1 Chronicles 28 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
David's final public act, around 970 BC
Location
Jerusalem, at a national assembly of officials, commanders, stewards, and warriors summoned by the king
Audience
Returned exiles rebuilding worship in Jerusalem, needing assurance that the temple's design was given by God and not invented by men
Situation
David stands before the whole assembly, explains why God chose Solomon to build the temple rather than himself, and charges his son publicly. He then hands Solomon written plans for every part of the building, its courts, its treasuries, and its gold and silver vessels.
Key Background
Handing over a written architectural plan in front of the nation was a succession ceremony as much as a building brief, since a public transfer in the presence of the army and the tribal chiefs made the heir's authority hard to challenge later. The claim that the plan came in writing from God's own hand echoes the way Moses received the pattern of the wilderness tabernacle, which places the temple in the same line of divinely specified worship rather than in the line of royal vanity projects. For readers whose second temple was visibly plainer than Solomon's, the point is that the pattern, not the scale, carried the authority.
David all the leaders of Israel in — the tribal chiefs, the commanders of the divisions who served the king, the officers over groups of a thousand and groups of a hundred, the officials in charge of all the king's property and livestock, along with his sons, the court officials, the warriors, and every capable fighting man.
Then King David stood up and said, "Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a for the of Yahweh — a for our God. I made preparations to build it.
But God said to me, 'You will not build a for my because you are a man of war and have
Yet Yahweh, the God of Israel, me out of my entire family to be king over Israel permanently. He Judah as the leading tribe, and from Judah's clan, my father's family, and from my father's sons, he was pleased to make me king over all Israel.
And out of all my sons — since Yahweh has given me many sons — he chose my son Solomon to sit on the of over Israel.
He said to me, 'Your Solomon is the one who will build my house and my courtyards, because I have as my and I will be
I will establish his kingdom permanently — if he remains determined to carry out my and my as he does right now.'
So now, in the sight of all Israel — the of — and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to seek out all the commands of your God, so that you will this good land and pass it down to your children after you permanently.
"And you, Solomon my son — the God of your father and serve him with a and a because Yahweh every and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will let you find him. But if you abandon him, he will reject you permanently.
Consider this carefully: Yahweh has chosen you to build a house as the for Be and do it."
Then David gave his son Solomon the for the entrance hall, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper rooms, its inner rooms, and the room for the
He also gave him the plans for everything the had put in his mind: the courtyards of Yahweh's house, all the surrounding rooms, the treasuries of God's house, and the treasuries for the to
He gave him plans for the divisions of the and for all the work of serving in Yahweh's house, and for all the equipment used in serving at Yahweh's house.
He specified the weight of gold for all the gold equipment used in each type of service, and the weight of silver for all the silver equipment used in each type of service—
the weight of gold for the gold and their gold lamps, with the weight for each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to how each lampstand would be used;
the weight of gold for each table used for the and silver for the silver tables;
the weight of refined gold for the forks, the bowls, and the pitchers; the weight of gold for each gold dish; the weight of silver for each silver dish;
and the weight of refined gold for the He also gave him the blueprint for the — the gold that spread their wings and covered the covenant chest of Yahweh.
"All of this," David said, "all the details of this blueprint — Yahweh made me understand through on me, it in
David also said to his son Solomon, "Be and and do it. Don't be afraid and don't be discouraged, because Yahweh God — my God — is with you. He you down or you until all the work for serving at Yahweh's house is finished.
The of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work of God's house. Every with will be with you for all the work. The officials and all the people are completely at