| 1 | Now it came to pass, when David was dwelling in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under tent curtains." |
| 2 | Then Nathan said to David, "Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you." |
| 3 | But it happened that night that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, |
| 4 | "Go and tell My servant David, `Thus says the Lord: "You shall not build Me a house to dwell in. |
| 5 | For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought up Israel, even to this day, but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another. |
| 6 | Wherever I have moved about with all Israel, have I ever spoken a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, `Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?` " ` |
| 7 | Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, `Thus says the Lord of hosts: "I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. |
| 8 | And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a name like the name of the great men who are on the earth. |
| 9 | Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, |
| 10 | since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. Also I will subdue all your enemies. Furthermore I tell you that the Lord will build you a house. |
| 11 | And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. |
| 12 | He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. |
| 13 | I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. |
| 14 | And I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever." ` " |
| 15 | According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David. |
| 16 | Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: "Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? |
| 17 | And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O God; and You have also spoken of Your servant`s house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the rank of a man of high degree, O Lord God. |
| 18 | What more can David say to You for the honor of Your servant? For You know Your servant. |
| 19 | O Lord, for Your servant`s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. |
| 20 | O Lord, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. |
| 21 | And who is like Your people Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people--to make for Yourself a name by great and awesome deeds, by driving out nations from before Your people whom You redeemed from Egypt? |
| 22 | For You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever; and You, Lord, have become their God. |
| 23 | "And now, O Lord, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, let it be established forever, and do as You have said. |
| 24 | So let it be established, that Your name may be magnified forever, saying, `The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel`s God.` And let the house of Your servant David be established before You. |
| 25 | For You, O my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build him a house. Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray before You. |
| 26 | And now, Lord, You are God, and have promised this goodness to Your servant. |
| 27 | Now You have been pleased to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You have blessed it, O Lord, and it shall be blessed forever." |