1 Chronicles 28

Revised Geneva Translation

28 Now David assembled all the leaders of Israel —the princes of the tribes and the captains of the bands that served the king and the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds and the rulers of all the property and possessions of the king, and of his sons, with the eunuchs and the mighty and all the men of power —to Jerusalem.

² And King David stood up upon his feet, and said, “Hear me, my brethren and my people! I had intended to build a House of rest for the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, and for a footstool for our God, and had made preparations for its building.

³ “But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a House for My Name, because you have been a man of war, and have shed blood.’

⁴ “Still, the LORD God of Israel chose me before all the House of my father, to be king over Israel forever (for He would choose a prince in Judah, and of the House of Judah is the House of my father, and among the sons of my father He delighted in me to make me king over all Israel).

⁵ “So of all my sons (for the LORD has given me many sons), He has chosen Solomon, my son, to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the LORD, over Israel.

⁶ “And He said to me, ‘Solomon, your son, he shall build My House and My courts. For I have chosen him to be My son. And I will be his Father.

⁷ ‘Therefore, I will establish his kingdom forever if he is strong in doing My Commandments and My Judgments, as it is this day.’

⁸ “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, so that you may possess this good land and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you forever.

⁹ “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind. For the LORD searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you. But if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.

¹⁰ “Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build the House of the Sanctuary. Be strong and do it.”

¹¹ Then David gave Solomon his son the pattern of the porch and of its houses, and of its closets, and of its galleries, and of its inner chambers, and of the house of the Mercy Seat,

¹² and the pattern of all that he had in his mind for the courts of the House of the LORD, and for all the surrounding chambers for the treasures of the House of God and for the treasures of the dedicated things,

¹³ and for the divisions of the priests and of the Levites, and for all the work for the service of the House of the LORD, and for all the vessels of the ministry of the House of the LORD.

¹⁴ He gave gold, by weight, for the vessels of gold and for all the vessels of all manner of service. And he gave by weight for all the vessels of silver, for all manner of vessels of all manner of service.

¹⁵ He also gave the weight of gold for the candlesticks, for their lampstands with the weight for every candlestick. And he gave for the lampstands and for the candlesticks of silver by the weight of the candlestick, and its lamps, according to the use of every candlestick.

¹⁶ And he gave the weight of the gold for the tables of showbread, for every table, and silver for the tables of silver.

¹⁷ And he gave pure gold for the fleshhooks and the bowls and plates and for basins, gold by weight for every basin, and by weight for every silver basin.

¹⁸ And he gave pure gold by weight for the Altar of incense, and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the Cherubs that spread themselves and covered the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD.

¹⁹ “All,” he said, “by writing sent to me by the Hand of the LORD, which made me understand all the workmanship of the pattern.”

²⁰ And David said to Solomon, his son, “Be strong and of valiant courage, and do it. Do not fear or be afraid. For the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will neither leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the House of the LORD.

²¹ “Behold also, the companies of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the House of God, with you for the whole work, with every free heart that is skillful in any manner of service. The princes, also, and all the people, are wholly at your commandment.”