1 David called together in Jerusalem all Israel's officials: the tribal leaders, the leaders of the divisions serving the king, the leaders of thousands and hundreds, the officials over all the property and herds of the king and his sons, along with the court officials, the mighty men, and every strong warrior.
2 King David stood up on his feet and said, "Listen to me, my brothers and my people. It was in my heart to build a house where the ark of the covenant of the LORD could rest, a footstool for our God's feet, and I got ready to build it.
3 But God told me, 'You will not build a house for my name, because you are a warrior and have poured out blood.'
4 Still, the LORD God of Israel chose me out of my whole father's house to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah to be leader, and from the house of Judah my father's house, and among my father's sons he was pleased with me and made me king over all Israel.
5 Of all my sons (and the LORD has given me many) he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the LORD's kingdom over Israel.
6 He told me, 'Your son Solomon is the one who will build my house and my courts, because I have chosen him as my son, and I will be a father to him.
7 I will make his kingdom firm forever if he holds firmly to doing my commandments and my judgments, as he does now.'
8 So now, before the eyes of all Israel, the LORD's assembly, and in our God's hearing, observe and search out all the commandments of the LORD your God, so that you may keep this good land and hand it on to your sons after you as an inheritance for all time.
9 And you, my son Solomon, know your father's God and serve him with an undivided heart and a willing spirit, because the LORD searches every heart and discerns every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will let himself be found by you; but if you abandon him, he will reject you forever.
10 See now that the LORD has chosen you to build a house as a sanctuary. Be strong and act."
11 David handed his son Solomon the design for the temple porch, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper rooms, its inner rooms, and the room of the mercy seat;
12 and the design of all that he had in mind for the courts of the house of the LORD, for all the rooms around it, for the treasuries of God's house, and for the treasuries of the consecrated gifts;
13 for the divisions of the priests and Levites, for all the work of service in the house of the LORD, and for all the vessels used in service in the house of the LORD;
14 the gold by weight for every gold vessel for each service, and the silver by weight for every silver vessel for each service;
15 the weight for the gold lampstands and their gold lamps, each lampstand and its lamps by weight; and for the silver lampstands, each lampstand and its lamps by weight, according to how each lampstand was used;
16 the gold by weight for each table of the bread set in rows, and the silver for the silver tables;
17 pure gold for the forks, the sprinkling bowls, and the pitchers; for the gold bowls, the weight of each bowl; and for the silver bowls, the weight of each bowl;
18 refined gold by weight for the incense altar; and the design for the chariot, the gold cherubim that spread their wings and covered the ark of the LORD's covenant.
19 All of this the LORD gave me to understand in writing by his hand upon me, all the details of the design.
20 David said to his son Solomon, "Be strong and brave, and act. Have no fear and do not lose heart, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or abandon you before all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is complete.
21 Here are the divisions of the priests and Levites for all the service of God's house. And every willing man with skill for any service will be with you in all the work, and the officials and the whole people are yours to command."