2 Then King David rose to his feet and said: “Hear me, my brothers and my people. nI had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and for the ofootstool of our God, and I made preparations for building. 3 But God said to me, p‘You may not build a house for my name, for you are a man of war and have shed blood.’ 4 Yet the Lord God of Israel qchose me from all my father’s house to be king over Israel rforever. sFor he chose Judah as leader, and in the house of Judah my father’s thouse, and among my father’s sons he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. 5 And of uall my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons) he vhas chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. 6 He said to me, ‘It is wSolomon 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 rforever xif he continues strong in keeping my commandments and my rules, as he is today.’