1 K ing David lived in his house. The Lord had given him rest from all those around him who hated him. At this time,

¶ And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him,

2 t he king said to Nathan, the man who spoke for God, “See now, I live in a house of cedar wood. But the special box of God stays within tent curtains.”

that the king said unto Nathan, the prophet, See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within curtains.

3 N athan said to the king, “Go and do all that is in your mind. For the Lord is with you.”

And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thy heart, for the LORD is with thee.

4 B ut that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying,

¶ And it came to pass that night that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying,

5 “ Go and tell My servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says, “Are you the one who should build a house for Me to live in?

Go and tell my slave David, Thus hath the LORD said, Shalt thou build me a house for me to dwell in?

6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought the people of Israel from Egypt to this day. But I have been moving about with a tent to live in.

For I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the sons of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.

7 I n all the places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I say anything about this to any of the families of Israel which I told to shepherd My people? Did I say to any of them, ‘Why have you not built a house of cedar wood for Me?’”’

In all the places in which I have walked with all the sons of Israel did I speak a word in any of the tribes of Israel, unto whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why did ye not build me a house of cedar?

8 S o now tell My servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of All says, “I took you from following the sheep in the field to be the ruler of My people Israel.

Now, therefore, so shalt thou say unto my slave David, Thus hath the LORD of the hosts said, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people, over Israel;

9 I have been with you in all the places you have gone. I have destroyed from in front of you all those who fought against you. I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth.

and I have been with thee wherever thou didst walk and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.

10 I will choose a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be troubled again. The sinful will not bring trouble to them any more, as they did before

Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their place and never again be removed; neither shall the sons of iniquity afflict them any more as before,

11 s ince the day I told special people to rule My people Israel. I will give you rest from all those who hate you. And the Lord makes known to you that He will make a house for you.

since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. And I will cause thee to rest from all thy enemies. Likewise, the LORD makes thee to know that he will make thee a house.

12 W hen your days are done and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your son after you, who will be born from you. And I will build his nation.

And when thy days are fulfilled and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

13 H e will build a house for My name, and I will build the throne of his nation to last forever.

He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

14 I will be a Father to him and he will be a son to Me. When he sins, I will punish him with the stick of men. And I will let the sons of men hit him.

I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the sons of men;

15 B ut My loving-kindness will not leave him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I took away from you.

but my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I took away from before thee.

16 Y our house and your nation will be made sure before Me forever. Your throne will be built to last forever.”’”

And thy house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee; thy throne shall be established for ever.

17 N athan said to David all these words of this special dream. David’s Prayer

According to all these words and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

18 T hen King David went in and sat before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that You have brought me this far?

¶ Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said, O Lord GOD, Who am I and what is my house that thou hast brought me thus far?

19 Y et this was a small thing in Your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken of Your servant’s family in the future. And this is the way of man, O Lord God.

And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy slave’s house for a great while to come and that this shall be the condition of a man, O Lord GOD.

20 W hat more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord God.

And what more can David say unto thee? For thou, Lord GOD, knowest thy slave.

21 B ecause of Your Word and Your own heart, You have done all these great things to let Your servant know.

For thou hast done all these great things by thy word and according to thine own heart to make thy slave know them.

22 F or this reason You are great, O Lord God. There is none like You. And there is no God but You, by all that we have heard with our ears.

Therefore, thou art great, O LORD God, for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

23 W hat other nation on earth is like Your people Israel. God went to make them free to be His people and to make a name for Himself. You did a great thing for Yourself and great things for Your land. You did them before Your people whom You have made free from Egypt, from nations and their gods.

And who in the earth is like thy people, like Israel? A Gentile for the love of whom God went to ransom as a people to himself and to give him a name and to do with you great and terrible things in thy land because of thy people whom thou didst redeem unto thee from Egypt, from the Gentiles and their gods?

24 F or You have made for Yourself Your people Israel to be Your people forever. O Lord, You have become their God.

For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be thy people for ever, and thou, LORD, have become their God.

25 N ow, O Lord God, make sure forever the word which You have spoken about Your servant and his family. Do as You have said.

And now, O LORD God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy slave and concerning his house, raise it up for ever and do as thou hast said.

26 A nd Your name will be honored forever. It will be said, ‘The Lord of All is God over Israel.’ May the family of Your servant David be made strong before You.

For thus shall thy name be magnified for ever that it may be said, The LORD of the hosts is God over Israel and that the house of thy slave David be established before thee.

27 F or You, O Lord of All, the God of Israel, have shown this to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ So Your servant has found strength of heart to pray this prayer to You.

For thou, O LORD of the hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy slave, saying, I will build thee a house. Therefore, thy slave has found it in his heart to pray this prayer in thy presence.

28 A nd now, O Lord God, You are God. Your Words are truth. And You have promised this good thing to Your servant.

And now, O Lord GOD, thou art God, and thy words shall be firm, and thou hast spoken this goodness unto thy slave.

29 S o now may it please You to bring good to the house of Your servant, that it may last forever before You. For You have spoken, O Lord God. May Your good come to the family of Your servant forever.”

Therefore, now let it please thee to bless the house of thy slave that it may continue for ever before thee, for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it, and with thy blessing the house of thy slave shall be blessed for ever.