1David asked all the officials of Israel to come together at Jerusalem. He sent for the officers who were over the tribes. He sent for the commanders of the military groups who served the king. He sent for the commanders of thousands of men and commanders of hundreds. He sent for the officials who were in charge of all the royal property and livestock. They belonged to the king and his sons. He sent for the palace officials and the warriors. He also sent for all the brave fighting men.2King David stood up. He said, ‘All of you Israelites, listen to me. With all my heart I wanted to build a house for the LORD. I wanted it to be a place of peace and rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD. The ark is the stool for our God’s feet. I made plans to build the LORD’s house.3But God said to me, “You are not the one who will build a house for my Name. That is because you are a fighting man. You have spilled people’s blood.”4‘But the LORD chose me. He is the God of Israel. He chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel for ever. He chose Judah to lead the tribes. From the tribe of Judah he chose my family. From my father’s sons he chose me. He was pleased to make me king over the whole nation of Israel.5The LORD has given me many sons. From all of them he has chosen my son Solomon. He wants Solomon to sit on the throne of the LORD’s kingdom. He wants him to rule over Israel.6The LORD said to me, “Your son Solomon is the one who will build my house and my courtyards. I have chosen him to be my son. And I will be his father.7I will make his kingdom secure. It will last for ever. That will happen if he continues to obey my commands and laws. He must continue to obey them, just as he is doing now.”8‘So I’m giving you a command in the sight of all the people of Israel. The LORD’s community is watching. And our God is listening. I command you to be careful to follow all the commands of the LORD your God. Then you will own this good land. You will pass it on to your children after you as their share for ever.9‘My son Solomon, always remember the God of your father. Serve him with all your heart. Do it with a mind that wants to obey him. The LORD looks deep down inside every heart. He understands every desire and every thought. If you look to him, you will find him. But if you desert him, he will turn his back on you for ever.10Think about it. The LORD has chosen you to build a house as a holy place where he can live. So be strong. Get to work.’11Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the porch of the temple. He gave him the plans for its buildings and its storerooms. He gave him the plans for its upper parts and its inside rooms. He gave him the plans for the place where sin is paid for and forgiven.12He gave him the plans for everything the Spirit of the LORD had put in his mind. There were plans for the courtyards of the LORD’s temple. There were plans for all the rooms around it. There were plans for the places where the treasure of God’s temple would be kept. There were plans for the places where the things set apart for God would be kept.13David told Solomon how to separate the priests and Levites into groups. He gave him directions for all the work they should do when they served in the LORD’s temple. David also showed Solomon how all the objects should be used at the temple.14Different things were used for different purposes. David told Solomon how much gold should be used for each gold object. He also told him how much silver should be used for each silver object.15He told him how much gold should be used to make each gold lampstand and its lamps. He told him how much silver should be used to make each silver lampstand and its lamps. The amount depended on how each lampstand would be used.16David told Solomon how much gold should be used to make each table for holy bread. He told him how much silver should be used to make the silver tables.17He told him how much pure gold should be used to make the forks, sprinkling bowls and pitchers. He told him how much gold should be used to make each gold dish. He told him how much silver should be used to make each silver dish.18And David told Solomon how much pure gold should be used to make the altar for burning incense. He also gave Solomon the plan for the chariot of the gold cherubim. The cherubim spread their wings over the ark of the covenant of the LORD.19David said, ‘I have written everything down. I wrote it all down as the LORD guided me. He helped me understand every part of the plan.’20David also said to his son Solomon, ‘Be strong and brave. Get to work. Don’t be afraid. Don’t lose hope. The LORD God is my God. He is with you. He won’t fail you. He won’t desert you until all the work for serving in the LORD’s temple is finished.21The groups of the priests and Levites are ready to do all the work on God’s temple. Every person who is willing and skilled can help you do all the work. The officials and all the people will obey every command you give them.’
1 Chronicles 28
English Standard Version
David’s Charge to Israel
1David assembled at Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, the officials of the tribes, the officers of the divisions that served the king, the commanders of thousands, the commanders of hundreds, the stewards of all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the mighty men and all the seasoned warriors. (1Ch 11:10; 1Ch 23:2; 1Ch 27:1; 1Ch 27:16; 1Ch 27:25)2Then King David rose to his feet and said: “Hear me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and for the footstool of our God, and I made preparations for building. (1Ch 22:7; Ps 99:5; Ps 110:1; Ps 132:7; Isa 66:1; La 2:1)3But God said to me, ‘You may not build a house for my name, for you are a man of war and have shed blood.’ (2Sa 7:5; 2Sa 7:13)4Yet the Lord God of Israel chose me from all my father’s house to be king over Israel forever. For he chose Judah as leader, and in the house of Judah my father’s house, and among my father’s sons he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. (Ge 49:8; 1Sa 16:1; 1Sa 16:12; 1Ch 5:2; 1Ch 17:23; 1Ch 17:27; Ps 78:68)5And of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons) he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. (1Ch 3:1; 1Ch 14:3; 1Ch 22:9; 1Ch 23:1)6He said to me, ‘It is Solomon your son who shall build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. (2Sa 7:13)7I will establish his kingdom forever if he continues strong in keeping my commandments and my rules, as he is today.’ (1Ch 22:13; 1Ch 28:4)8Now therefore in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you forever.
David’s Charge to Solomon
9“And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever. (1Sa 16:7; 1Ki 8:61; 2Ch 15:2)10Be careful now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong and do it.” (1Ch 28:20; Ezr 10:4; Hag 2:4)11Then David gave Solomon his son the plan of the vestibule of the temple,[1] and of its houses, its treasuries, its upper rooms, and its inner chambers, and of the room for the mercy seat; (Ex 25:17; Ex 25:40; 1Ki 6:3; 1Ch 28:19; 2Ch 3:4)12and the plan of all that he had in mind for the courts of the house of the Lord, all the surrounding chambers, the treasuries of the house of God, and the treasuries for dedicated gifts; (1Ch 26:20)13for the divisions of the priests and of the 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, (1Ch 23:6; 1Ch 24:1)14the weight of gold for all golden vessels for each service, the weight of silver vessels for each service,15the weight of the golden 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, (Ex 25:31)16the weight of gold for each table for the showbread, the silver for the silver tables,17and 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;18for the altar of incense made of refined gold, and its weight; also his plan for the golden chariot of the cherubim that spread their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord. (Ex 25:18; Ex 30:1; 1Ki 6:23)19“All this he made clear to me in writing from the hand of the Lord, all the work to be done according to the plan.” (Ex 25:40; 1Ch 28:11)20Then David said to Solomon his son, “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. (Jos 1:5; 1Ch 22:13)21And behold the 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 every willing man who has skill for any kind of service; also the officers and all the people will be wholly at your command.” (Ex 35:25; Ex 36:1; 1Ch 28:13)