goat inside or outside the camp ⁴ is guilty of bloodshed. He has shed blood and must be excluded from the people. Bring the animal to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. Offer it to Jehovah in front of the Jehovah’s Tent. ⁵ »This means that the people of Israel must take the sacrifices they have been making in the open fields and bring them to Jehovah. They must bring them to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. The people will sacrifice them as peace offerings to Jehovah. ⁶ »The priest will pour the blood against Jehovah’s altar at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He will burn the fat as a soothing aroma to Jehovah.

³⁰ »‘I will destroy your worship sites. I will cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on top of your dead idols. I will view you with disgust.

² »Destroy all the places where the nations you dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. ³ »Tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars. Burn their Asherah poles with fire. Cut down the carved images of their gods and obliterate their name from that place. ⁴ »Do not worship Jehovah your God with such things. ⁵ »You should seek Jehovah at the place Jehovah your God chooses out of all your tribes. This is where he will dwell and establish his name. This is where you should go.

³ »You know my father David could not build a Temple for the worship of Jehovah due to the constant wars he had to fight. There were enemies in countries all around him. First Jehovah had to give him victory over all his enemies.

⁴³ Like his father Asa before him, he did what was right in the sight of Jehovah. However the places of worship were not destroyed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

⁴ »Go tell my servant David, This is what Jehovah says: ‘You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in. ⁵ »I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up out of Egypt to this day. I have moved from one tent site to another, from one dwelling place to another. ⁶ »In all the places where I have moved with the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their leaders whom I commanded to shepherd my people: Why have you not built me a house of cedar?«

³ »However God told me: ‘You must not build the Temple for my name because you have fought wars and caused bloodshed.’« ⁴ »Yet, from my entire family Jehovah God of Israel chose me to be king of Israel for as long as I live. He had chosen the tribe of Judah to lead Israel. From the families of Judah he chose my father’s family. From among my father’s sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel. ⁵ »Of all my sons, for Jehovah has given me many sons, he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of Jehovah’s kingdom to rule Israel. ⁶ »He told me: ‘Your son Solomon will build my Temple and my courtyards because I have chosen him to be my son. I will be his father.

¹⁷ However the people continued to sacrifice at the illegal places of worship. But they sacrificed only to Jehovah their God.

⁴⁷ »But Solomon built him a house. ⁴⁸ The most High does not dwell in houses made with hands as the prophet says, ⁴⁹ »Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. What house will you build me? Said Jehovah God. What is the place of my rest? (Isaiah 66:1)