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David’s Instructions to Solomon

28 David summoned all the officials of Israel to Jerusalem—the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of the army divisions, the other generals and captains,[a] the overseers of the royal property and livestock, the palace officials, the mighty men, and all the other brave warriors in the kingdom. David rose to his feet and said: “My brothers and my people! It was my desire to build a Temple where the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, God’s footstool, could rest permanently. I made the necessary preparations for building it, but God said to me, ‘You must not build a Temple to honor my name, for you are a warrior and have shed much blood.’

“Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, has chosen me from among all my father’s family to be king over Israel forever. For he has chosen the tribe of Judah to rule, and from among the families of Judah he chose my father’s family. And from among my father’s sons the Lord was pleased to make me king over all Israel. And from among my sons—for the Lord has given me many—he chose Solomon to succeed me on the throne of Israel and to rule over the Lord’s kingdom. He said to me, ‘Your son Solomon will build my Temple and its courtyards, for I have chosen him as my son, and I will be his father. And if he continues to obey my commands and regulations as he does now, I will make his kingdom last forever.’

“So now, with God as our witness, and in the sight of all Israel—the Lord’s assembly—I give you this charge. Be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, so that you may continue to possess this good land and leave it to your children as a permanent inheritance.

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Footnotes

  1. 28:1 Hebrew the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.

David Assembles His Commanders

28 And (A)David assembled at Jerusalem all the commanders of Israel, the commanders of the tribes, and the commanders of the divisions that ministered to the king, and the commanders of thousands, and the commanders of hundreds, and the commanders over all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, with the officials and (B)the mighty men, even all the mighty men of valor. Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people; I (C)had it within my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of Yahweh and for (D)the footstool of the feet of our God. So I had made preparations to build it. But God said to me, ‘(E)You shall not build a house for My name because you are a man of war and have shed blood.’ Yet, Yahweh, the God of Israel, (F)chose me from all the house of my father to be king over Israel (G)forever. For (H)He has chosen Judah to be a ruler; and (I)in the house of Judah, my father’s house, and among the sons of my father He took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. (J)Now of all my sons (for Yahweh has given me many sons), (K)He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of Yahweh over Israel. And He said to me, ‘Your son (L)Solomon is the one who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be a son to Me, and I will be a father to him. And I will establish his kingdom forever (M)if he will be strong to do My commandments and My judgments, as [a]is done now.’ So now, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of Yahweh, and in the hearing of our God, keep and seek after all the commandments of Yahweh your God so that you may possess the good land and cause your sons after you to inherit it forever.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 28:7 Lit at this day