1 Chronicles
28
- David summoned all the officials of Israel
to assemble at Jerusalem: the officers over the tribes, the commanders of
the divisions in the service of the king, the commanders of thousands and
commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and
livestock belonging to the king and his sons, together with the palace officials,
the mighty men and all the brave warriors.
- 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 as
a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, for the footstool
of our God, and I made plans to build it.
- But God said to me, 'You are not to build
a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.'
- "Yet the LORD, the God of Israel, chose
me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as
leader, and from the house of Judah he chose my family, and from my father's
sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel.
- Of all my sons -- and the LORD has given
me many -- he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom
of the LORD over Israel.
- He said to me: 'Solomon your son 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.
- I will establish his kingdom forever if
he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at
this time.'
- "So now I charge you in the sight of
all Israel and of the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God:
Be careful to follow all the commands of the LORD your God, that you may possess
this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever.
- "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge
the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with
a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive
behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you
forsake him, he will reject you forever.
- Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you
to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work."
- Then David gave his son Solomon the plans
for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts,
its inner rooms and the place of atonement.
- He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit
had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the LORD and all the surrounding
rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for
the dedicated things.
- He gave him instructions for the divisions
of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of serving in the temple
of the LORD, as well as for all the articles to be used in its service.
- He designated the weight of gold for all
the gold articles to be used in various kinds of service, and the weight of
silver for all the silver articles to be used in various kinds of service:
- the weight of gold for the gold lampstands
and their lamps, with the weight for each lampstand and its lamps; and the
weight of silver for each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the
use of each lampstand;
- the weight of gold for each table for consecrated
bread; the weight of silver for the silver tables;
- the weight of pure gold for the forks, sprinkling
bowls and pitchers; the weight of gold for each gold dish; the weight of silver
for each silver dish;
- and the weight of the refined gold for the
altar of incense. He also gave him the plan for the chariot, that is, the
cherubim of gold that spread their wings and shelter the ark of the covenant
of the LORD.
- "All this," David said, "I
have in writing from the hand of the LORD upon me, and he gave me understanding
in all the details of the plan."
- David also said to Solomon his son, "Be
strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for
the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until
all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished.
- The divisions of the priests and Levites
are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing man skilled
in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people
will obey your every command."
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