but I have chosenJerusalemthat My namemight be there,and I have chosenDavidto be overMy peopleIsrael.'
He builtaltarsin the houseof the LORD,of whichthe LORDhad said,"In JerusalemI will putMy name."
Then he setthe carvedimageof Asherahthat he had made,in the houseof whichthe LORDsaidto Davidand to his sonSolomon,"In thishouseand in Jerusalem,whichI have chosenfrom allthe tribesof Israel,I will putMy nameforever.
for I have not dweltin a housesincethe daythat I broughtup Israelto thisday,but I have gonefrom tentto tentand from [one] dwellingplace[to another].
"Now,therefore, thusshall you sayto My servantDavid,'Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,"I tookyou from the pasture,from followingthe sheep,to be leaderoverMy peopleIsrael.
"Yet, the LORD,the Godof Israel,choseme from allthe houseof my fatherto be kingoverIsraelforever.For He has chosenJudahto be a leader;and in the houseof Judah,my father'shouse,and among the sonsof my fatherHe tookpleasurein me to make[me] kingoverallIsrael.
So KingRehoboamstrengthenedhimself in Jerusalemand reigned.NowRehoboamwas forty-oneyearsoldwhen he began to reign,and he reignedseventeenyearsin Jerusalem,the citywhichthe LORDhad chosenfrom allthe tribesof Israel,to putHis namethere.And his mother'snamewas Naamahthe Ammonitess.
"They have livedin it, and have builtYou a sanctuarythere for Your name,saying,
"Nowdo not stiffenyour necklike your fathers,but yieldto the LORDand enterHis sanctuarywhichHe has consecratedforever,and servethe LORDyour God,that His burningangermay turnawayfrom you.
He builtaltarsin the houseof the LORDof whichthe LORDhad said,"My nameshall be in Jerusalemforever."
that Your eyemay be opentowardthishousedayand night,towardthe placeof whichYou have saidthat [You would] putYour namethere,to listento the prayerwhichYour servantshall praytowardthisplace.
Sincethe daythat I broughtMy peoplefrom the landof Egypt,I did not choosea cityout of allthe tribesof Israel[in which] to builda housethat My namemight be there,nordid I chooseanymanfor a leaderoverMy peopleIsrael;
"For nowI have chosenand consecratedthishousethat My namemay be thereforever,and My eyesand My heartwill be thereperpetually.
with allthe silverand goldwhichyou findin the wholeprovinceof Babylon,alongwith the freewillofferingof the peopleand of the priests,who offeredwillinglyfor the houseof their Godwhichis in Jerusalem;
Our feetare standingWithin your gates,O Jerusalem,
For the LORDhas chosenZion;He has desiredit for His habitation.
Greatis the LORD,and greatlyto be praised,In the cityof our God,His holymountain.
You shall makean altarof earthfor Me, and you shall sacrificeon it your burntofferingsand your peaceofferings,your sheepand your oxen;in everyplacewhereI cause My nameto be remembered,I will cometo you and blessyou.
"Howthen will one answerthe messengersof the nation?That the LORDhas foundedZion,And the afflictedof His peoplewill seekrefugein it."
"The LORDwill possessJudahas His portionin the holyland,and will againchooseJerusalem.
The LORDsaidto Satan,"The LORDrebukeyou, Satan!Indeed, the LORDwho has chosenJerusalemrebukeyou! Is thisnot a brandpluckedfrom the fire?"
Now the LORDsaidto Samuel,"Howlongwill you grieveoverSaul,since I have rejectedhim from beingkingoverIsrael?Fillyour hornwith oiland go;I will sendyou to Jessethe Bethlehemite,for I have selecteda kingfor Myself among his sons."
