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Solomon to Build the House of God

¹ David gathered together all the leaders of Israel. There were leaders of the family groups, and leaders of the armies that served the king. There were captains of thousands, and of hundreds. There were leaders who cared for all the things and animals belonging to the king and his sons. There were the leaders and all the powerful soldiers. ² Then King David stood up and said, "Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I had wanted to build a house of rest for the special box with the Law of the Lord, a place for God to rest His feet, so I had made plans to build it. ³ But God said to me, ‘You must not build a house for My name, because you are a man of war and blood.' ⁴ But the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from all the house of my father to be the king of Israel forever. For He has chosen Judah to be a leader. And in the house of Judah, my father's house, and among my father's sons, He was pleased to make me king of all Israel. ⁵ The Lord has given me many sons. And of all my sons, He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the nation of the Lord over Israel. ⁶ He said to me, ‘Your son Solomon is the one who will build My house and My open spaces. For I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his father. ⁷ I will make him king forever, if he is faithful to obey My Words and My Laws, as he is doing now.' ⁸ So now I say to you in front of all these people of Israel, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to do all the Law of the Lord your God. If you obey you will receive the good land and also leave it to your children after you forever.

⁹ "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father. Serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord looks into all hearts, and understands every plan and thought. If you look to Him, He will let you find Him. But if you turn away from Him, He will turn away from you forever. ¹⁰ Listen now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a place of worship. Be strong, and do it."

¹¹ Then David gave his son Solomon the plan of the porch of the Lord's house, its buildings, and its store-houses. He gave him the plan of the rooms on its second floor, its inside rooms, and the room for the mercy-seat. ¹² He gave him the plan of all he had in mind. It showed the open spaces of the Lord's house, and all the rooms around them. It showed the store-houses of the house of God, and the store-houses of the holy things. ¹³ He gave him the plan for the way the religious leaders and the Levites were to be divided up for all the work of the Lord's house. He told how all the objects were to be used in worship in the Lord's house. ¹⁴ David gave the weight of all the gold objects to be used in each part of worship. He gave the weight for all the silver objects to be used in each part of the worship. ¹⁵ The plan gave the weight of gold for the gold lamp-stands and gold lamps. It gave the weight of each lamp-stand and its lamps. It gave the weight of silver for the silver lamp-stands. It gave the weight of each lamp-stand and its lamps, by the use of each lamp-stand. ¹⁶ It gave the weight of gold for each table of holy bread, and of silver for the silver tables. ¹⁷ It gave the weight of the meat-hooks, the pots and the cups of pure gold. It gave the weight for each of the gold and silver pots. ¹⁸ It gave the weight of the fine gold of the altar of special perfume, and of the gold wagon and of the cherubim that spread out their wings and covered the special box with the Law of the Lord. ¹⁹ David said, "This is in writing because His hand was upon me. He helped me to know all the plan."

²⁰ Then David said to his son Solomon, "Be strong. Have strength of heart, and do it. Do not be afraid or troubled, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not stop helping you. He will not leave you until all the work of the house of the Lord is finished. ²¹ See, the religious leaders and the Levites are divided up to do all the work of the house of God. Every willing man who is able to do a special work will help you in all that is to be done. The leaders and all the people will do what you say."