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1 Chronicles 28
Common English Bible
1 Chronicles 28
Common English Bible
David addresses Israel’s leaders
28 David assembled all of Israel’s leaders in Jerusalem, the leaders of the tribes, the leaders of the divisions that served the king, the commanders of units of a thousand and a hundred, the officials in charge of all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, as well as the officers, warriors, and all the valiant men. 2 Then King David stood up and said:
Listen to me, my relatives and my people. I wanted to build a temple as the permanent home for the chest containing the Lord’s covenant, our God’s footrest. But when I prepared to build it, 3 God said to me, You must not build a temple for my name, because you are a military man and you’ve shed blood. 4 The Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole household to become king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as leader, and within Judah’s family, my household, and among my father’s family he was pleased with me, making me king over all Israel. 5 And from all the many sons the Lord has given me, he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the Lord’s kingdom over Israel. 6 He said to me: Your son Solomon will build my temple and my courtyards, for I’ve chosen him to become my son even as I myself will become his father. 7 I’ll establish his kingdom forever if he remains committed to keeping my commands and case laws as he does now.
8 So now, in the presence of all the Lord’s assembly[a] and with God as our witness, carefully observe all the commands of the Lord your God, so that you may hold on to this good land and pass it on to your children forever. 9 As for you, Solomon, my son, acknowledge your father’s God and serve him with enthusiastic devotion, because the Lord searches every mind and understands the motive behind every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you abandon him, he will reject you forever. 10 Now then, since the Lord has chosen you to build a temple for him[b] as the sanctuary, work hard.
11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plan for the entrance hall, its buildings, treasuries, upper and inner rooms, and the room for the cover.[c] 12 He provided all of the plans he had in mind: for the courtyards of the Lord’s temple, and for all its surrounding rooms where the treasures of God’s temple and the dedicated gifts would be stored; 13 for the divisions of the priests and Levites, for all their responsibilities within the Lord’s temple, and for all the equipment used in its service; 14 for the weight of all the gold equipment used for every kind of service, and the weight of all the silver equipment used for every kind of service; 15 for the weight of the gold lampstands and their gold lamps—the weight of gold for each lampstand with its lamps—and for the weight of each silver lampstand and its lamps depending on how each would be used; 16 for the weight of gold for each table with the stacks of bread, and the silver for the silver tables; 17 for the forks, bowls, and cups of pure gold; for the weight of each gold dish and the weight of each silver dish; 18 for the weight of the incense altar made of refined gold; and for the construction of the chariot—with the gold winged creatures spreading their wings and covering the chest containing the Lord’s covenant. 19 All of this the Lord made clear to David[d] directly in a document, including the plan for all of the work.
20 “Be strong and courageous,” David said to his son Solomon. “Get to work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, because the Lord God, my God, is with you. He’ll neither let you down nor leave you before all the work for the service of the Lord’s temple is done. 21 Here are the divisions of the priests and the Levites who will perform all the service of God’s temple. For all this work you will have willing and able workers with you to do it. The officials and all the people are ready to follow your instructions.”
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 28:8 LXX; MT all Israel, the assembly of the Lord
- 1 Chronicles 28:10 LXX; MT lacks for him.
- 1 Chronicles 28:11 Or mercy seat or perhaps reconciliation cover (Heb kapporet)
- 1 Chronicles 28:19 LXX; MT to me
1 Chronicles 28
New International Version
1 Chronicles 28
New International Version
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.
2 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) 3 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)
4 “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) 5 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. 6 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. 7 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.’
8 “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)
9 “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.”
1 Chronicles 28
King James Version
1 Chronicles 28
King James Version
28 And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possession of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty men, and with all the valiant men, unto Jerusalem.
2 Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building:
3 But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood.
4 Howbeit the Lord God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he liked me to make me king over all Israel:
5 And of all my sons, (for the Lord hath given me many sons,) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.
6 And he said unto 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.
7 Moreover I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgments, as at 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: that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you for ever.
9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
10 Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it.
11 Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat,
12 And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the Lord, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things:
13 Also for the courses of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and for all the vessels of service in the house of the Lord.
14 He gave of gold by weight for things of gold, for all instruments of all manner of service; silver also for all instruments of silver by weight, for all instruments of every kind of service:
15 Even the weight for the candlesticks of gold, and for their lamps of gold, by weight for every candlestick, and for the lamps thereof: and for the candlesticks of silver by weight, both for the candlestick, and also for the lamps thereof, according to the use of every candlestick.
16 And by weight he gave gold for the tables of shewbread, for every table; and likewise silver for the tables of silver:
17 Also pure gold for the fleshhooks, and the bowls, and the cups: and for the golden basons he gave gold by weight for every bason; and likewise silver by weight for every bason of silver:
18 And for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
19 All this, said David, the Lord made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.
20 And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.
21 And, behold, the courses of the priests and the Levites, even they shall be with thee for all the service of the house of God: and there shall be with thee for all manner of workmanship every willing skilful man, for any manner of service: also the princes and all the people will be wholly at thy commandment.
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
New International Version (NIV) 
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