1David summoned all the officials of Israel to assemble at Jerusalem: the officers over the tribes, the commanders of the divisions in the service of the king, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the warriors and all the brave fighting men.2King David rose to his feet and said: ‘Listen to me, my fellow Israelites, my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it.3But God said to me, “You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.”4‘Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel for ever. He chose Judah as leader, and from the tribe of Judah he chose my family, and from my father’s sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel.5Of all my sons – and the Lord has given me many – he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.6He said to me, “Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.7I will establish his kingdom for ever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at this time.”8‘So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God: be careful to follow all the commands of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants for ever.9‘And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you for ever.10Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.’11Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement.12He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the Lord and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things.13He gave him instructions for the divisions of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of serving in the temple of the Lord, as well as for all the articles to be used in its service.14He designated the weight of gold for all the gold articles to be used in various kinds of service, and the weight of silver for all the silver articles to be used in various kinds of service:15the weight of gold for the gold lampstands and their lamps, with the weight for each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand;16the weight of gold for each table for consecrated bread; the weight of silver for the silver tables;17the weight of pure gold for the forks, sprinkling bowls and pitchers; the weight of gold for each gold dish; the weight of silver for each silver dish;18and the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense. He also gave him the plan for the chariot, that is, the cherubim of gold that spread their wings and overshadow the ark of the covenant of the Lord.19‘All this,’ David said, ‘I have in writing as a result of the Lord’s hand on me, and he enabled me to understand all the details of the plan.’20David also said to Solomon his son, ‘Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.21The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing person skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command.’
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)