1David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies who served the king by course, and the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, and the rulers over all the substance and possessions of the king and of his sons, with the officers, and the mighty men, even all the mighty men of valor, to Jerusalem.
2Then David the king stood up on his feet, and said, Hear me, my brothers, and my people: as for me, it was in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, and for the footstool of our God; and I had made ready for the building.
3But God said to me, You shall not build a house for my name, because you are a man of war, and have shed blood.
4However Yahweh, the God of Israel, chose me out of all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever: for he has chosen Judah to be prince; and in the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel;
5Of all my sons (for Yahweh has given me many sons), he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of Yahweh over Israel.
6He said to me, Solomon your son, he shall build my house and my courts; for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.
7I will establish his kingdom forever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my ordinances, as at this day.
