1 Tawarikh 28:1-4

David Commissions Solomon to Build the Temple

28:1 David assembled in Jerusalem ¹  all the officials of Israel, including the commanders of the tribes, the commanders of the army divisions that served the king, the commanders of units of a thousand and a hundred, the officials who were in charge of all the property and livestock of the king and his sons, the eunuchs, and the warriors, including the most skilled of them.

28:2 King David rose to his feet and said: “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I wanted to build a temple where the ark of the Lord’s covenant could be placed as a footstool for our God. ²  I have made the preparations for building it. 28:3 But God said to me, ‘You must not build a temple to honor me, ³  for you are a warrior and have spilled blood.’ 28:4 The Lord God of Israel chose me out of my father’s entire family to become king over Israel and have a permanent dynasty. ⁴  Indeed, ⁵  he chose Judah as leader, and my father’s family within Judah, and then he picked me out from among my father’s sons and made me king over all Israel. ⁶ 

[28:1]  ¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[28:2]  ² tn Heb “I, with my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and for a stool of the feet of our God.”

[28:3]  ³ tn Heb “for my name.”

[28:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “out of all the house of my father to become king over all Israel permanently.”

[28:4]  ⁵ tn Or “for.”

[28:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “and among the sons of my father he desired to make me king over all Israel.”