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 so David called together all the leaders of Israel, the rulers of the tribes, and those in charge of the companies, who were ministering to the king, and also the tribunes and centurions, and those in charge of the substance and possessions of the king, and his sons, with the eunuchs and the powerful and those most experienced in the army, at Jerusalem.

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.

And when the king had risen up and was standing, he said: “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I thought that I would build a house, in which the ark of the covenant of the Lord, the footstool of our God, might rest. And so I prepared everything for its building.

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 shall not build a house to my name, because you are a man of war, and have shed blood.’

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;

Now the Lord God of Israel chose me, out of the entire house of my father, so that I would be king over Israel forever. For from Judah he chose leaders; then from the house of Judah he chose the house of my father; and from the sons of my father, it pleased him to choose me as king over all of 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.

Then too, among my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons) he chose Solomon my son, so that he would sit upon the throne 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 shall build my house and my courts. For I have chosen him to be to me as a son, and I will be to him as a 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.

And I will make firm his kingdom, even unto eternity, if he will persevere in doing my precepts and judgments, as also today.’

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.

Now therefore, before the entire assembly of Israel, in the hearing of our God, keep and seek all the commandments of the Lord our God, so that you may possess the good land, and may bequeath it to your sons after you, even forever.

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 as for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve him with a perfect heart and a willing mind. For the Lord searches all hearts, and understands the thoughts of all minds. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you abandon him, he will cast you aside for eternity.

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

Now therefore, since the Lord has chosen you, so that you would build the house of the Sanctuary, be strengthened and accomplish 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 a description of the portico, and the temple, and the storerooms, and the upper floor, and the innermost rooms, and the house of propitiation,

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 indeed also of all the courts that he had planned, and the outer rooms on all sides, for the treasuries of the house of the Lord, and for the treasuries of 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 the Levites: concerning all the works of the house of the Lord and all the items in the ministry of the temple 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;

There was gold by weight for every vessel of the ministry, and also silver by weight for the diversity of vessels and equipment.

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.

Then too, he distributed gold for the lampstands and their lamps, according to the measure of each of the lampstands with their lamps. Similarly also, he distributed silver by weight for the silver lampstands with their lamps, according to the diversity of their measure.

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;

Also, he gave gold for the tables of the presence, according to the diversity of the tables; similarly too, he gave silver for the other tables of silver.

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;

Also, he distributed from the purest gold for the small hooks and the bowls and the censors, as well as for the little lions of gold, in accord with the precise measure of the weight, for lion after lion. Similarly too, for the lions of silver, he set aside a different weight of silver.

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: —

Then, for the altar on which the incense was burned, he gave the purest gold. And from the same he made the likeness of the chariot of the Cherubim, with extended wings, which is veiling the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

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

“All these things,” he said, “came to me written by the hand of the Lord, so that I would understand all the works of the pattern.”

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.

David also said to his son Solomon: “Act manfully, and be strengthened, and carry it out. You should not be afraid, and you should not be dismayed. For the Lord my God will be with you, and he will not send you away, nor will he abandon you, until you have perfected the entire work of the ministry of the house of the Lord.

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.

Behold, the divisions of the priests and the Levites, for every ministry of the house of the Lord, are standing before you. And they have been prepared, and so they know, both the leaders and the people, how to carry out all your precepts.”