大卫对所罗门的嘱咐

28 大卫召以色列的众首领到耶路撒冷。于是,各支派的首领、各班将领、千夫长、百夫长、负责王和王子的财产及牲畜的官员、宫廷侍臣、显贵和勇士都来了, 大卫王站起来说:“我的弟兄,我的人民啊,请听我说。我本想建造一座殿宇安放耶和华的约柜,作我们上帝的脚凳,我已准备好建造的材料。 但上帝对我说,‘你不可为我的名建造殿宇,因为你是个战士,曾流过人的血。’ 以色列的上帝耶和华从我父亲家中拣选我做以色列的王,直到永远。因为祂拣选了犹大支派做首领;在犹大支派中,祂拣选了我父亲家;在我父亲的众子中,祂喜悦我,立我做以色列的王。 耶和华赐给我许多儿子,祂在我众子中拣选了所罗门,让他坐以色列的王位,治理耶和华的国。 耶和华对我说,‘你儿子所罗门必建造我的殿宇和庭院,因为我拣选他做我的儿子,我也必做他的父亲。 倘若他像今天一样继续坚守我的诫命和典章,我必使他的国度永远稳固。’ 现在,当着耶和华的会众——全体以色列人的面,趁着我们的上帝在垂听,你们要谨遵你们的上帝耶和华的一切诫命,以便你们可以拥有这片佳美之地,并且把它传给你们的子孙作永远的产业。

“我儿所罗门啊,你要认识你父亲的上帝耶和华,诚心乐意地事奉祂,因为祂洞察人心,知道人一切的心思意念。倘若你寻求祂,祂必让你寻见;倘若你背弃祂,祂必永远丢弃你。 10 现在你要谨慎,因为耶和华拣选你来建造殿宇作圣所。你要坚定不移地去做。”

11 大卫将殿的走廊、房舍、库房、楼房、内室和安放施恩座的圣所的图样都交给所罗门, 12 又将心里构想的耶和华殿的院子、四周的房屋、殿的库房和圣物库房的图样都交给他。 13 大卫还让他知道祭司和利未人的班次、耶和华殿里各样的工作及一切所需的器皿, 14 制造各种金器银器所需金银的分量—— 15 金灯台和金灯的分量,银灯台和银灯的分量——按每座灯台的用途酌定金银的分量, 16 放供饼的金桌子的分量,银桌子的分量, 17 纯金的叉子、碗、瓶的分量,每个金碗和银碗的分量, 18 纯金香坛的分量,以及在施恩座上展开翅膀遮盖耶和华约柜的基路伯天使的样式。 19 大卫说:“以上这一切都是耶和华亲手指示我的,让我明白工作的细节。”

20 大卫又对儿子所罗门说:“你要坚定勇敢地去做!不要惧怕,也不要惊慌,因为我的上帝耶和华必不撇下你,也不丢弃你,祂必与你同在,直到圣殿的一切工作完毕。 21 你看,在上帝殿里司职的各班祭司和利未人已准备就绪,又有各种能工巧匠乐意在各种工作上帮你,众首领和百姓都听你调遣。”

为建殿而献的礼物

29 大卫王又对全体会众说:“我儿所罗门是上帝特别拣选的,但他还年轻,缺乏经验。建殿的工程浩大,因为这殿不是为人造的,乃是为耶和华上帝造的。 我已竭尽所能为我上帝的殿预备了制作金器、银器、铜器、铁器和木器所需的金银铜铁及木头,还有大量的玛瑙、镶嵌用的宝石、彩石、大理石及其他贵重的石头。 而且,我因为爱慕我上帝的殿,除了预备以上物品外,还把自己珍藏的金银献上,用来建造我上帝的殿。 我献上一百吨俄斐金、二百四十吨纯银,用来贴殿墙, 供匠人制作金器银器。今天,有谁乐意向耶和华奉献?”

