1. David commanded all the leaders of Israel to come to Jerusalem. There were the leaders of the tribes and the commanders of the divisions serving the king. There were the commanders of 1,000 men and of 100 men. There were the leaders who took care of the property and animals that belonged to the king and his sons. There were the men over the palace, the powerful men and all the brave warriors.
2. King David stood up and said, “Listen to me, my relatives and my people. I wanted to build a place to keep the Ark of the Covenant with the Lord. I wanted it to be God’s footstool. And I made plans to build a temple for worship to God.
3. But God said to me, ‘You must not build a temple for worship to me. You must not do that because you are a soldier. You have killed many men.’