1   David assembled at Jerusalem all the officers of Israel, the officers over the tribes, over the divisions engaged in the king's service, over the units of a thousand and a hundred, and those in charge of all the property and the cattle of the king and of his sons, as well as the eunuchs, the heroes and all the men of ability. 2   Then King David rose to his feet and said, ‘Hear me, kinsmen and people. I had in mind to build a house as a resting-place for the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord which might serve as a footstool for the feet of our God, and I made preparations to build it. 3   But God said to me, “You shall not build a house in honour of my name, for you have been a fighting man and you have shed blood.” 4   Nevertheless, the Lord the God of Israel chose me out of all my father's family to be king over Israel in perpetuity; for it was Judah that he chose as ruling tribe, and, out of the house of Judah, my father's family; and among my father's sons it was I whom he was pleased to make king over all Israel. 5   And out of all my sons— for the Lord gave me many sons—he chose Solomon to sit upon the throne of the Lord's sovereignty over Israel; 6   and he said to me, “It is Solomon your son who shall build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be a son to me and I will be a father to him. 7   I will establish his sovereignty in perpetuity, if only he steadfastly obeys my commandments and my laws as they are now obeyed.” 8   Now therefore, in the presence of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and within the hearing of our God, I bid you all study carefully the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and hand it down as an inheritance for all time to your children after you. 9   And

The temple and its organization you, Solomon my son, acknowledge your father's God and serve him with whole heart and willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and discerns every invention of men's thoughts. If you search for him, he will let you find him, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off for ever. 10   Remember, then, that the Lord has chosen you to build a house for a sanctuary: be steadfast and do it.’

11   David gave Solomon his son the plan of the porch of the temple ^note and its buildings, strong-rooms, roof-chambers and inner courts, and the shrine of expiation; ^note 12   also the plans of all he had in mind for the courts of the house of the Lord and for all the rooms around it, for the stores of God's house and for the stores of the sacred gifts, 13   for the divisions of the priests and the Levites, for all the work connected with the service of the house of the Lord and for all the vessels used in its service. 14   He prescribed the weight of gold for all the gold vessels ^note used in the various services, and the weight of silver ^note for all the silver vessels used in the various services; 15   and the weight of gold for the gold lamp-stands and their lamps; and the weight of silver for the silver lamp-stands, the weight required for each lamp-stand and its lamps according to the use of each; 16   and the weight of gold for each of the tables for the rows of the Bread of the Presence, and of silver for the silver tables. 17   He prescribed also the weight of pure gold for the forks, tossing-bowls and cups, the weight of gold for each of the golden dishes and of silver ^note for each of the silver dishes; 18   the weight also of refined gold for the altar of incense, and of gold for the model of the chariot, that is the cherubim with their wings outspread to screen the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. 19   ‘All this was drafted by the Lord's own hand,’ said David; ‘my part was to consider the detailed working out of the plan.’

20   Then David said to Solomon his son, ‘Be steadfast and resolute and do it; be neither faint-hearted nor dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, will be with you; he will neither fail you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work needed for the service of the house of the Lord. 21   Here are the divisions of the priests and the Levites, ready for all the service of the house of God. In all the work you will have the help of every willing craftsman for any task; and the officers and all the people will be entirely at your command.’

Previous section

Next section