1 Chronicles 28

1 And David got together at Jerusalem all the rulers of Israel, the chiefs of the tribes and the captains of the divisions waiting on the king in turn, and the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds and the controllers of all the goods and property of the king and his sons, with the unsexed servants and the great men of war.

And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the divisions that ministered to the king, and the captains of the thousands, and the captains of the hundreds, and the rulers of all the property and the cattle of the king and of his sons, with the court-servants, and the mighty men, and with all the valiant men of the army, unto Jerusalem.

2 Then David the king got up and said, Give ear to me, my brothers and my people; it was my desire to put up a house, a resting-place for the ark of the Lord's agreement, and for the foot-rest of our God; and I had got material ready for the building of it.

Then arose king David upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people! I had 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 had made preparations to build;

3 But God said to me, You are not to be the builder of a house for my name, because you are a man of war and have taken life;

But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build a house unto my name; because thou art a man of war, and blood hast thou shed.

4 Though the Lord, the God of Israel, took me out of all my father's family, to be king over Israel for ever, marking out Judah to be chief, and, of the people of Judah, my father's family; and among the sons of my father he was pleased to make me king over all Israel;

Yet the Lord the God of Israel made choice of me out of all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever; for of Judah had he made choice as ruler, and among the house of Judah, of the house of my father; and among the sons of my father had he pleasure in me to make [me] king over all Israel:

5 And of all my sons (for the Lord has given me a great number of sons) he has made selection of Solomon to take his place on the seat of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.

And of all my sons, —for the Lord hath given me many sons, — hath he made choice of Solomon my son, to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.

6 And he said to me, Solomon your son will be the builder of my house and the open spaces round it; for I have taken him to be my son, and I will be his father.

And he hath said unto me, Solomon thy son it is that shall build my house and my courts; for I have made choice of him to be as a son unto me, and I will be indeed to him as a father.

7 I will keep his kingdom in its place for ever, if he is strong at all times to do my orders and keep my rules, as at this day.

Moreover, I will firmly establish his kingdom for everlasting, if he be strong to execute my commandments and my ordinances as it is this day.

8 So now, before the eyes of all Israel, the people of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, keep and be true to the orders of the Lord your God; so that you may have this good land for yourselves and give it for a heritage to your children after you for ever.

And now before the eyes of all Israel, the congregation of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, [I admonish you] observe and seek for all the commandments of the Lord your God: in order that ye may keep possession of this good land, and leave it for an inheritance unto your children after you forever.

9 And you, Solomon my son, get knowledge of the God of your father, and be his servant with a true heart and with a strong desire, for the Lord is the searcher of all hearts, and has knowledge of all the designs of men's thoughts; if you make search for him, he will be near you; but if you are turned away from him, he will give you up for ever.

And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with an entire heart and with a willing soul; for all hearts doth the Lord search, and every imagination of the thoughts doth he understand; if thou seek him, he will let himself be found by thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

10 Now then, take note; for the Lord has made selection of you to be the builder of a house for the holy place. Be strong and do it.

See now that the Lord hath made choice of thee to build a house for the sanctuary: be strong and do it.

11 Then David gave to his son Solomon the design of the doorway of the house of God and of its houses and its store-houses, and the higher rooms and the inner rooms and the place for the mercy-seat;

Then gave David to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of its apartments, and of its treasuries, and of upper chambers, and of its inner chambers, and of the place of the cover of the ark.

12 And the design of all he had in his heart for the outer squares of the house of the Lord, and for the rooms all round it, and for the store-houses of the house of the Lord, and for the store-houses for the holy things;

And the pattern of all that he had in his spirit, concerning the courts of the house of the Lord, and concerning all the chambers round about, concerning the treasuries of the house of God, and concerning the treasuries of the holy things:

13 And for the divisions of the priests and Levites, and for all the work in connection with the worship of the house of the Lord, and all the vessels used in the house of the Lord;

Also concerning the divisions of the priests and the Levites, and concerning all the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and concerning all the vessels of service of the house of the Lord;

14 Of gold, by weight, for the vessels of gold, for all the vessels of different uses; and silver for all the vessels of silver by weight, for vessels of different uses;

Concerning the golden vessels, after the weight of the gold, for all the vessels of all manner of service; concerning all the vessels of silver after the weight, for all the vessels of every kind of service;

15 And gold by weight for the light-supports and the vessels for the lights, the weight of gold needed for every support and every vessel for lights; and for the silver light-supports, the weight of silver needed for every support and for the different vessels as every one was to be used;

Also the weight for the candlesticks of gold, and for their lamps of gold, after the weight for every candlestick, and for its lamps; and concerning the candlesticks of silver after the weight, for the candlestick, and for its lamps, according to the use of every candlestick;

16 And gold by weight for the tables for the holy bread for every table, and silver for the silver tables;

And the gold after the weight for the tables of the rows of shewbread, for every table; and the silver for the tables of silver;

17 Clear gold for the meat-hooks and the basins and the cups; for the gold basins, gold enough by weight for every basin; and silver by weight for every silver basin;

Also [concerning] the forks, and the bowls, and the supporters of pure gold; and concerning the golden cups after the weight for every cup; and concerning the silver cups after the weight for every cup;

18 And the best gold for the altar of perfumes; and gold for the design of the carriage, for the winged ones whose wings were outstretched covering the ark of the Lord's agreement.

And concerning the altar of incense the refined gold after the weight; and concerning the pattern of the chariot of the golden cherubim, which spread out [their wings], and over the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

19 All this, said David, the design for all these things, has been made dear to me in writing by the hand of the Lord.

All [this, said David, ] was put in writing from the hand of the Lord, who gave me instruction [respecting] all the works of the pattern.

20 And David said to his son Solomon, Be strong and of a good heart and do your work; have no fear and do not be troubled, for the Lord God, my God, is with you; he will not give you up, and his face will not be turned away from you, till all the work necessary for the house of the Lord is complete.

And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong, and of good courage, and do [the work]; fear not, and be not dismayed; for the Lord God, [yea, ] my God is with thee: he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.

21 And see, there are the divisions of the priests and Levites for all the work of the house of God; and every trained and expert workman will be ready to do for you whatever is needed; and the captains and the people will be under your orders in everything.

And, behold, the divisions of the priests and the Levites are there for all the service of the house of God; and with thee are in all manner of workmanship all kinds of men distinguished in wisdom, for every manner of service; and the princes and all the people are ready [to obey] all thy words.