1 ChroniclesChapter 28

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¹David called all the leaders of Israel to come to Jerusalem. He called the leaders of the tribes and the leaders of the divisions that served the king. He called the commanders of thousands and of hundreds. He called the officials in charge of all the property and cattle of the king and his sons. The palace officials and the mighty men came too, every brave warrior. ²Then King David stood up and said, "Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I wanted in my heart to build a house as a resting place for the ark of the covenant of the LORD. It would be a footstool for our God. I had gotten things ready to build it. ³But God said to me, 'You are not to build a house for my Name. You are a man of war, and you have spilled blood.' ⁴Yet the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me out of all my father's family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah to be the leader. From the tribe of Judah he chose my father's family. And from my father's sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel. ⁵The LORD has given me many sons. And of all my sons, he has chosen my son Solomon. Solomon will sit on the throne of the LORD's kingdom over Israel. ⁶He said to me, 'Your son Solomon is the one who will build my house and my courtyards. I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his Father. ⁷I will make his kingdom last forever if he keeps firmly obeying my commands and laws, as he is doing today.' ⁸So now I speak in front of all Israel, the LORD's assembly, and our God is listening. Keep all the commands of the LORD your God, and seek to follow them. Do this so that you may own this good land and pass it on to your children after you forever. ⁹And you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father. Serve him with all your heart and a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart. He understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you turn away from him, he will reject you forever. ¹⁰Think about this now. The LORD has chosen you to build a house to be his holy place. Be strong and do it." ¹¹Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the temple. There were plans for its front porch, its buildings, and its storerooms. There were plans for its upstairs rooms, its inner rooms, and the room for the mercy seat. ¹²The plans had everything David had in mind for the courtyards of the LORD's house and all the rooms around them. They were for the treasure rooms of God's house and for the rooms for the gifts set apart for God. ¹³The plans were for the groups of priests and Levites, for all the work of serving in the LORD's house, and for all the items used in the LORD's house. ¹⁴David gave the weight of gold for all the gold items used in every kind of service. He gave the weight of silver for all the silver items used in every kind of service. ¹⁵He gave the weight of the gold lampstands and their lamps. He gave the weight for each lampstand and its lamps. He gave the weight of each silver lampstand and its lamps, based on how each lampstand would be used. ¹⁶He gave the weight of gold for each table for the showbread. He gave the weight of silver for the silver tables. ¹⁷He gave the weight of pure gold for the forks, the sprinkling bowls, and the pitchers. He gave the weight of each gold dish and of each silver bowl. ¹⁸He gave the weight of refined gold for the altar of incense. He also gave the plan for the chariot of the gold cherubim. Their wings spread out and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD. ¹⁹"The LORD made all of this clear to me," David said. "His hand was on me, and he made all the details of this plan clear in writing." ²⁰David also said to his son Solomon, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or lose heart, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or leave you. He will stay with you until all the work for the service of the LORD's house is finished. ²¹The groups of priests and Levites are ready for all the service of God's house. Every willing man with every kind of skill will help you with the work. The officials and all the people will do whatever you command."