David’s instructions for the temple
1David held a meeting in Jerusalem of all the officials of Israel, the overseers for the tribes, and the officials in the royal service, the commanders of thousands, the commanders of hundreds, the overseers for all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, leading soldiers, and important men. 2Then 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 Yahweh, as a footstool for our God. I have made preparations for building, 3but 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.’
4Yahweh, the God of Israel, chose me and my descendants to rule Israel forever. He chose Judah for leader, my family within the tribe of Judah, and of my father’s sons, myself. He was pleased to make me king of all Israel. 5Of all my sons – he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of Yahweh over Israel. 6He said to me, ‘Solomon your son is the man to build my Temple and my courts, for I have chosen him to be a son to me and I will be a father to him. 7I will make his kingdom last forever if he continues to obey carefully all my laws and commands as he does now.’
8So now in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of Yahweh, and in the hearing of our God, I tell you to observe and meditate on all the commandments of Yahweh your God, so that you may possess this prosperous land and leave it to your children after you as an inheritance forever.
9And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, serve him with an undivided heart and a willing mind; for Yahweh knows all our thoughts and desires. If you seek him, he will let you find him; but if you turn away from him, he will abandon you forever. 10Realize at this moment that Yahweh has chosen you to build a house for him as sanctuary. Be strong and set to work.” 11David 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. 12He also gave him a description of all he had in mind for the courts of Yahweh’s House, all the surrounding apartments, the treasuries of Yahweh’s House and the treasuries of votive offerings; 13also of the orders of priests and Levites, the liturgical duties in Yahweh’s House. 14He instructed him about how much silver and gold was to be used for making the utensils, 15the 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, 16gold bullion for the tables on which the rows of bread were set, for each of these tables, the silver for the silver tables, 17the forks, the sprinkling bowls, basins of pure gold, the gold bullion for the bowls, for each of the bowls, 18the 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 Yahweh – 19all this in accordance with the plan drawn according to the instructions which Yahweh himself gave him to carry out.
20Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong, stand firm; be fearless, be determined and set to work, because Yahweh God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or abandon you before you have finished all the work to be done for the House of Yahweh. 21Here are the orders of priests and Levites for all the duties of the House of God; every willing man of any aptitude will help you in all this work; the officials and all the people are entirely at your command.”
