1 Tawarikh 28:1-11

David Commissions Solomon to Build the Temple

28:1 David assembled in Jerusalem ¹  all the officials of Israel, including the commanders of the tribes, the commanders of the army divisions that served the king, the commanders of units of a thousand and a hundred, the officials who were in charge of all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, the eunuchs, and the warriors, including the most skilled of them.

28:2 King David rose to his feet and said: “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I wanted to build a temple where the ark of the Lord’s covenant could be placed as a footstool for our God. ²  I have made the preparations for building it. 28:3 But God said to me, ‘You must not build a temple to honor me, ³  for you are a warrior and have spilled blood.’ 28:4 The Lord God of Israel chose me out of my father’s entire family to become king over Israel and have a permanent dynasty. ⁴  Indeed, ⁵  he chose Judah as leader, and my father’s family within Judah, and then he picked me out from among my father’s sons and made me king over all Israel. ⁶  28:5 From all the many sons the Lord has given me, he chose Solomon my son to rule on his behalf over Israel. ⁷  28:6 He said to me, ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build my temple and my courts, for I have chosen him to become my son and I will become his father. 28:7 I will establish his kingdom permanently, if he remains committed to obeying my commands and regulations, as you are doing this day.’ ⁸  28:8 So now, in the sight of all Israel, the Lord’s assembly, and in the hearing of our God, I say this: ⁹  Carefully observe ¹⁰  all the commands of the Lord your God, so that you may possess this good land and may leave it as a permanent inheritance for your children after you.

28:9 “And you, Solomon my son, obey ¹¹  the God of your father and serve him with a submissive attitude and a willing spirit, ¹²  for the Lord examines all minds and understands every motive of one’s thoughts. If you seek him, he will let you find him, ¹³  but if you abandon him, he will reject you permanently. 28:10 Realize ¹⁴  now that the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as his sanctuary. Be strong and do it!”

28:11 David gave to his son Solomon the blueprints for the temple porch, ¹⁵  its buildings, its treasuries, ¹⁶  its upper areas, its inner rooms, and the room ¹⁷  for atonement.

[28:1]  ¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[28:2]  ² tn Heb “I, with my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and for a stool of the feet of our God.”

[28:3]  ³ tn Heb “for my name.”

[28:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “out of all the house of my father to become king over all Israel permanently.”

[28:4]  ⁵ tn Or “for.”

[28:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “and among the sons of my father he desired to make me king over all Israel.”

[28:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “from all my sons, for many sons the Lord has given to me, he chose Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.”

[28:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “if he is strong to do my commands and my regulations like this day.”

[28:8]  ⁹ tn The words “I say this” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[28:8]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “Watch! Seek!”

[28:9]  ¹¹ tn Heb “know.”

[28:9]  ¹² tn Heb “with a complete heart and a willing being.”

[28:9]  ¹³ tn Heb “he will allow himself to be found by you.”

[28:10]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “see.”

[28:11]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “for the porch.” The word “temple” was supplied in the translation for clarity.

[28:11]  ¹⁶ tn Or “storerooms.”

[28:11]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “house.”