1
Now Davidassembled at Jerusalemall the officials of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the commanders of the divisions that served the king, and the commanders of thousands, and the commanders of hundreds, and the overseers of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, with the officials and the mightymen, even all the valiantmen.
2
Then KingDavidrose to his feet and said, "Listen to me, my brethren and my people; I had intended to build a permanenthome for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and for the footstool* of our God. So I had madepreparations to build it.
4
"Yet, the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from all the house of my father to be kingoverIsraelforever. For He has chosenJudah to be a leader; and in the house of Judah, my father'shouse, and among the sons of my father He tookpleasure in me to make me kingoverallIsrael.
6
"He said to me, 'Your sonSolomon is the one who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be a son to Me, and I will be a father to him.
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7
'I will establish his kingdomforever*if he resolutelyperforms My commandments and My ordinances, as is done now.'
8
"So now, in the sight of allIsrael, the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seekafterall the commandments of the LORD your Godso that you may possess the goodland and bequeath it to your sonsafter you forever*.
9
"As for you, my sonSolomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a wholeheart and a willingmind; for the LORDsearchesallhearts, and understandseveryintent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.
11
Then Davidgave to his sonSolomon the plan of the porch of the temple, its buildings, its storehouses, its upperrooms, its innerrooms and the room for the mercyseat;
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and the plan of all that he had in mind, for the courts of the house of the LORD, and for all the surroundingrooms, for the storehouses of the house of God and for the storehouses of the dedicatedthings;
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also for the divisions of the priests and the Levites and for all the work of the service of the house of the LORD and for all the utensils of service in the house of the LORD;
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for the golden utensils, the weight of gold for allutensils for everykind of service; for the silverutensils, the weight of silver for allutensils for everykind of service;
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and the weight of gold for the goldenlampstands and their goldenlamps, with the weight of each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for the silverlampstands, with the weight of each lampstand and its lamps according to the use of eachlampstand;
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and the forks, the basins, and the pitchers of puregold; and for the goldenbowls with the weight for eachbowl; and for the silverbowls with the weight for eachbowl;
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and for the altar of incenserefinedgold by weight; and gold for the model of the chariot, even the cherubim that spread out their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD.
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Then Davidsaid to his sonSolomon, "Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fearnor be dismayed, for the LORDGod, my God, is with you. He will not fail you norforsake you untilall the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.
21
"Now behold, there are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God, and everywillingman of anyskill will be with you in all the work for all kinds of service. The officials also and all the people will be entirely at your command."