1When David was settled in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, "Look, I live in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD stays under curtains."
3That same night the word of God came to Nathan. God said,
4"Go and tell David my servant, 'This is what the LORD says: You shall not build me a house to live in.'"
5"For I have not lived in a house from the day I brought Israel up until this day. I have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another."
6"Wherever I have walked with all Israel, did I ever say a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people? Did I say, 'Why have you not built me a house of cedar?'"
7"Now therefore you shall say this to my servant David: 'This is what the LORD of hosts says: I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people Israel."
8"'I have been with you wherever you have walked. I have cut off all your enemies from in front of you, and I have made you a name like the name of the great men who are on the earth."
9"'I will also appoint a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them there. They shall live in their own place and be moved no more. Wicked men shall not wear them down any more, as they did at the beginning,"
10"'and from the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. And I will bring all your enemies down. I also tell you that the LORD will build you a house."
11"'When your days are finished and you must go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will make his kingdom firm."
12"'He shall build me a house, and I will make his throne firm for ever."
13"'I will be his father, and he shall be my son. I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from the one who was before you."
14"'But I will settle him in my house and in my kingdom for ever, and his throne shall be established for evermore.'"
16Then King David came and sat before the LORD, and said, "Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that you have brought me this far?"
17"And even this was a small thing in your eyes, O God. You have also spoken about your servant's house for a great while to come, and you have looked on me as if I were a man of high rank, O LORD God."
18"What more can David say to you about the honour you give your servant? For you know your servant."
19"O LORD, for your servant's sake, and following your own heart, you have done all this great thing, and have made known all these great things."
20"O LORD, there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears."
21"And what one nation on the earth is like your people Israel? God went to redeem them to be his own people, to make for yourself a name of greatness and terror, driving out nations from before your people, whom you redeemed out of Egypt."
22"For you made your people Israel your own people for ever, and you, LORD, became their God."
23"So now, LORD, let the word you have spoken about your servant and about his house stand firm for ever, and do as you have said."
24"Let it stand firm, so that your name may be made great for ever, and people may say, 'The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, a God to Israel.' And let the house of David your servant be made firm before you."
25"For you, O my God, have told your servant that you will build him a house. That is why your servant has found courage in his heart to pray before you."
26"And now, LORD, you are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant."
27"Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue before you for ever. For you bless, O LORD, and it shall be blessed for ever."