David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is from the Lord our God, let us send word everywhere to our kinsmen who remain in all the land of Israel, and to the priests and Levites who are with them in their cities with pasture lands, that they meet with us;

Because you did not carry it at the first, the Lord our God made an outburst against us, since we did not seek Him according to the ordinance.”

He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth.

Lord, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to everything that we have heard with our ears.

Be strong, and let’s show ourselves courageous for the benefit of our people and the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight.”

Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people; I had intended to build a permanent home for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and for the footstool of our God. So I had made preparations to build it.

So now, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the presence of our God, keep and seek after all the commandments of the Lord your God so that you may possess the good land and leave it as an inheritance to your sons after you forever.

David’s Prayer

So David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, “Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever.

Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy name, it is from Your hand, and everything is Yours.

Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the intentions of the hearts of Your people, and direct their hearts to You;