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King David stood up and he said, ‘Listen to me, my people. I wanted to build a house where we could put the Lord's Covenant Box. It would be like a place for our God to rest his feet. I prepared the things that I would need to build a temple. But God said to me, “You are a fighter and you have killed many people in war. So you must not build a house to give honour to my name.” 

But it was the Lord, Israel's God, who chose me to become Israel's king. He chose my family to rule Israel for all time. First, he chose the tribe of Judah to be the leader of Israel's people. Then he chose my father's family from among the clans of Judah. Finally, he chose me from among my father's sons. He made me king to rule over all Israel.

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

“Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me(H) from my whole family(I) to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah(J) 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.(K)

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