1 Chronicles 28

1 David summoned to Jerusalem all the leaders of Israel—the leaders of the tribes, the army division commanders in service to the king, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, along with the court officials, the warriors and all the best fighting men.

David summoned all the leaders of Israel to come to Jerusalem. He summoned the leaders of the tribes, the leaders/commanders of the groups that worked for the king, the commanders of 100 soldiers, the commanders of 1,000 soldiers, those who were in charge of the property and livestock that belonged to the king and his sons, all the palace officials, and his mighty soldiers and bravest warriors.

2 King David got to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people! I really wanted to build a house as a resting place for the Ark of the Lord's Agreement, as a footstool for our God. So I made plans to build it.

David stood up and said, “My fellow Israelis, listen to me. I wanted [IDM] to build a temple to be a place where we would put the Sacred Chest of Yahweh, where it would stay permanently. And I made plans to build it.

3 But God told me, ‘You are not to build a house to honor me because you are a man of war who has spilled blood.’

But God said to me, ‘You are not the one who will [arrange to] build a temple for me [MTY], because you are a warrior and you have killed many people [MTY] [in battles].’

4 However, the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me out of all my father's family to be king of Israel forever. For he chose Judah as the leading tribe, and from among the families of Judah he chose my father's family. From among my father's sons he was pleased to chose me as king over the whole of Israel.

“But Yahweh, the God to whom we Israelis belong, had chosen me and my descendants to be the kings of Israel forever. [First] he chose the tribe of Judah, and from the people [MTY] of Judah he chose my family, and from my father’s sons he chose me to be the king over all of Israel.

5 From all my sons (for the Lord gave me many) the Lord has chosen Solomon my child to sit on the throne and to rule over the Lord's kingdom Israel.

Yahweh has given me many sons, but from them he chose my son Solomon to be the next king to rule [MTY] the kingdom of Israel.

6 He told me, ‘Your son Solomon is the one who will build my house and my courts, because I have chosen him as my son, and I will be his father.

He said to me, ‘Solomon your son is the one who will [arrange to] build my temple and the courtyards around it, because I have chosen him to be [like] my son and I will be [like] [MET] his father.

7 I will make sure his kingdom lasts forever if he single-mindedly keeps my commandments and regulations like he does today.

I will enable his kingdom to endure forever if he continues to obey my laws and commands, like you are doing now.’

8 So now, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and as God listens, be sure to obey all the commandments of the Lord your God so that you may go on possessing this good land and be able to pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever.

“So now, while all [you people of] Israel, all of you who belong to Yahweh, are watching, and while God is listening, I command you [leaders] to carefully obey all the commands of Yahweh our God, in order that you may continue to possess this good land and enable your descendants to inherit it forever.

9 Solomon my son, get to know the God of your father. Serve him with complete dedication and with a willing mind, for the Lord examines every motivation and understands the intention of every thought. If you look for him, you will find him; but it you abandon him, he will reject you forever.

“And you, my son Solomon, must know God like I know him, and you must serve him faithfully and because you want to. You must do that because he knows what everyone is thinking and he understands the reasons that people do what they do. If you seek [to know] him, he will heed your prayers. But if you abandon/reject him, he will abandon/reject you forever.

10 Pay attention now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong, and take action!”

Yahweh has chosen you to [arrange to] build a temple for him. So think about [what I have said], and be strong and do what [he is wanting you to do].”

11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the Temple porch, its buildings, storehouses, upper rooms, inner rooms, and the room for the “place of atonement.”

Then David gave to his son Solomon [the scroll on which were written] the plans for the main rooms of the temple, its porch, its storerooms, all the other upper and lower rooms, and the Very Holy Place where God would forgive the sins that people had committed.

12 He also gave him everything he had planned for the courts of the house of the Lord, for all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the house of God and of those things that had been dedicated.

David wrote for him the plans that God’s Spirit had put into his mind for building the courtyards and all the rooms that surrounded the temple, including the room where the money and other valuable things that were dedicated to God would be kept.

13 In addition he passed on instructions regarding the divisions of the priests and the Levites, for all the work of service of the house of the Lord, and for all that was used for worship in the house of the Lord.

He gave Solomon instructions for the groups of priests and other descendants of Levi, about all the work that they must do to serve in Yahweh’s temple, and about taking care of all the things that would be used in the work at the temple.

14 He also laid down how much gold and silver was to be used in making the different objects used in every kind of service,

He wrote down how much gold and how much silver should be used to make all the items in the temple:

15 the weight of the gold and silver lampstands and their lamps, depending on the use of each lampstand;

how much gold for making the gold lampstands and the lamps, how much silver to make the silver lamps and lampstands,

16 the weight of gold for each table of showbread, and the weight of silver for the silver tables,

how much gold for making the table on which [the priests would put] the sacred bread, how much silver to use to make the other tables,

17 the weight of pure gold for the forks, basins, and cups; the weight of each gold dish; the weight of each silver bowl;

how much pure gold for the meat forks and the bowls and the cups, how much gold for each gold dish, how much silver for each silver dish,

18 the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense; and lastly plans for a golden chariot of cherubim that spread their wings, covering the Ark of the Lord's Agreement.

and how much pure gold to make the altar for [burning] incense. He also gave to Solomon his plans for making the golden statues of winged creatures that would be above the Sacred Chest of Yahweh, [like] a chariot for him.

19 “All this is in writing from the hand of the Lord, given to me as instructions—every detail of this plan,” said David.

Then David said, “I have written [all these plans] while Yahweh was directing [MTY] me. He has enabled me to understand all the details of his plan [for the temple that is to be built].”

20 Then David also told Solomon, “Be strong, be brave, and take action! Don't be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you! He will not let you down or leave you. He will make sure all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.

David also said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and do this work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, because Yahweh our God will be with/helping you. He will not fail [to help] you or abandon you until you finish all the work of making his temple.

21 The divisions of the priests and the Levites are prepared for all the service of the house of God. People will be willing to use their different skills to help you in all the work—the officials and all the people will do what you tell them.”

The groups of priests and [other] descendants of Levi are ready to begin their work at the temple, and every man who has a special skill will help you in all the work. And my officials and the other people will obey you, whatever you command them to do.”