1 Chronicles 28

28 ¹ David assembled at Jerusalem all Israel's officials: officials of the tribes, commanders of the divisions serving the king, commanders of thousands and hundreds, stewards over all the king's and his sons' property and livestock, with the court officials, the mighty men, and all valiant 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 our Father's covenant, the footstool for his feet, and I prepared to build it. ³ But our Father told me, 'You won't build a house for my name, because you're a man of war who has shed blood.' ⁴ Yet our Father of Israel chose me, from my whole father's house, to reign over Israel forever. For our Father chose Judah to lead, and within Judah's house, chose my father's house; and of my father's sons he delighted to make me king over all Israel. ⁵ Of all my sons — our Father has given me many — he chose Solomon my son to sit on the throne of our Father's kingdom over Israel. ⁶ He told me, 'Solomon your son will build my house and my courts, for I chose him as my son, and I will be his father.' ⁷ I will establish his kingdom forever if he stays firm to keep my commands and judgments, as he does today.

⁸ So now, before all Israel, the assembly of our Father, and in his hearing, keep and seek out every command of your Father, so you may possess this good land and leave it to your children after you forever. ⁹ You, Solomon my son, know our Father of your father, and serve him with a whole heart and willing mind — our Father searches every heart, understands every plan and thought. Seek him and you'll find him; abandon him and he'll reject you forever. ¹⁰ Take note, since our Father chose you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong, act.

¹¹ 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. ^a a 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 he had in mind for the courts of our Father's house, for all the surrounding rooms, for the storerooms of his house, and for the storerooms of the dedicated gifts; ¹³ for the divisions of the priests and Levites, for all the work of service in our Father's house, and all the vessels for service in his house; ¹⁴ He gave gold by weight for each gold article for every kind of service, and silver by weight for each silver article for every kind of service. ¹⁵ the weight of gold for each gold lampstand and its lamps, and the weight of silver for each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to each lampstand's use. ¹⁶ gold's weight for each table of the bread of the Presence; and silver for the silver tables. ^b b 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, basins, and pitchers of pure gold; the weight for each gold dish; the weight for each silver dish; ¹⁸ Refined gold by weight for the incense altar; gold for the design of the chariot — the cherubim spreading their wings and covering the ark of the covenant of our Father. ¹⁹ "All this," David said, "I have in writing from our Father's hand, who gave me understanding of all the plan's details."

²⁰ David told his son Solomon, "Be strong and courageous; do the work. Don't fear or be discouraged, for my Father is with you. He won't fail or abandon you until all the work for the service of the house of our Father is finished." ²¹ Look — the priests and Levites are divided, ready for all the service of our Father's house. Every skilled, willing man will join you in any task, with the officials and all the people, fully at your command.