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David’s Charge to Israel

28 Then David assembled all the commanders of Israel, the commanders of the tribes and the commanders of working groups who served the king, and the commanders of thousands, the commanders of hundreds, and the commanders over all the property of the king and his sons, with the court officials and mighty warriors, and all the mighty warriors of ability, at Jerusalem. And King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I myself wanted[a] to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of Yahweh and the footstool of our God, and I prepared to build. But God said to me, ‘You may not build a house for my name because you are a man of war, and you have shed blood.’ But Yahweh the God of Israel chose me from all of the house of my father to be king over Israel forever, for he chose Judah as leader, and in the house of Judah, the house of my father, and among the sons of my father he took pleasure in me to reign over all Israel. And from all my sons—for Yahweh has given many sons to me—he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of Yahweh over Israel. And he said to me, ‘Solomon your son, he himself shall build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him as a son to myself, and I myself will be as a father to him, and I will establish his kingdom forever if he firmly performs[b] my commandments and my judgments as he has to this day.’ So now in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of Yahweh, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek all the commandments of Yahweh your God so that you may take possession of this good land and bestow it as an inheritance to your children after you forever.”

David’s Charge to Solomon

“And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and a willing mind, for Yahweh searches all hearts and understands every plan and all thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you abandon him, he will reject you forever. 10 Look now, for Yahweh has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong and do it!”

11 Then David gave to Solomon his son the plan of the vestibule and of its houses, its treasuries, its upper rooms, its inner chambers, and of the house of the lid of the ark, 12 and the plan of all that he had in mind[c] for the courtyards of the house of Yahweh and for all the surrounding storage rooms, the treasuries of the house of God, and the treasuries for sanctified objects, 13 and for the working groups of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of Yahweh, and for all the vessels for the service of the house of Yahweh, 14 and for the gold, according to the weight of the gold for all the vessels of the service, and the service of all the vessels of silver according to the weight of all the vessels for every kind of service.[d] 15 And the weight of the golden lampstands and the golden lamps, the weight of each lampstand and each lamp,[e] and the silver according to the weight of a lampstand and its lamp, according to the use of each lampstand,[f] 16 and the weight of gold for the tables of the arranged bread, each table,[g] and silver for the tables of silver, 17 and pure gold for the three-pronged meat forks, and the bowls and the pitchers, and for the golden bowls, by weight for each bowl,[h] and for the silver bowls, by weight for each bowl,[i] 18 and for the altar of incense made of refined gold, by weight, and gold for the plan for the chariot—the cherubim with outspread and covering wings over the ark of the covenant of Yahweh. 19 “All this I give you in writing; from the hand of Yahweh he instructed me about all the workings of this plan.”

20 Then David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do this! Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for Yahweh God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you and will not forsake you until all the work of the service of the house of Yahweh is finished. 21 And behold, the working groups of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God; and with you in all the work for all those willing with the skill for every service, and the commanders and all the people for all your commands.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 28:2 Literally “I myself with my heart”
  2. 1 Chronicles 28:7 Literally “if he is strong to do”
  3. 1 Chronicles 28:12 Literally “that was in the spirit with him”
  4. 1 Chronicles 28:14 Literally “service and service”
  5. 1 Chronicles 28:15 Literally “by weight of lampstand and lampstand, with its lamp and to the lamps”
  6. 1 Chronicles 28:15 Literally “lampstand and lampstand”
  7. 1 Chronicles 28:16 Literally “to table and table”
  8. 1 Chronicles 28:17 Literally “for bowl and bowl”
  9. 1 Chronicles 28:17 Literally “for bowl and bowl”

David Commissions Solomon to Build the Temple

28 David assembled all the leaders of Israel in Jerusalem:(A) the leaders of the tribes, the leaders of the divisions in the king’s service, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and cattle of the king and his sons, along with the court officials, the fighting men,(B) and all the brave warriors. Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. It was in my heart to build a house as a resting place for the ark of the Lord’s covenant(C) and as a footstool(D) for our God. I had made preparations to build, but God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for My name because you are a man of war and have shed blood.’(E)

