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28 And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the princes of the divisions that ministered to the king, and the captains over thousands, and the captains over hundreds, and the comptrollers of all the substance and possessions of the king and of his sons, with the chamberlains, and the mighty men, and all the men of valour, unto Jerusalem.

And king David stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren and my people! I had in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of Jehovah and for the footstool of our God, and I have prepared to build.

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

And Jehovah the God of Israel chose me out of all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever; for he has chosen Judah to be the prince; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel;

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

And he said to 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.

And I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be firm to do my commandments and mine ordinances, as at this day.

And now in the sight of all Israel, the congregation of Jehovah, and in the audience of our God,—keep and seek for all the commandments of Jehovah your God; that ye may possess the good land, and leave it as an inheritance to your children after you for ever.

And thou, Solomon my son, know the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind; for Jehovah searches all hearts, and discerns all the imaginations of the thoughts. If thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cut thee off for ever.

10 Consider now, that Jehovah has chosen thee to build a house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do [it].

11 And David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of its houses, and of its treasuries, and of its upper chambers, and of its inner chambers, and of the house of the mercy-seat;

12 and the pattern of all that he had by the Spirit, of the courts of the house of Jehovah, and of all the chambers round about, for the treasuries of the house of God, and for the treasuries of the dedicated things;

13 and for the courses of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of Jehovah, and for all the instruments of service in the house of Jehovah:

14 gold by weight for [things] of gold, for all utensils of each kind of service; for all utensils of silver, by weight, for all utensils of each kind of service;

15 and the weight of the golden candlesticks, and of their golden lamps, by weight for every candlestick, and for its lamps; and for the silver candlesticks, by weight, for the candlestick and for its lamps, according to the use of every candlestick;

16 and gold by weight for the tables of the [loaves] to be set in rows, for every table; and silver for the tables of silver;

17 and pure gold for the forks, and the bowls, and the goblets; and for the golden basons by weight for every bason; and for the silver basons by weight for every bason;

18 and for the altar of incense, refined gold by weight; and the pattern of the chariot of the cherubim of gold, which spread out [their wings] and cover the ark of the covenant of Jehovah.

19 All this [said David,] in writing, by Jehovah's hand upon me, instructing as to all the works of the pattern.

20 And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and courageous, and do it; fear not nor be dismayed: for Jehovah Elohim, my God, will be with thee; he will not leave thee, neither forsake thee, until all the work for the service of the house of Jehovah is finished.

21 And behold, the courses of the priests and the Levites are for all the service of the house of God; and thou hast with thee for all manner of workmanship every willing man, skilful for every sort of service; and the princes and all the people are wholly at thy commandment.

29 And king David said to all the congregation, Solomon my son, the one whom God has chosen, is young and tender, and the work is great; for this palace is not to be for man, but for Jehovah Elohim.

And I have prepared according to all my power for the house of my God gold for [things of] gold, and silver for [things of] silver, and brass for [things of] brass, 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 white marble in abundance.

And moreover, in my affection for the house of my God I have given of my own property of gold and silver, for the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the house of the sanctuary:

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

gold for [things of] gold, and silver for [things of] silver, and for all manner of work by the hands of artificers. And who is willing to offer to Jehovah this day?

And the chief fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and the comptrollers of the king's business, offered willingly.

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

And they with whom stones were found gave [them] to the treasure of the house of Jehovah, into the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite.

And the people rejoiced because they offered willingly, for with perfect heart they offered willingly to Jehovah; and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.

10 And David blessed Jehovah in the sight of all the congregation; and David said, Blessed be thou, Jehovah, the God of our father Israel, for ever and ever.

11 Thine, Jehovah, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the splendour, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is thine: thine, Jehovah, is the kingdom, and thou art exalted as Head above all;

12 and riches and glory are of thee, and thou rulest over everything; and in thy hand is power and might; and in thy hand it is to make all great and strong.

13 And now, 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 willingly after this manner? for all is of thee, and of that which is from thy hand have we given thee.

15 For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is no hope [of life].

16 Jehovah our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee a house to thy holy name, is of thy hand, and is all thine own.

17 And I know, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart have I willingly offered all these things; and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, offer willingly to thee.

18 Jehovah, God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and direct their hearts to thee!

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

20 And David said to all the congregation, Bless now Jehovah your God. And all the congregation blessed Jehovah the God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and did homage to Jehovah and the king.

21 And they sacrificed sacrifices to Jehovah, and offered up burnt-offerings to Jehovah, on the morrow after that day: a thousand bullocks, a thousand rams, a thousand lambs, with their drink-offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel.

22 And they ate and drank before Jehovah on that day with great joy. And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and anointed him to Jehovah to be prince, and Zadok to be priest.

23 And Solomon sat on the throne of Jehovah as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him.

24 And all the princes, and the mighty men, and all the sons likewise of king David, submitted themselves to Solomon the king.

25 And Jehovah magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him royal majesty such as had not been on any king before him in Israel.

26 Now David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel.

27 And the time that he reigned over Israel was forty years: he reigned seven years in Hebron, and he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

28 And he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honour; and Solomon his son reigned in his stead.

29 And the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer;

30 with all his reign and his might, and the times that passed over him, and over Israel, and over all the kingdoms of the countries.

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.

Solomon Acknowledged as King(BS)

21 The next day they made sacrifices to the Lord and presented burnt offerings to him:(BT) a thousand bulls, a thousand rams and a thousand male lambs, together with their drink offerings, and other sacrifices in abundance for all Israel.(BU) 22 They ate and drank with great joy(BV) in the presence of the Lord that day.

Then they acknowledged Solomon son of David as king a second time, anointing him before the Lord to be ruler and Zadok(BW) to be priest. 23 So Solomon sat(BX) on the throne(BY) of the Lord as king in place of his father David. He prospered and all Israel obeyed him. 24 All the officers and warriors, as well as all of King David’s sons,(BZ) pledged their submission to King Solomon.

25 The Lord highly exalted(CA) Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him royal splendor(CB) such as no king over Israel ever had before.(CC)

The Death of David(CD)

26 David son of Jesse was king(CE) over all Israel.(CF) 27 He ruled over Israel forty years—seven in Hebron(CG) and thirty-three in Jerusalem.(CH) 28 He died(CI) at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor. His son Solomon succeeded him as king.(CJ)

29 As for the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, they are written in the records of Samuel the seer,(CK) the records of Nathan(CL) the prophet and the records of Gad(CM) the seer, 30 together with the details of his reign and power, and the circumstances that surrounded him and Israel and the kingdoms of all the other lands.

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