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“And you, Solomon my son, obey[a] the God of your father and serve him with a submissive attitude and a willing spirit,[b] for the Lord examines all minds and understands every motive of one’s thoughts. If you seek him, he will let you find him,[c] but if you abandon him, he will reject you permanently. 10 Realize[d] now that the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as his sanctuary. Be strong and do it!”

11 David gave to his son Solomon the blueprints for the temple porch,[e] its buildings, its treasuries,[f] its upper areas, its inner rooms, and the room[g] for atonement. 12 He gave him[h] the blueprints of all he envisioned[i] for the courts of the Lord’s temple, all the surrounding rooms, the storehouses of God’s temple, and the storehouses for the holy items.

13 He gave him the regulations[j] for the divisions of priests and Levites, for all the assigned responsibilities within the Lord’s temple, and for all the items used in the service of the Lord’s temple.

14 He gave him[k] the prescribed weight for all the gold items to be used in various types of service in the Lord’s temple, for all the silver items to be used in various types of service,[l] 15 for the gold lampstands and their gold lamps, including the weight of each lampstand and its lamps, for the silver lampstands, including the weight of each lampstand and its lamps, according to the prescribed use of each lampstand, 16 for the gold used in the display tables, including the amount to be used in each table, for the silver to be used in the silver tables, 17 for the pure gold used for the meat forks, bowls, and jars, for the small gold bowls, including the weight for each bowl, for the small silver bowls, including the weight for each bowl, 18 and for the refined gold of the incense altar.

He gave him[m] the blueprint for the seat[n] of the gold cherubim that spread their wings[o] and provide shelter for the ark of the Lord’s covenant.

19 David said,[p] “All this I put in writing as the Lord directed me and gave me insight regarding the details of the blueprints.”[q]

20 David said to his son Solomon: “Be strong and brave! Do it! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic![r] For the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not leave you or abandon you before all the work for the service of the Lord’s temple is finished. 21 Here are the divisions of the priests and Levites who will perform all the service of God’s temple. All the willing and skilled men are ready to assist you in all the work and perform their service.[s] The officials and all the people are ready to follow your instructions.”[t]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 28:9 tn Heb “know.”
  2. 1 Chronicles 28:9 tn Heb “with a complete heart and a willing being.”
  3. 1 Chronicles 28:9 tn Heb “he will allow himself to be found by you.”
  4. 1 Chronicles 28:10 tn Heb “see.”
  5. 1 Chronicles 28:11 tn Heb “for the porch.” The word “temple” was supplied in the translation for clarity.
  6. 1 Chronicles 28:11 tn Or “storerooms.”
  7. 1 Chronicles 28:11 tn Heb “house.”
  8. 1 Chronicles 28:12 tn The words “he gave him” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
  9. 1 Chronicles 28:12 tn Heb “the pattern of all which was in the spirit with him.”
  10. 1 Chronicles 28:13 tn The words “he gave him the regulations” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
  11. 1 Chronicles 28:14 tn The words “he gave him” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
  12. 1 Chronicles 28:14 tn Heb “for the gold, by the weight, for the gold, for all the items of service and service, for all the items of silver by weight for all the items of service and service.”
  13. 1 Chronicles 28:18 tn The words “he gave him” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
  14. 1 Chronicles 28:18 tc The Hebrew text reads מֶרְכָּבָה (merkavah, “chariot”), but the final he (ה) is probably dittographic—note the prefixed he (ה) on the immediately following word. It is preferable to read מֶרְכָּב (merkav, “seat”).
  15. 1 Chronicles 28:18 tc The Hebrew text does not have “their wings,” but the word כְּנָפַיִם (kenafayim, “wings”) has probably been accidentally omitted by homoioteleuton. Note that the immediately preceding לְפֹרְשִׂים (leforsim) also ends in mem (ם).
  16. 1 Chronicles 28:19 tn The words “David said” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
  17. 1 Chronicles 28:19 tn Heb “the whole in writing from the hand of the Lord upon me, he gave insight [for] all the workings of the plan.”
  18. 1 Chronicles 28:20 tn Or perhaps, “don’t be discouraged.”
  19. 1 Chronicles 28:21 tn Heb “and with you in all work, for every willing [one] in skill for all service.”
  20. 1 Chronicles 28:21 tn Heb “and the officials and all the people to all your words.”

David's Charge to Solomon

“And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a (A)whole heart and with a willing mind, (B)for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. (C)If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever. 10 Be careful now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; (D)be strong and do it.”

11 Then David gave Solomon his son the (E)plan of the (F)vestibule of the temple,[a] and of its houses, its treasuries, its upper rooms, and its inner chambers, and of the room for the (G)mercy seat; 12 and the plan of all that he had in mind for the courts of the house of the Lord, all the surrounding chambers, (H)the treasuries of the house of God, and the treasuries for dedicated gifts; 13 for the (I)divisions of the priests and of the (J)Levites, and all the work of the service in the house of the Lord; for all the vessels for the service in the house of the Lord, 14 the weight of gold for all golden vessels for each service, the weight of silver vessels for each service, 15 the weight of the golden (K)lampstands and their lamps, the weight of gold for each lampstand and its lamps, the weight of silver for a lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand in the service, 16 the weight of gold for each table for the showbread, the silver for the silver tables, 17 and pure gold for the forks, the basins and the cups; for the golden bowls and the weight of each; for the silver bowls and the weight of each; 18 for the (L)altar of incense made of refined gold, and its weight; also his plan for the golden chariot of the (M)cherubim that spread their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 19 “All this he made clear to me in writing from the hand of the Lord, (N)all the work to be done according to the plan.”

20 Then David said to Solomon his son, (O)“Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished. 21 And behold the (P)divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God; and with you in all the work will be (Q)every willing man who has skill for any kind of service; also the officers and all the people will be wholly at your command.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 28:11 Hebrew lacks of the temple