“Yet the Lord God of Israel chose me out of all my father’s household(F) to be king over Israel forever.(G) For He chose Judah as leader,(H) and from the house of Judah, my father’s household, and from my father’s sons,(I) He was pleased to make me king over all Israel. And out of all my sons(J)—for the Lord has given me many sons—He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the Lord’s kingdom over Israel.(K) He said to me,(L) ‘Your son Solomon is the one who is to build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his father. I will establish his kingdom forever if he perseveres in keeping My commands and My ordinances as he is today.’(M)

“So now in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, observe and follow all the commands of the Lord your God so that you may possess this good land and leave it as an inheritance to your descendants forever.

“As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind,(N) for the Lord searches every heart and understands the intention of every thought.(O) If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.(P) 10 Realize now that the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong, and do it.”(Q)

11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans(R) for the portico(S) of the temple and its buildings, treasuries, upper rooms, inner rooms, and a room for the mercy seat.(T) 12 The plans contained everything he had in mind[a](U) for the courts of the Lord’s house, all the surrounding chambers, the treasuries(V) of God’s house, and the treasuries for what is dedicated. 13 Also included were plans for the divisions of the priests and the Levites; all the work of service in the Lord’s house; all the articles of service of the Lord’s house; 14 the weight of gold for all the articles for every kind of service; the weight of all the silver articles for every kind of service; 15 the weight of the gold lampstands(W) and their gold lamps, including the weight of each lampstand and its lamps; the weight of each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the service of each lampstand; 16 the weight of gold for each table for the rows of the bread of the Presence and the silver for the silver tables; 17 the pure gold for the forks, sprinkling basins, and pitchers; the weight of each gold dish; the weight of each silver bowl; 18 the weight of refined gold for the altar of incense;(X) and the plans for the chariot of[b](Y) the gold cherubim that spread out their wings and cover the ark of the Lord’s covenant.(Z)

19 David concluded, “By the Lord’s hand on me, He enabled me to understand everything in writing, all the details of the plan.”[c]

20 Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous,(AA) and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He won’t leave you or forsake you(AB) until all the work for the service of the Lord’s house is finished. 21 Here are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of God’s house.(AC) Every willing man of any skill(AD) will be at your disposal for the work, and the leaders and all the people are at your every command.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 28:12 Or he received from the Spirit
  2. 1 Chronicles 28:18 Or chariot, that is; Ps 18:10; Ezk 1:5,15
  3. 1 Chronicles 28:19 Hb obscure

28 And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possession of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty men, and with all the valiant men, unto Jerusalem.

Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building:

But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood.

Howbeit the Lord God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he liked me to make me king over all Israel:

And of all 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.

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

Moreover I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgments, as at this day.

Now therefore in the sight of all Israel the congregation of the Lord, and in the audience of our God, keep and seek for all the commandments of the Lord your God: that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you for ever.

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

10 Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it.

11 Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat,

12 And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the Lord, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things:

13 Also for the courses of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and for all the vessels of service in the house of the Lord.

14 He gave of gold by weight for things of gold, for all instruments of all manner of service; silver also for all instruments of silver by weight, for all instruments of every kind of service:

15 Even the weight for the candlesticks of gold, and for their lamps of gold, by weight for every candlestick, and for the lamps thereof: and for the candlesticks of silver by weight, both for the candlestick, and also for the lamps thereof, according to the use of every candlestick.

16 And by weight he gave gold for the tables of shewbread, for every table; and likewise silver for the tables of silver:

17 Also pure gold for the fleshhooks, and the bowls, and the cups: and for the golden basons he gave gold by weight for every bason; and likewise silver by weight for every bason of silver:

18 And for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

19 All this, said David, the Lord made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.

20 And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.

21 And, behold, the courses of the priests and the Levites, even they shall be with thee for all the service of the house of God: and there shall be with thee for all manner of workmanship every willing skilful man, for any manner of service: also the princes and all the people will be wholly at thy commandment.