结果,各族长、以色列各支派的首领、千夫长、百夫长和负责王室事务的官员都乐意奉献, 他们为上帝的殿奉献了一百七十吨金子,三百四十吨银子,六百二十吨铜,三千四百吨铁。 有宝石的人都把宝石交到耶和华殿的库房,由革顺人耶歇保管。 因为他们诚心诚意地把东西献给上帝,百姓欢喜不已,大卫王也非常欢喜。

大卫颂赞耶和华

10 大卫在会众面前颂赞耶和华,说:“我们先祖以色列的上帝耶和华啊,你永永远远当受颂赞! 11 耶和华啊,伟大、权能、荣耀、尊贵和威严都是你的,天上地下的一切都是你的。耶和华啊,国度是你的,你是万有的主宰。 12 富贵和尊荣都从你而来,你掌管一切,你手中有权能和力量,能使人尊大、强盛。 13 我们的上帝啊,我们称颂你,赞美你荣耀的名。

14 “我算什么,我的人民算什么,怎么配向你奉献?因为万物都从你而来,我们只是把从你那里得来的献给你。 15 我们在你面前只是客旅,是寄居的,像我们祖先一样;我们在世的日子就像影子一样转瞬即逝。 16 我们的上帝耶和华啊,我们为你的圣名建造殿宇所预备的这一切财物都是从你那里来的,都属于你。 17 我的上帝啊,我知道你洞察人心,喜爱正直的人。我怀着正直的心甘愿献上这一切,我也看见你这里的子民甘心乐意地将财物献给你。 18 我们祖先亚伯拉罕、以撒、以色列的上帝耶和华啊!求你使你的子民常存这样的心志,使他们的心忠于你。 19 求你赐给我儿所罗门忠诚的心,以遵行你的诫命、法度和律例,用我预备的材料全力建造殿宇。”

20 大卫对全体会众说:“你们要颂赞你们的上帝耶和华。”于是,全体会众颂赞他们祖先的上帝耶和华,向耶和华和王俯伏下拜。

David’s Plans for the Temple

28 David summoned(A) all the officials(B) 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 warriors and all the brave fighting men.

King David rose to his feet and said: “Listen to me, my fellow Israelites, my people. I had it in my heart(C) to build a house as a place of rest(D) for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, for the footstool(E) of our God, and I made plans to build it.(F) But God said to me,(G) ‘You are not to build a house for my Name,(H) because you are a warrior and have shed blood.’(I)

“Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me(J) from my whole family(K) to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah(L) as leader, and from the tribe of Judah he chose my family, and from my father’s sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel.(M) Of all my sons—and the Lord has given me many(N)—he has chosen my son Solomon(O) to sit on the throne(P) of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. He said to me: ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build(Q) my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son,(R) and I will be his father. I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws,(S) as is being done at this time.’

“So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel(T) and of the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands(U) of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever.(V)

“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion(W) and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart(X) and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him,(Y) he will be found by you; but if you forsake(Z) him, he will reject(AA) you forever. 10 Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.”

11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans(AB) for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement. 12 He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit(AC) 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.(AD) 13 He gave him instructions for the divisions(AE) 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. 14 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: 15 the weight of gold for the gold lampstands(AF) 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; 16 the weight of gold for each table(AG) for consecrated bread; the weight of silver for the silver tables; 17 the weight of pure gold for the forks, sprinkling bowls(AH) and pitchers; the weight of gold for each gold dish; the weight of silver for each silver dish; 18 and the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense.(AI) He also gave him the plan for the chariot,(AJ) that is, the cherubim of gold that spread their wings and overshadow(AK) the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

19 “All this,” David said, “I have in writing as a result of the Lord’s hand on me, and he enabled me to understand all the details(AL) of the plan.(AM)

20 David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous,(AN) 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(AO) you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.(AP) 21 The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing person skilled(AQ) in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command.”

Gifts for Building the Temple

29 Then King David said to the whole assembly: “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced.(AR) The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God. With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God—gold(AS) for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise,[a](AT) stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble—all of these in large quantities.(AU) Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided(AV) for this holy temple: three thousand talents[b] of gold (gold of Ophir)(AW) and seven thousand talents[c] of refined silver,(AX) for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the Lord today?”

Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials(AY) in charge of the king’s work gave willingly.(AZ) They(BA) gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents[d] and ten thousand darics[e] of gold, ten thousand talents[f] of silver, eighteen thousand talents[g] of bronze and a hundred thousand talents[h] of iron. Anyone who had precious stones(BB) gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite.(BC) The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly(BD) to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

David’s Prayer

10 David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,

“Praise be to you, Lord,
    the God of our father Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting.
11 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power(BE)
    and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
    for everything in heaven and earth is yours.(BF)
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
    you are exalted as head over all.(BG)
12 Wealth and honor(BH) come from you;
    you are the ruler(BI) of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
    to exalt and give strength to all.
13 Now, our God, we give you thanks,
    and praise your glorious name.

14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this?(BJ) Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.(BK) 15 We are foreigners and strangers(BL) in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow,(BM) without hope. 16 Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. 17 I know, my God, that you test the heart(BN) and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.(BO) 18 Lord, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. 19 And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion(BP) to keep your commands, statutes and decrees(BQ) and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided.”(BR)

20 Then David said to the whole assembly, “Praise the Lord your God.” So they all praised the Lord, the God of their fathers; they bowed down, prostrating themselves before the Lord and the king.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 29:2 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  2. 1 Chronicles 29:4 That is, about 110 tons or about 100 metric tons
  3. 1 Chronicles 29:4 That is, about 260 tons or about 235 metric tons
  4. 1 Chronicles 29:7 That is, about 190 tons or about 170 metric tons
  5. 1 Chronicles 29:7 That is, about 185 pounds or about 84 kilograms
  6. 1 Chronicles 29:7 That is, about 380 tons or about 340 metric tons
  7. 1 Chronicles 29:7 That is, about 675 tons or about 610 metric tons
  8. 1 Chronicles 29:7 That is, about 3,800 tons or about 3,400 metric tons

28 And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possession of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty men, and with all the valiant men, unto Jerusalem.

Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building:

But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood.

Howbeit the Lord God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he liked me to make me king over all Israel:

And of all my sons, (for the Lord hath given me many sons,) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.

And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts: for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.

Moreover I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgments, as at this day.

Now therefore in the sight of all Israel the congregation of the Lord, and in the audience of our God, keep and seek for all the commandments of the Lord your God: that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you for ever.

And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

10 Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it.

11 Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat,

12 And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the Lord, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things:

13 Also for the courses of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and for all the vessels of service in the house of the Lord.

14 He gave of gold by weight for things of gold, for all instruments of all manner of service; silver also for all instruments of silver by weight, for all instruments of every kind of service:

15 Even the weight for the candlesticks of gold, and for their lamps of gold, by weight for every candlestick, and for the lamps thereof: and for the candlesticks of silver by weight, both for the candlestick, and also for the lamps thereof, according to the use of every candlestick.

16 And by weight he gave gold for the tables of shewbread, for every table; and likewise silver for the tables of silver:

17 Also pure gold for the fleshhooks, and the bowls, and the cups: and for the golden basons he gave gold by weight for every bason; and likewise silver by weight for every bason of silver:

18 And for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims, that spread out 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, even all the works of this pattern.

20 And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.

21 And, behold, the courses of the priests and the Levites, even they shall be with thee for all the service of the house of God: and there shall be with thee for all manner of workmanship every willing skilful man, for any manner of service: also the princes and all the people will be wholly at thy commandment.

29 Furthermore David the king said unto all the congregation, Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great: for the palace is not for man, but for the Lord God.

Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and the brass for things of brass, the iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, glistering stones, and of divers colours, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance.

Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house.

Even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal:

The gold for things of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers. And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?

Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king's work, offered willingly,

And gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron.

And they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure of the house of the Lord, by the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite.

Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.

10 Wherefore David blessed the Lord before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.

11 Thine, O Lord is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.

12 Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.

13 Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.

14 But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.

15 For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.

16 O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.

17 I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee.

18 O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee:

19 And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision.

20 And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the Lord your God. And all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the Lord, and the king.