God’s Promise to David^(A)

17 After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.^(B)”

² 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) 3} 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)

⁴ “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)

⁷ David said to Solomon: “My son, I had it in my heart^(A) to build^(B) a house for the Name^(C) of the Lord my God.

² he said to Nathan^(A) the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house^(B) of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”^(C)

³ Nathan replied to the king, “Whatever you have in mind,^(D) go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.”