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assembled all the leaders of Israel at Jerusalem—the officers over the tribes, the commanders of the divisions in the service of the king, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, the officials in charge of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, the court officials, the mighty men and all the brave warriors.
2 King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, for the footstool of our God, and I had made preparations to build it. 3 But God said to me, ‘You are not to build a House for My Name, because you are a man of war and have shed blood’.
4 “Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from all my father’s house to be king over Israel forever. For He chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah, the house of my father, and from my father’s sons, He was pleased to make me king over all Israel. 5 And of all my sons—for the Lord has given me many sons—He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the Kingdom of the Lord over Israel. 6 He said to me, ‘Your son Solomon is the one who will build My House and My courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. 7 I will establish his kingdom forever if he steadfastly continues in keeping My commandments and My ordinances, as he is this day’.
8 “So now in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, observe and search out all the commandments of Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and leave if for an inheritance to your children after you forever.
9 “As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve Him with an undivided heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands the motive behind every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. 10 Consider this, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong and do it.”
11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the vestibule of the temple, its buildings, its treasuries, its upper rooms, and its inner chambers, and of the room for the mercy seat. 12 The plans contained all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the House of the Lord, all the surrounding chambers, the treasuries of the house of God, and the treasuries for the dedicated things. 13 He also gave instructions for the divisions of the priests and the Levites, for all the work for the service of the House of the Lord, and for all the vessels to be used in the service in the House of the Lord. 14 He designated the weight of gold for all the gold articles used in every kind of service; and the weight of silver for all the silver articles used in every kind of service; 15 the weight of the gold lampstands and of their gold lamps, with the weight for each lampstand and its lamps; the weight of each silver lampstand and of its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand; 16 the weight of gold for each table for the rows of bread, and the silver for the silver tables; 17 and of the pure gold for the forks, sprinkling basins, and pitchers; the weight for each gold dish; the weight of silver for each silver bowl; 18 the weight of refined gold for the altar of incense; and the plans for the gold chariot, that is, the cherubim, that spread their wings and cover the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord.
19 David said to Solomon, “All this the Lord has made me understand, for His hand was upon me, and I give you all the details of these plans in writing.”
20 Then David said, “Be strong and of good courage, and do the work. Do not be afraid or dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the House of the Lord is completed. 21 Here are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God. Also, every willing man skilled in every type of craft will help you throughout the progress of all the work, and the officials and the people will carry out your every command.”