Convocavit igitur David omnes principes Israël, duces tribuum, et præpositos turmarum, qui ministrabant regi: tribunos quoque et centuriones, et qui præerant substantiæ et possessionibus regis, filiosque suos cum eunuchis, et potentes et robustissimos quosque in exercitu Jerusalem.

All these notables of Israel king David now summoned to his presence, the clan chiefs, and the commissioners that were the king’s own servants; commanders and captains, controllers of the royal property, princes and chamberlains, all that was powerful and all that was valiant in the city of Jerusalem.

And David assembled all the chief men of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies, who waited on the king: and the captains over thousands, and over hundreds, and them who had the charge over the substance and possessions of the king, and his sons with the officers of the court, and the men of power, and all the bravest of the army at Jerusalem.

Cumque surrexisset rex, et stetisset, ait: Audite me, fratres mei et populus meus: cogitavi ut ædificarem domum, in qua requiesceret arca fœderis Domini, et scabellum pedum Dei nostri: et ad ædificandum, omnia præparavi.

Rose he, and stood before them; Listen, he said, fellow tribesmen of mine and true lieges. I thought to have built a house, in which the ark that bears witness to the Lord’s covenant should find a home, in which God’s feet should have their resting-place; and all that could be prepared to that end, prepare I did.

And the king rising up, and standing said: Hear me, my brethren and my people: I had a thought to have built a house, in which the ark of the Lord, and the footstool of our God might rest: and I prepared all things for the building.

Deus autem dixit mihi: Non ædificabis domum nomini meo, eo quod sis vir bellator, et sanguinem fuderis.

But God warned me that it was not for me to build such a shrine for his name; I was a war-maker and a shedder of blood.

And God said to me: Thou shalt not build a house to my name: because thou art a man of war, and hast shed blood.

Sed elegit Dominus Deus Israël me de universa domo patris mei, ut essem rex super Israël in sempiternum: de Juda enim elegit principes: porro de domo Juda, domum patris mei, et de filiis patris mei placuit ei ut me eligeret regem super cunctum Israël.

Yet, when he would grant Israel an abiding dynasty, it was on me, alone of my father’s house, that his choice fell. Out of all the tribes he has chosen Juda, out of all Juda my father’s house; and of all my father’s sons, who but I was to be king of all Israel?

But the Lord God of Israel chose me of all the house of my father, to be king over Israel for ever: for of Juda he chose the princes: and of the house of Juda, my father’s house: and among the sons of my father, it pleased him to choose me king over all Israel.

Sed et de filiis meis (filios enim mihi multos dedit Dominus) elegit Salomonem filium meum ut sederet in throno regni Domini super Israël,

And he is choosing still; many sons he has given me, and among all these it is Solomon that is to reach a throne, king of the Lord’s own people.

And among my sons (for the Lord hath given me many sons) he hath chosen Solomon my son, to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.

dixitque mihi: Salomon filius tuus ædificabit domum meam, et atria mea: ipsum enim elegi mihi in filium, et ego ero ei in patrem.

So the Lord himself has told me: It is Solomon, thy heir, that shall build house and court for me. I have chosen him for my son, and he shall find in me a true father;

And he said to me: Solomon thy son shall build my house, and my courts: for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be a father to him.

Et firmabo regnum ejus usque in æternum, si perseveraverit facere præcepta mea et judicia, sicut et hodie.

let him ever observe decree and award of mine as they are observed this day, and his dynasty shall endure for all time.

And I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he continue to keep my commandments, and my judgments, as at this day.

Nunc ergo coram universo cœtu Israël audiente Deo nostro, custodite, et perquirite cuncta mandata Domini Dei nostri: ut possideatis terram bonam, et relinquatis eam filiis vestris post vos usque in sempiternum.

Let me speak, then, as in the presence of all Israel, with our own God listening to us. Obey, all of you, the will of the Lord our God, study, all of you, to learn it; then it shall be yours to enjoy this fair land, and bequeath it to your posterity for ever.

Now then before all the assembly of Israel, in the hearing of our God, keep ye, and seek all the commandments of the Lord our God: that you may possess the good land, and may leave it to your children after you for ever.

Tu autem, Salomon fili mi, scito Deum patris tui, et servito ei corde perfecto, animo voluntario: omnia enim corda scrutatur Dominus, et universas mentium cogitationes intelligit. Si quæsieris eum, invenies: si autem dereliqueris eum, projiciet te in æternum.

And do thou, my son Solomon, acknowledge ever thy father’s God, serving him faithfully, serving him willingly; no heart but is open to the Lord’s scrutiny, no thought in our minds but he can read it. Search for him, and thou shalt find him; forsake him, and he will for ever reject thee.

And thou my son Solomon, know the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the thoughts of minds. If thou seek him, thou shalt find him: but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

Nunc ergo quia elegit te Dominus ut ædificares domum sanctuarii, confortare, et perfice.

