David Charges Solomon Before All Israel
28 1 David assembled all the officials of Israel at Jerusalem: the officials of the tribes, the commanders of the divisions who served the king, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, the stewards over all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, together with the court officials, the mighty men, and all the valiant warriors.
2 Then 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 our Father, the footstool for his feet, and I made preparations to build it. 3 But our Father said to me, 'You will not build a house for my name, for you are a man of war and have shed blood.'
4 Yet our Father of Israel chose me out of all my father's house to be king over Israel forever. For he chose Judah as leader, and within the house of Judah he chose my father's house; and among the sons of my father he was pleased to make me king over all Israel. 5 And from all my sons — for our Father has given me many sons — he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of our Father over Israel. 6 He said to me, 'Solomon your son 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 remains firm in following my commandments and my judgments, as he does today.
8 So now, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of our Father, and as he listens, observe and seek out all the commandments of your Father, so that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your children after you forever.
9 And you, Solomon my son, know our Father of your father and serve him with a whole heart and a willing mind, for our Father searches every heart and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 10 Consider now, for our Father has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong, and do it.
The Plans for the Father's House
11 Then David gave Solomon his son the plan of the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper rooms, its inner rooms, and the room of the mercy seat; 1 1 v11 The mercy seat was the solid-gold cover of the ark of the covenant, housed in the Most Holy Place, where God's presence dwelt. 12 and the plan of all that he had in mind for the courts of the house of our Father, for all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of his house, and for the treasuries of the dedicated gifts; 13 for the divisions of the priests and the Levites, for all the work of the service of the house of our Father, and for all the vessels used in the service of his house;
14 He gave the weight of gold for all the gold vessels for every kind of service, and the weight of silver for all the silver vessels for every kind of service; 15 the weight for the gold lampstands and their gold lamps, the weight of each lampstand and its lamps; and for the silver lampstands, the weight of each lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand; 16 the weight of gold for each table of the bread of the Presence, and the silver for the silver tables; 2 2 v16 The bread of the Presence (also called showbread) was twelve sacred loaves set before God on a table in the Temple and replaced by the priests each Sabbath. 17 the forks, the basins, and the pitchers of pure gold; the weight for each gold dish; and the weight for each silver dish; 18 and refined gold by weight for the altar of incense; and gold for the design of the chariot — the cherubim that spread their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of our Father.
19 "All this," David said, "I have in writing from the hand of our Father, who gave me understanding of all the details of the plan."
20 Then David said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for my Father is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of our Father is finished. 21 Look, the divisions of the priests and the Levites are ready for all the service of the house of our Father; and every willing man skilled in any kind of service will be with you for all the work, along with the officials and all the people, wholly at your command."