² The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places,^(A) because a temple had not yet been built for the Name^(B) of the Lord.

⁴³ In everything he followed the ways of his father Asa^(A) and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. The high places,^(B) however, were not removed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.^[a]

¹⁷ The people, however, continued to sacrifice at the high places, but only to the Lord their God.

² Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains,^(A) on the hills and under every spreading tree,^(B) where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. ³ Break down their altars, smash^(C) their sacred stones and burn^(D) their Asherah^(E) poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names^(F) from those places.

⁴ You must not worship the Lord your God in their way.^{(G) 5} But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name^(H) there for his dwelling.^(I) To that place you must go;

³⁰ I will destroy your high places,^(A) cut down your incense altars^(B) and pile your dead bodies^[a] on the lifeless forms of your idols,^(C) and I will abhor^(D) you.

⁴⁷ But it was Solomon who built a house for him.^(A)

⁴⁸ “However, the Most High^(B) does not live in houses made by human hands.^(C) As the prophet says:

³ But God said to me,^(A) ‘You are not to build a house for my Name,^(B) because you are a warrior and have shed blood.’^(C)

⁴ “Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me^(D) from my whole family^(E) to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah^(F) 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.^{(G) 5} Of all my sons—and the Lord has given me many^(H)—he has chosen my son Solomon^(I) to sit on the throne^(J) of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. ⁶ He said to me: ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build^(K) my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son,^(L) and I will be his father.