1 Chronicles 28

David’s Final Charge: Temple Blueprint & Solomon’s Mission

1 David gathered all the officials of Israel to Jerusalem: the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of the army divisions, the commanders of thousands and hundreds, the officials in charge of all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, along with the eunuchs, the mighty warriors, and all the brave men.

2 Then King David stood up and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people! I had it in my heart to build a place of rest for the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, for the footstool of our God, and I was getting ready to build it.”

3 “But God told me, ‘You are not going to build a temple for My Name, because you are a man of war and you shed blood.’”

4 “However, the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from all my daddy’s family to be king over Israel forever. Because He chose Judah to be the leader, and from the family of Judah, He chose my daddy’s family, and among my daddy’s sons, He chose me to make me king over all Israel.”

5 “And from all my sons (for the Lord gave me many sons), He chose my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the Lord’s kingdom over Israel.”

6 “He told me, ‘Your son Solomon is the one who is going to build My temple and My courtyards, because I chose him to be My son, and I am going to be his father.’”

7 “’I am going to establish his kingdom forever, if he stays strong in doing My commands and My rules, like he is today.’”

8 “So now, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, keep and seek out all the commands of the Lord your God, so you can possess this good land and leave it as an inheritance to your kids after you forever."

9 “And you, my son Solomon, know the God of your daddy, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind, because the Lord searches all hearts and understands every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you. But if you ditch Him, He will throw you out forever.”

10 “Look, because the Lord chose you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do it!”

Temple Blueprints & Materials

11 Then David gave his son Solomon the blueprint for the porch of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper rooms, its inner rooms, and the room for the atonement cover.

12 And the blueprint for everything that was on his mind concerning the courtyards of the Lord’s temple, and all the chambers around, for the treasuries of God’s temple, and for the treasuries of the holy things;

13 And for the divisions of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of the service of the Lord’s temple, and for all the items for the service of the Lord’s temple.

14 He gave gold by weight for the gold items for all the services, and silver by weight for all the silver items for all the services,

15 And the weight for the golden lampstands and their golden lamps, the weight for each lampstand and its lamps. And for the silver lampstands, silver by weight for each lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand.

16 And gold by weight for the tables of the showbread, for each table, and silver for the silver tables.

17 And pure gold for the forks, sprinkling bowls, and pitchers. And gold by weight for each golden bowl, and silver by weight for each silver bowl.

18 And refined gold by weight for the altar of incense, and for the chariot of the cherubim (that spread out their wings and covered the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant), gold for all of them.

19 “All this,” David said, “All the work of the blueprint, the Lord made me understand in writing by His hand on me.”

20 David also told his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and do it! Do not be scared or freaked out, because the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not ditch you or abandon you until all the work for the service of the Lord’s temple is finished.”

21 “And look, the divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the service of God’s temple. And with you for all the work, there are all kinds of willing, skilled craftsmen for every kind of service. Also the commanders and all the people are completely at your command.”