1 Chronicles 28

1 And David called together all the rulers of Israel, the rulers of tribes and the rulers of the courses who waited upon the king, —and the rulers of thousands and the rulers of hundreds, and the rulers over all the possessions and substance that belonged to the king and to his sons, with the courtiers and the heroes, even every hero of valour, unto Jerusalem.

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.

2 Then David the king rose up on his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren and my people, —As for me, it was near my heart, to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, and for the footstool of our God, and I made ready to build.

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.

3 But, God, said to me, Thou shalt not build a house for my Name, —for, a man of war, thou art, and, blood, hast thou shed.

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;

4 Howbeit Yahweh, God of Israel, made choice of me, out of all of the house of my father, to become king over Israel unto times age-abiding, for, of Judah, had he made choice to be chief ruler, and, in the house of Judah, the house of my father, —and, among the sons of my father, with me, was he well-pleased, to make me king over all Israel;

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;

5 and, from among all my sons, —for, many sons, hath Yahweh given me, —he hath made choice of Solomon my son, to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of Yahweh, over Israel.

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.

6 And he said unto am, Solomon thy son—he, shall build my house, and my courts, —for I have made choice of him that he may be my son, and that, I, may be his father.

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.

7 So will I establish his kingdom, unto times age-abiding, —if he be strong, to do my commandments and my regulations, as at this day.

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.

8 Now, therefore, in the eyes of all Israel—the convocation of Yahweh, and in the ears of our God, Observe and seek all the commandments of Yahweh your God, —to the end that ye may possess the good land, —and suffer your sons after you to inherit it, unto times age-abiding.

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.

9 Thou, therefore, Solomon my son, Know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing soul, for, all hearts, doth Yahweh search, and, every devised purpose, doth he understand, —If thou seek him, He will be found of thee, but, if thou forsake him, He will cast thee off for ever.

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.

10 See! now, that, Yahweh, hath made choice of thee, to build a house for a sanctuary—be strong and do!

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.

11 Then gave David unto Solomon his son, the plan of the porch, and the recesses thereof, and the treasuries thereof, and the upper rooms thereof, and the inner chambers thereof, and the recess for the propitiatory;

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;

12 and the plan of all which had come by the spirit to be with him, for the courts of the house of Yahweh, and for all the rooms round about, —for the treasuries of the house of God, and for the treasuries of hallowed things;

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;

13 and for the courses of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of Yahweh, —and for all the utensils of the service of the house of Yahweh:

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;

14 of gold, by weight, for the gold, for all manner of utensils for each several service, —for all manner of utensils of silver, by weight, for all manner of utensils for each several service;

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;

15 and a weight, for the lampstands of gold, and their lamps of gold, by the weight of each several lampstand, and the lamps thereof, —and for the lampstands of silver by weight, for each lampstand and the lamps thereof, according to the service of each several lampstand.

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;

16 And the gold [gave he] by weight for the tables for setting in array, for each several table, —and silver, for the tables of silver;

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

17 and the fleshhooks and the bowls and the cups, pure gold, —and for the goblets of gold, by weight for each several goblet, and for the goblets of silver, by weight for each several goblet;

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;

18 and, for the altar of incense, refined gold, by weight, —and, for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubim, gold, for them that were spreading out, and covering the ark of the covenant of Yahweh: —

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.

19 the whole in writing, From the hand of Yahweh upon me, to give understanding, —all the works of the pattern.

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

20 Then said David, unto Solomon his son, Be strong and bold, and act, thou mayest not fear nor be dismayed, —for, Yahweh, God, my God, will be with thee, he will not let thee go, neither will he forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work of the service of the house of Yahweh.

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.

21 And there are the courses of the priests and the Levites, for all the service of the house of God, —and, with thee, in all manner of work, is every willing, skilful man for any service, also the rulers and all the people, for all thine affairs.

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.