David Commissions Solomon

1And David assembled all the chief men of Israel, the chief of the judges, and all the chief men of the courses of attendance on the person of the king, and the captains of thousands and hundreds, and the treasurers, and the lords of his substance, and of all the king's property, and of his sons, together with the eunuchs, and the mighty men, and the warriors of the army, at Jerusalem. 2And David stood in the midst of the assembly, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: it was in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and a place for the feet of our Lord, and I prepared materials suitable for the building: 3but God said, Thou shalt not build me a house to call my name upon it, for thou art a man of war, and hast shed blood. 4Yet the Lord God of Israel chose me out of the whole house of my father to be king over Israel for ever; and he chose Juda as the kingly house, and out of the house of Juda he chose the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he preferred me, that I should be king over all Israel. 5And of all my sons, (for the Lord has given me many sons,) he has chosen Solomon my son, to set him on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. 6And God said to me, Solomon thy son shall build my house and my court: for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be to him a father. 7And I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he continue to keep my commandments, and my judgments, as at this day. 8And now I charge you before the whole assembly of the Lord, and in the audience of our God, keep and seek all the commandments of the Lord our God, that ye may inherit the good land, and leave it for your sons to inherit after you for ever.

9And now, my son Solomon, know the God of thy fathers, and serve him with a perfect heart and willing soul: for the Lord searches all hearts, and knows every thought: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou shouldest forsake him, he will forsake thee for ever. 10See now, for the Lord has chosen thee to build him a house for a sanctuary, be strong and do it.

The Plans for the Temple

11And David gave Solomon his son the plan of the temple, and its buildings, and its treasuries, and its upper chambers, and the inner store-rooms, and the place of the atonement, 12and the plan which he had in his mind of the courts of the house of the Lord, and of all the chambers round about, designed for the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the holy things, and of the chambers for resting: 13and the plan of the courses of the priests and Levites, for all the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and of the stores of vessels for ministration of the service of the house of the Lord. 14And he gave him the account of their weight, both of gold and silver vessels. 15He gave him the weight of the candlesticks, and of the lamps. 16He gave him likewise the weight of the tables of shewbread, of each table of gold, and likewise of the tables of silver: 17also of the flesh-hooks, and vessels for drink-offering, and golden bowls: and the weight of the gold and silver articles, and censers, and bowls, according to the weight of each. 18And he shewed him the weight of the utensils of the altar of incense, which was of pure gold, and the plan of the chariot of the cherubs that spread out their wings, and overshadowed the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

19David gave all to Solomon in the Lord's handwriting, according to the knowledge given him of the work of the pattern.

20And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong, and play the man, and do: fear not, neither be terrified; for the Lord my God is with thee; he will not forsake thee, and will not fail thee, until thou hast finished all the work of the service of the house of the Lord. And behold the pattern of the temple, even his house, and its treasury, and the upper chambers, and the inner store-rooms, and the place of propitiation, and the plan of the house of the Lord. 21And see, here are the courses of the priests and Levites for all the service of the house of the Lord, and there shall be with thee men for every workmanship, and every one of ready skill in every art: also the chief men and all the people, ready for all thy commands.