1 Chronicles 28

1 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.

And David assembled all the chief [men] of Israel, the chief of the judges, and all the chief [men] of the courses [of attendance] on the person of the king, and the captains of thousands and hundreds, and the treasurers, and the lords of his substance, and of all the king's property, and of his sons, together with the eunuchs, and the mighty men, and the warriors of the army, at Jerusalem.

2 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.

And David stood in the midst of the assembly, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: it was in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and a place for the feet of our Lord, and I prepared [materials] suitable for the building:

3 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].’

but God said, You shall not build me a house to call my name upon it, for you are a man of war, and have shed blood.

4 “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.

Yet the Lord God of Israel chose me out of the whole house of my father to be king over Israel for ever; and he chose Juda as the kingly [house], and out of the house of Juda [he chose] the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he preferred me, that I should be king over all Israel.

5 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.

And of all my sons, (for the Lord has given me many sons, ) he has chosen Solomon my son, to set him on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.

6 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.

And God said to me, Solomon your son shall build my house and my court: for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be to him a father.

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

And I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he continue to keep my commandments, and my judgments, as [at] this day.

8 “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.

And now [I charge you] before the whole assembly of the Lord, and in the audience of our God, keep and seek all the commandments of the Lord our God, that you may inherit the good land, and leave it for your sons to inherit after you for ever.

9 “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.

And now, [my] son Solomon, know the God of your fathers, and serve him with a perfect heart and willing soul: for the Lord searches all hearts, and knows every thought: if you seek him, he will be found of you; but if you should forsake him, he will forsake you for ever.

10 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].”

See now, for the Lord has chosen you to build him a house for a sanctuary, be strong and do [it].

11 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.

And David gave Solomon his son the plan of the temple, and its buildings, and its treasuries, and its upper chambers, and the inner store-rooms, and the place of the atonement,

12 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.

and the plan which he had in his mind of the courts of the house of the Lord, and of all the chambers round about, [designed] for the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the holy things, and of the chambers for resting:

13 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.

and [the plan] of the courses of the priests and Levites, for all the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and of the stores of vessels for ministration of the service of the house of the Lord.

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

And [he gave him] the account of their weight, both of gold and silver [vessels].

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

He gave him the weight of the candlesticks, and of the lamps.

16 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,

He gave him likewise the weight of the tables of show bread, of each table of gold, and likewise of the [tables of] silver:

17 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,

also of the flesh hooks, and vessels for drink-offering, and golden bowls: and the weight of the gold and silver [articles], and censers, [and] bowls, according to the weight of each.

18 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.

And he showed him the weight [of the utensils] of the altar of incense, [which was] of pure gold, and the plan of the chariot of the cherubs that spread out their wings, and overshadowed the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

19 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].”

David gave all to Solomon in the Lord's handwriting, according to the knowledge given him of the work of the pattern.

20 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.

And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong, and play the man, and do: fear not, neither be terrified; for the Lord my God [is] with you; he will not forsake you, and will not fail you, until you have finished all the work of the service of the house of the Lord. And behold the pattern of the temple, even his house, and its treasury, and the upper chambers, and the inner store-rooms, and the place of propitiation, and the plan of the house of the Lord.

21 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.”

And see, [here are] the courses of the priests and Levites for all the service of the house of the Lord, and [there shall be] with you [men] for every workmanship, and every one of ready skill in every are: also the chief men and all the people, [ready] for all your commands.