David’s Plans for the Temple

28 David summoned(A) all the officials(B) of Israel to assemble at Jerusalem: the officers over the tribes, the commanders of the divisions in the service of the king, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the warriors and all the brave fighting men.

King David rose to his feet and said: “Listen to me, my fellow Israelites, my people. I had it in my heart(C) to build a house as a place of rest(D) for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, for the footstool(E) of our God, and I made plans to build it.(F) But God said to me,(G) ‘You are not to build a house for my Name,(H) because you are a warrior and have shed blood.’(I)

“Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me(J) from my whole family(K) to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah(L) as leader, and from the tribe of Judah he chose my family, and from my father’s sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel.(M) Of all my sons—and the Lord has given me many(N)—he has chosen my son Solomon(O) to sit on the throne(P) of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. He said to me: ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build(Q) my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son,(R) and I will be his father.

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28 And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possession of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty men, and with all the valiant men, unto Jerusalem.

Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building:

But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood.

Howbeit the Lord God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he liked me to make me king over all Israel:

And of all 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.

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

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