Meanwhile, here is this house to be built, the Lord’s sanctuary; on thee his choice has fallen; courage! To the task!

Now therefore seeing the Lord hath chosen thee to build the house of the sanctuary, take courage, and do it.

Dedit autem David Salomoni filio suo descriptionem porticus, et templi, et cellariorum, et cœnaculi, et cubiculorum in adytis, et domus propitiationis,

Then David handed over to his son Solomon the full plan of porch and temple, of store-house and parlour and inner chamber, of the throne of mercy itself;

And David gave to Solomon his son a description of the porch, and of the temple, and of the treasures, and of the upper floor, and of the inner chambers, and of the house for the mercy seat,

necnon et omnium quæ cogitaverat atriorum et exedrarum per circuitum in thesauros domus Domini, et in thesauros sanctorum,

all his designs, too, for the outer courts and for the surrounding rooms in which the permanent treasures of the Lord’s house and the votive offerings were to be laid up.

As also of all the courts, which he had in his thought, and of the chambers round about, for the treasures of the house of the Lord, and for the treasures of the consecrated things,

divisionumque sacerdotalium et Leviticarum, in omnia opera domus Domini, et in universa vasa ministerii templi Domini.

He told him of the order in which priest and Levite were to do all that had to be done, keep all that had to be kept, in the Lord’s temple.

And of the divisions of the priests and of the Levites, for all the works of the house of the Lord, and for all the vessels of the service of the temple of the Lord.

Aurum in pondere per singula vasa ministerii. Argenti quoque pondus pro vasorum et operum diversitate.

He gave him gold by weight and silver by weight for all the appurtenances of worship, varied for various needs.

Gold by weight for every vessel for the ministry. And silver by weight according to the diversity of the vessels and uses.

Sed et in candelabra aurea, et ad lucernas eorum, aurum pro mensura uniuscujusque candelabri et lucernarum. Similiter et in candelabra argentea, et in lucernas eorum, pro diversitate mensuræ, pondus argenti tradidit.

Gold and silver in due measure for every lampstand and lamp of gold and silver;

He gave also gold for the golden candlesticks, and their lamps, according to the dimensions of every candlestick, and the lamps thereof. In like manner also he gave silver by weight for the silver candlesticks, and for their lamps according to the diversity of the dimensions of them.

Aurum quoque dedit in mensas propositionis pro diversitate mensarum: similiter et argentum in alias mensas argenteas.

gold for the table on which the hallowed loaves were set forth, gold and silver for every table of gold and silver.

He gave also gold for the tables of proposition, according to the diversity of the tables: in like manner also silver for other tables of silver.

Ad fuscinulas quoque, et phialas, et thuribula ex auro purissimo, et leunculos aureos pro qualitate mensuræ pondus distribuit in leunculum et leunculum. Similiter et in leones argenteos diversum argenti pondus separavit.

Pure gold for fork and bowl and censer and cup; no cup of gold or silver but had its due weight apportioned;

For fleshhooks also, and bowls, and censers of fine gold, and for little lions of gold, according to the measure he gave by weight, for every lion. In like manner also for lions of silver he set aside a different weight of silver.

Altari autem, in quo adoletur incensum, aurum purissimum dedit: ut ex ipso fieret similitudo quadrigæ cherubim extendentium alas, et velantium arcam fœderis Domini.

pure gold for the altar of incense, pure gold for the equipage of cherubs that should spread their wings to overshadow the Lord’s ark.

And for the altar of incense, he gave the purest gold: and to make the likeness of the chariot of the cherubims spreading their wings, and covering the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

Omnia, inquit, venerunt scripta manu Domini ad me, ut intelligerem universa opera exemplaris.

This came to me, said he, with the Lord’s own sign-manual; all the pattern he would make clear to me.

All these things, said he, came to me written by the hand of the Lord that I might understand all the works of the pattern.

Dixit quoque David Salomoni filio suo: Viriliter age, et confortare, et fac: ne timeas, et ne paveas: Dominus enim Deus meus tecum erit, et non dimittet te nec derelinquet, donec perficias omne opus ministerii domus Domini.

Play a man’s part, said David to Solomon; courage! To the task! Never doubting, never daunted; the Lord thy God will be at thy side, never failing thee, never forsaking thee, and see that thou hast strength to do all that must be done for his temple.

And David said to Solomon his son: Act like a man, and take courage, and do: fear not, and be not dismayed: for the Lord my God will be with thee, and will not leave thee, nor forsake thee, till thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.

Ecce divisiones sacerdotum et Levitarum: in omne ministerium domus Domini assistunt tibi, et parati sunt, et noverunt tam principes quam populus facere omnia præcepta tua.

Priest and Levite are there, ready to fulfil their appointed duties in the Lord’s house; chieftains and common folk are all minded to do thy bidding.

Behold the courses of the priests and the Levites, for every ministry of the house of the Lord, stand by thee, and are ready, and both the princes, and the people know how to execute all thy commandments.