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.’

⁶ He said to me, ‘It is ^(A)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 ^(B)forever ^(C)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.

David's Charge to Solomon

⁹ “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a ^(D)whole heart and with a willing mind, ^(E)for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. ^(F)If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever. ¹⁰ Be careful now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; ^(G)be strong and do it.”

¹¹ Then David gave Solomon his son the ^(H)plan of the ^(I)vestibule of the temple,^[a] and of its houses, its treasuries, its upper rooms, and its inner chambers, and of the room for the ^(J)mercy seat; ¹² and the plan of all that he had in mind for the courts of the house of the Lord, all the surrounding chambers, ^(K)the treasuries of the house of God, and the treasuries for dedicated gifts;