1Now it came about when the king lived in his house, and the LORD had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, 2that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within tent curtains.” 3And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your mind, for the LORD is with you.” 4But it came about in the same night that the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying, 5“Go and say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Are you the one who should build Me a house to dwell in? 6“For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; but I have been moving about in a tent, even in a tabernacle. 7“Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, which I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’

God’s Covenant with David

     8“Now therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be ruler over My people Israel. 9“And I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth. 10“I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will the wicked afflict them any more as formerly, 11even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD also declares to you that the LORD will make a house for you. 12“When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13“He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14“I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, 15but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16“And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”’” 17In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

David’s Prayer

     18Then David the king went in and sat before the LORD, and he said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that Thou hast brought me this far? 19“And yet this was insignificant in Thine eyes, O Lord GOD, for Thou hast spoken also of the house of Thy servant concerning the distant future. And this is the custom of man, O Lord GOD. 20“And again what more can David say to Thee? For Thou knowest Thy servant, O Lord GOD! 21“For the sake of Thy word, and according to Thine own heart, Thou hast done all this greatness to let Thy servant know. 22“For this reason Thou art great, O Lord GOD; for there is none like Thee, and there is no God besides Thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23“And what one nation on the earth is like Thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself, and to do a great thing for Thee and awesome things for Thy land, before Thy people whom Thou hast redeemed for Thyself from Egypt, from nations and their gods? 24“For Thou hast established for Thyself Thy people Israel as Thine own people forever, and Thou, O LORD, hast become their God. 25“Now therefore, O LORD God, the word that Thou hast spoken concerning Thy servant and his house, confirm it forever, and do as Thou hast spoken, 26that Thy name may be magnified forever, by saying, ‘The LORD of hosts is God over Israel’; and may the house of Thy servant David be established before Thee. 27“For Thou, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, hast made a revelation to Thy servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house’; therefore Thy servant has found courage to pray this prayer to Thee. 28“And now, O Lord GOD, Thou art God, and Thy words are truth, and Thou hast promised this good thing to Thy servant. 29“Now therefore, may it please Thee to bless the house of Thy servant, that it may continue forever before Thee. For Thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken; and with Thy blessing may the house of Thy servant be blessed forever.”