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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.”

“And you, my son Solomon, ·accept [acknowledge; L know] the God of your father. Serve him ·completely and willingly [L with your whole heart and a willing mind/spirit], because the Lord ·knows what is in everyone’s mind [L searches every heart]. He understands ·everything you think [every desire/motive and thought]. If you ·go to him for help [seek him], ·you will get an answer [you will find him; or he will let you find him]. But if you ·turn away from [abandon; forsake] him, he will ·leave [reject] you forever. 10 Solomon, ·you must understand this [see now]. The Lord has chosen you to build ·the Temple [L a house] as his ·holy place [sanctuary]. Be strong and ·finish the job [do it; go to work].”

11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for ·building the Temple [the porch/portico]. They included its buildings, its storerooms, its upper rooms, its inside rooms, and the ·place where the people’s sins were removed [room for atonement/T the mercy seat]. 12 David gave him plans for everything he had in mind: the courtyards around the Lord’s ·Temple [L house] and all the rooms around it, the ·Temple treasuries [storehouses of God’s house], and the ·treasuries [storehouse] of the ·holy items used in the Temple [dedicated/consecrated things/gifts]. 13 David gave Solomon directions for the ·groups [divisions; orders] of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of serving in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, and about the ·items [utensils] to be used for service in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord 14 that were made of gold or silver. David told Solomon ·how much [the weight of] gold or silver to use to make each thing. 15 David told him ·how much [the weight of] gold to use for each gold lampstand and its lamps and ·how much [the weight of] silver to use for each silver lampstand and its lamps according to how the lampstands were to be used . 16 David told ·how much [the weight of] gold to use for each table that held the ·holy [T show] bread and ·how much [the weight of] silver to use for the silver tables. 17 He told ·how much [the weight of] pure gold to use to make the forks, ·bowls [basins], and pitchers and ·how much [the weight of] gold to use to make each gold ·dish [bowl]. He told ·how much [the weight of] silver to use to make each silver ·dish [bowl] 18 and ·how much [the weight of] pure gold to use for the altar of incense. He also gave Solomon the plans for the ·chariot [or seat] of the ·golden creatures [cherubim] that spread their wings over the Ark of the ·Agreement [Testimony; Treaty; Covenant] with the Lord.

19 David said, “All these plans were written with the Lord ·guiding [directing] me. He ·helped me understand [made clear to me; gave me insight into/understanding of] everything in the plans.”

20 David also said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and brave, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, because the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or ·leave [abandon; forsake] you until all the work for the service of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord is finished. 21 The ·groups [divisions; orders] of the priests and Levites are ready for all the ·work on [service of] the ·Temple [L house] of God. Every skilled worker is ready to help you with all the work. The ·leaders [officials] and all the ·people [nation] will ·obey every command you give [be at your command].”

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