1 Chronicles 28

1David assembled at Jerusalem all the officials of Israel: the officials of the tribes, the commanders of the divisions that served the king, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, the officials in charge of all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, together with the court officials, the mighty warriors, and all the capable fighting men.

2Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, a footstool for the feet of our God, and I made preparations to build it.

3But God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for my name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.’

4Yet Yahweh, the God of Israel, chose me from all my father’s family to be king over Israel forever. For he chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah my father’s family, and among my father’s sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel.

5And of all my sons, for Yahweh has given me many sons, he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of Yahweh over Israel.

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

7I will establish his kingdom forever if he remains firm in carrying out my commandments and my ordinances, as he is doing today.’

8So now, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of Yahweh, and in the hearing of our God, keep and seek out all the commandments of Yahweh your God, so that you may possess this good land and leave it as an inheritance to your children after you forever.

9And you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve him with a whole heart and a willing mind, for Yahweh searches every heart and understands every intention of the thoughts. If you seek him, he will let you find him; but if you abandon him, he will reject you forever.

10Consider now, for Yahweh has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary. Be strong and do it.”

11Then David gave his son Solomon the plan for the portico, its buildings, its treasuries, its upper rooms, its inner rooms, and the room for the mercy seat;

12and the plan of all that he had in mind for the courts of the house of Yahweh and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the house of God, and for the treasuries of the dedicated gifts;

13for the divisions of the priests and the Levites, for all the work of the service in the house of Yahweh, and for all the articles for the service in the house of Yahweh;

14the weight of gold for all the gold articles for each kind of service, and the weight of silver for all the silver articles for each kind of service;

15the weight of the gold lampstands and their gold lamps, with the weight of each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of the silver lampstands, with the weight of each lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand;

16the weight of gold for the tables for the rows of bread, for each table, and silver for the silver tables;

17pure gold for the forks, the sprinkling bowls, and the pitchers; the weight of each gold dish, and the weight of each silver dish;

18refined gold by weight for the altar of incense; and the plan for the chariot, the gold cherubim that spread their wings and cover the ark of the covenant of Yahweh.

19“All this is in writing from the hand of Yahweh upon me. He made me understand all the details of the plan.”

20Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for Yahweh God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or abandon you until all the work for the service of the house of Yahweh is finished.

21Here are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God. With you in all the work will be every willing person skilled in any kind of service, and the officials and all the people will obey your every command.”