⁷ David said to Solomon, “My son, ^(A)I had it in my heart to build a house to the name of the Lord my God.

^7 (A)Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. ⁸ But the Lord said to David my father, ‘Whereas ^(B)it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart. ⁹ Nevertheless, it is not you who shall build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.’

^16 (A)‘Since the day that I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, ^(B)that my name might be there. ^(C)But I chose David to be over my people Israel.’ ^17 (D)Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹⁸ But the Lord said to David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart. ^19 (E)Nevertheless, you shall not build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.’ ²⁰ Now the Lord has fulfilled his promise that he made. For I have risen in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, ^(F)as the Lord promised, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

¹¹ then to ^(A)the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, ^(B)your tithes and the contribution that you present, and all your finest vow offerings that you vow to the Lord.

⁵ But you shall seek ^(A)the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation^[a] there. There you shall go,

¹² May the God ^(A)who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who shall put out a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God that is in Jerusalem. I Darius make a decree; let it be done with all diligence.”

⁴ Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God and dedicate it to him for the burning of ^(A)incense of sweet spices before him, and for ^(B)the regular arrangement of the showbread, and for ^(C)burnt offerings morning and evening, ^(D)on the Sabbaths and the new moons and the appointed feasts of the Lord our God, as ordained forever for Israel.

³ Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God:

² Then King David rose to his feet and said: “Hear me, my brothers and my people. ^(A)I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and for the ^(B)footstool of our God, and I made preparations for building. ³ But God said to me, ^(C)‘You may not build a house for my name, for you are a man of war and have shed blood.’ ⁴ Yet the Lord God of Israel ^(D)chose me from all my father's house to be king over Israel ^(E)forever. ^(F)For he chose Judah as leader, and in the house of Judah my father's ^(G)house, and among my father's sons he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. ⁵ And of ^(H)all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons) he ^(I)has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. ⁶ He said to me, ‘It is ^(J)Solomon your son who shall build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. ⁷ I will establish his kingdom ^(K)forever ^(L)if he continues strong in keeping my commandments and my rules, as he is today.’ ⁸ Now therefore in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you forever.