1 Chronicles 28

Modern English Version

David’s Plans for the Temple

28 Now David assembled all the leaders of Israel in Jerusalem: the leaders of the tribes, the officers of the divisions of those ministering to the king, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, the stewards over all the property and livestock of the king and his sons with the eunuchs and the fighting men and all the brave warriors.

² So King David rose to his feet and said, “Hear 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 the Lord, a footstool for the feet of our God, so I prepared to build it. ³ But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a house for My name because you are a man of war and have spilled much blood.’

⁴ “Still, the Lord God of Israel chose me from all my father’s house to be king over Israel forever; for He chose Judah as leader, and in the house of Judah, the house of my father, and among the sons of my father, He took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. ⁵ Of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons), He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. ⁶ For He said to me, ‘Solomon your son is the one who shall build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father. ⁷ I will establish his kingdom forever if he is fully committed to keep My commandments and My judgments as it is this day.’

⁸ “Now therefore in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you forever. ⁹ As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your fathers and serve Him with a whole heart and with a willing spirit, for the Lord searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will abandon you forever. ¹⁰ See now that the Lord chose you to build the house for His sanctuary. Be strong and do it.”

¹¹ Then David gave to Solomon his son the building plans for the vestibule of the temple, its house, its treasury, its roof chambers, its inner rooms, and the place of the mercy seat; ¹² and the plans, all of which were given to him by the Spirit, for the courts of the house of the Lord and for the surrounding rooms, the storehouses of the house of God, and the storehouses of the dedicated offerings; ¹³ for the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the work of the service of the house of the Lord and for all the implements of the service of the house of the Lord; ¹⁴ the weight of gold for all the golden implements of service, the implements of silver by weight for all implements of service, ¹⁵ and the weight of the golden lampstands and their lamps, the weight of gold for each lampstand and its lamps, the weight of silver for a lampstand and its lamps according to the use of each lampstand; ¹⁶ the weight of gold for the tables of the showbread, table by table, and silver for the tables of silver; ¹⁷ and the pure gold forks, the basins, and the pitchers; for the golden bowls with the weight for each bowl; the weight of silver for each silver dish; ¹⁸ and for the altar of incense, refined gold by weight; also his plan for the golden chariot of the cherubim that spread their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

¹⁹ “All this,” said David, “the Lord made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, all the works of this pattern.”

²⁰ Then David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and take action. Do not be afraid nor be dismayed for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work of the service of the house of the Lord. ²¹ Now, here are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God, and all those who are willing and skillful for all the work will be with you for all the service; also the leaders and the people will be wholly at your command.”