1 Chronicles 28

1 Chronicles 28:1 David collected all the leaders of Israel in Jerusalem: the captains of the tribes, the captains of the divisions in the king’s ministry, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and cattle of the king and his sons, along with the court officials, the fighting men, and all the most efficient soldiers.

1 Chronicles 28:2 King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. It was in my heart to build a house as a resting place for the ark of Yahveh’s covenant and as a footstool for our God. I had prepared to build,

1 Chronicles 28:3 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.’

1 Chronicles 28:4 “Yet Yahveh God of Israel chose me out of all my father’s house to be king over Israel permanently. For he chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah, my father’s house, and my father’s sons, he was pleased to make me king over all Israel.

1 Chronicles 28:5 And out of all my sons — because Yahveh has given me many sons — he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of Yahveh’s kingdom over Israel.

1 Chronicles 28:6 He said to me, ‘Your son Solomon is the one who is to build my house and my courts, because I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.

1 Chronicles 28:7 I will establish his kingdom permanently if he stays strong in keeping my commands and my judgments as he is doing today.’

1 Chronicles 28:8 “So now in the sight of all Israel, the congregation of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, observe and guard all the commands of Yahveh your God so that you may possess this good land and leave it as an inheritance to your descendants permanently.

1 Chronicles 28:9 “As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and slave for him wholeheartedly and with a willing throat, because Yahveh searches every heart and understands the intention of every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you abandon him, he will reject you forever.

1 Chronicles 28:10 Realize that Yahveh has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong and do it.”

1 Chronicles 28:11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the house and its buildings, treasuries, upstairs rooms, inner rooms, and a room for the atonement cover.[1]

1 Chronicles 28:12 The plans contained everything that was in his breath for the courts of Yahveh’s house, all the surrounding chambers, the treasuries of God’s house, and the treasuries of sacred things.

1 Chronicles 28:13 Also included were plans for the divisions of the priests and the Levites; all the work of service in Yahveh’s house; all the articles of service of Yahveh’s house;

1 Chronicles 28:14 the weight of gold for all the articles for every kind of service; the weight of all the silver articles for every kind of service;

1 Chronicles 28:15 the weight of the gold lampstands and their gold lamps, including the weight of each lampstand and its lamps; the weight of each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the service of each lampstand;

1 Chronicles 28:16 the weight of gold for each table for the rows of the Bread of the Presence and the silver for the silver tables;

1 Chronicles 28:17 the pure[2] gold for the forks, sprinkling basins, and pitchers; the weight of each gold dish; the weight of each silver bowl;

1 Chronicles 28:18 the weight of refined gold for the altar of incense; and the plans for the chariot of the gold cherubim that spread out their wings and cover the ark of Yahveh’s covenant.

1 Chronicles 28:19 David concluded, “By Yahveh’s hand on me, he enabled me to understand everything in writing, all the details of the plan.”

1 Chronicles 28:20 David told his son Solomon, “Be strong and tough and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for Yahveh God, my God, is with you. He won’t leave you or abandon you until all the work for the service of Yahveh’s house is finished.

1 Chronicles 28:21 Notice the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of God’s house. Every willing person of any skill will be at your disposal for the work, and the captains and all the people are at your every command.”

[1] כַּפֹּרֶת = atonement cover. 1 Chronicles 28:11.

[2] טָהוֹר = pure. 1 Chronicles 28:17.