1 Chronicles

David’s Will

David held a meeting in Jerusalem with all the officials of Israel, the overseers for the tribes, the royal service officials, the commanders of thousands and hundreds, the overseers of the king’s and his sons’ property and livestock, along with the palace officials, leading soldiers, and other prominent men.

Then king David got up and said:“My brothers and my people, listen to me. I had set my heart on building a settled home for the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord as a footstool for our God. I have made preparations for building,

but God has said to me, ‘You are not to build a temple for my name, for you have been a man of war and have shed blood.’

The Lord, the God of Israel, chose me and my descendants to rule Israel forever. He chose Judah as leader, my family within the tribe of Judah, and among my father’s sons, me. He was pleased to make me king of all Israel.

Of all my sons, he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the Lord over Israel.

He said to me, ‘Solomon, your son, is the man to build my temple and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be a father to him.

I will make his kingdom last forever if he continues to obey carefully all my laws and commands as he does now.’

So now in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, I tell you to observe and meditate on all the commandments of the Lord your God, so that you may possess this prosperous land and leave it to your children after you as an inheritance forever.

And you, Solomon, my son, know the God of your father, serve him with an undivided heart and a willing mind; for the Lord knows all our thoughts and desires. If you seek him, he will let you find him, but if you turn away, he will abandon you forever.

Realize that the Lord has chosen you to build a house for him as a Sanctuary. Be strong and set to work.”

David gave his son Solomon the plans for the vestibule, the buildings, the treasuries, the upper rooms, the inner apartments, and the room where the mercy Seat would be.

He also described all he had in mind for the courts of the Lord’s house, all the surrounding apartments, the treasuries of the Lord’s house, and the treasuries of votive offerings;

also of the orders of priests and Levites, the liturgical duties in the Lord’s house.

He instructed him on how much silver and gold should be used for making the utensils,

the bullion for the golden lampstands and their lamps, the gold bullion for the silver lampstand, for the lampstand and its lamps according to the requirements for each lampstand,

gold bullion for the tables on which the rows of bread were set, for each of these tables, the silver for the silver tables,

the forks, the sprinkling bowls, basins of pure gold, the gold bullion for the bowls, for each of the bowls,

the bullion of refined gold for the altar of incense. He gave him the plans for the chariot, for the golden cherubim with wings outspread covering the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord—

all this per the plan drawn according to the instructions the Lord gave him to carry out.

Then David said to his son Solomon: “Be strong, stand firm; be fearless, be determined, and get to work because the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail or abandon you before you complete all the work for the house of the Lord.

Here are the orders for the priests and Levites for all the duties of the house of God; every willing man with any skill will help you in all this work; the officials and all the people are entirely at your command.”