¹When David was living in his house , David said to Nathan the prophet , “Behold , I live in a cedar house , but the ark of the LORD ’s covenant is in a tent .”

²Nathan said to David , “Do all that is in your heart ; for God is with you .”

³That same night , the word of God came to Nathan , saying ,

⁴“Go and tell David my servant , ‘The LORD says , “You shall not build me a house to dwell in ;

⁵for I have not lived in a house since the day that I brought up Israel to this day , but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tent to another .

⁶In all places in which I have walked with all Israel , did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel , whom I commanded to be shepherd of my people , saying , ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’”’

⁷“Now therefore , you shall tell my servant David , ‘The LORD of Armies says , “I took you from the sheep pen, from following the sheep , to be prince over my people Israel .

⁸I have been with you wherever you have gone , and have cut off all your enemies from before you . I will make you a name like the name of the great ones who are in the earth.

⁹I will appoint a place for my people Israel , and will plant them , that they may dwell in their own place , and be moved no more . The children of wickedness will not waste them any more , as at the first ,

¹⁰and from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel . I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover I tell you that the LORD will build you a house .

¹¹It will happen , when your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your offspring after you , who will be of your sons ; and I will establish his kingdom .

¹²He will build me a house , and I will establish his throne forever .

¹³I will be his father , and he will be my son . I will not take my loving kindness away from him , as I took it from him who was before you ;

¹⁴but I will settle him in my house and in my kingdom forever . His throne will be established forever .”’”

¹⁵According to all these words , and according to all this vision , so Nathan spoke to David .

¹⁶Then David the king went in and sat before the LORD ; and he said, “Who am I , LORD God , and what is my house , that you have brought me this far ?

¹⁷This was a small thing in your eyes , O God , but you have spoken of your servant ’s house for a great while to come , and have respected me according to the standard of a man of high degree , LORD God .

¹⁸What can David say yet more to you concerning the honour which is done to your servant ? For you know your servant .

¹⁹LORD , for your servant ’s sake , and according to your own heart , you have done all this greatness , to make known all these great things .

²⁰LORD , there is no one like you , neither is there any God besides you , according to all that we have heard with our ears.

²¹What one nation in the earth is like your people Israel , whom God went to redeem to himself for a people , to make you a name by great and awesome things , in driving out nations from before your people whom you redeemed out of Egypt ?

²²For you made your people Israel your own people forever ; and you , LORD , became their God .

²³Now , LORD , let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant , and concerning his house , be established forever , and do as you have spoken .

²⁴Let your name be established and magnified forever , saying, ‘The LORD of Armies is the God of Israel , even a God to Israel . The house of David your servant is established before you .’

²⁵For you , my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build him a house . Therefore your servant has found courage to pray before you .

²⁶Now , LORD , you are God , and have promised this good thing to your servant .

²⁷Now it has pleased you to bless the house of your servant , that it may continue forever before you ; for you , LORD , have blessed , and it is blessed forever .”