1David asked all the officials of Israel to come together at Jerusalem. He sent for the officers who were over the tribes. He sent for the commanders of the military groups who served the king. He sent for the commanders of thousands of men and commanders of hundreds. He sent for the officials who were in charge of all the royal property and livestock. They belonged to the king and his sons. He sent for the palace officials and the warriors. He also sent for all the brave fighting men.

2King David stood up. He said, “All of you Israelites, listen to me. With all my heart I wanted to build a house for the Lord. I wanted it to be a place of peace and rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord. The ark is the stool for our God’s feet. I made plans to build the Lord’s house.

3But God said to me, ‘You are not the one who will build a house for my Name. That is because you are a fighting man. You have spilled people’s blood.’

4“But the Lord chose me. He is the God of Israel. He chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah to lead the tribes. From the tribe of Judah he chose my family. From my father’s sons he chose me. He was pleased to make me king over the whole nation of Israel.

5The Lord has given me many sons. From all of them he has chosen my son Solomon. He wants Solomon to sit on the throne of the Lord’s kingdom. He wants him to rule over Israel.

6The Lord said to me, ‘Your son Solomon is the one who will build my house and my courtyards. I have chosen him to be my son. And I will be his father.

7I will make his kingdom secure. It will last forever. That will happen if he continues to obey my commands and laws. He must continue to obey them, just as he is doing now.’

8“So I’m giving you a command in the sight of all the people of Israel. The Lord’s community is watching. And our God is listening. I command you to be careful to follow all the commands of the Lord your God. Then you will own this good land. You will pass it on to your children after you as their share forever.

9“My son Solomon, always remember the God of your father. Serve him with all your heart. Do it with a mind that wants to obey him. The Lord looks deep down inside every heart. He understands every desire and every thought. If you look to him, you will find him. But if you desert him, he will turn his back on you forever.

10Think about it. The Lord has chosen you to build a house as a holy place where he can live. So be strong. Get to work.”

11Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the porch of the temple. He gave him the plans for its buildings and its storerooms. He gave him the plans for its upper parts and its inside rooms. He gave him the plans for the place where sin is paid for and forgiven.

12He gave him the plans for everything the Spirit of the Lord had put in his mind. There were plans for the courtyards of the Lord’s temple. There were plans for all the rooms around it. There were plans for the places where the treasure of God’s temple would be kept. There were plans for the places where the things set apart for God would be kept.

13David told Solomon how to separate the priests and Levites into groups. He gave him directions for all the work they should do when they served in the Lord’s temple. David also showed Solomon how all the objects should be used at the temple.

14Different things were used for different purposes. David told Solomon how much gold should be used for each gold object. He also told him how much silver should be used for each silver object.

15He told him how much gold should be used to make each gold lampstand and its lamps. He told him how much silver should be used to make each silver lampstand and its lamps. The amount depended on how each lampstand would be used.

16David told Solomon how much gold should be used to make each table for holy bread. He told him how much silver should be used to make the silver tables.

17He told him how much pure gold should be used to make the forks, sprinkling bowls and pitchers. He told him how much gold should be used to make each gold dish. He told him how much silver should be used to make each silver dish.

18And David told Solomon how much pure gold should be used to make the altar for burning incense. He also gave Solomon the plan for the chariot of the gold cherubim. The cherubim spread their wings over the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

19David said, “I have written everything down. I wrote it all down as the Lord guided me. He helped me understand every part of the plan.”

20David also said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and brave. Get to work. Don’t be afraid. Don’t lose hope. The Lord God is my God. He is with you. He won’t fail you. He won’t desert you until all the work for serving in the Lord’s temple is finished.

21The groups of the priests and Levites are ready to do all the work on God’s temple. Every person who is willing and skilled can help you do all the work. The officials and all the people will obey every command you give them.”