1 N ow when David lived in his house, he said to Nathan the special preacher, “See, I am living in a house of cedar wood. But the special box with the Law of the Lord is under a tent.”

Now it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord remaineth under curtains.

2 N athan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart. For God is with you.”

Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that is in thine heart; for God is with thee.

3 B ut that same night the Word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying,

And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

4 “ Go and tell My servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says. “You will not build a house for Me to live in.

Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in:

5 F or I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up Israel to this day. But I have gone from tent to tent and from one place to another to live.

for I have not dwelt in an house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day; but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another.

6 I n all the places I have gone with all Israel, have I said a word to any of the judges of Israel about this? Have I said to anyone whom I told to watch over My people, ‘Why have you not built a house of cedar wood for Me?’”’

Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel, spake I a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedars?

7 S o now say to My servant David, ‘The Lord of All says, “I took you from the field, from following the sheep, to be leader over My people Israel.

Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, even from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler over my people Israel:

8 I have been with you in every place you have gone. I have destroyed in front of you all those who hate you. And I will make your name to be known like the name of the great ones of the earth.

and I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name like the name of the great men that are in the earth.

9 I will choose a place for My people Israel, and will plant them. So they will live in their own place and not be moved again. Never again will they be under the power of sinful men, as they were before,

Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the beginning,

10 f rom the time that I told judges to rule My people Israel. I will put under your power all those who hate you. And I say to you that the Lord will build a house for you.

and since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. Moreover I will subdue all thine enemies. Furthermore I tell thee that the Lord will build thee an house.

11 W hen your days are over, the time will come when you must go to be with your fathers. But then I will put into power one of your sons after you. I will make him king.

And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.

12 H e will build a house for Me. And I will make his throne last forever.

He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever.

13 I 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.

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 that was before thee:

14 B ut I will put him over My house and in My nation forever. And his throne will last forever.”’”

but I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.

15 N athan told David all these words from all this special dream. David’s Prayer of Thanks

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

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

And David the king came and sat before the Lord, and said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?

17 T his was a small thing in Your eyes, O God. You have spoken of Your servant’s house for a long time to come. You have thought of me as if I were an important man, O Lord God.

And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God; for thou hast also spoken of thy servant’s house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O Lord God.

18 W hat more can David say to You about the honor given to Your servant? For You know Your servant.

What can David speak more to thee for the honour of thy servant? for thou knowest thy servant.

19 Y ou have made all this greatness, O Lord. You have made known all these great things, for Your servant, and by Your own heart.

O Lord, for thy servant’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things.

20 O Lord, there is no one like You. There is no God other than You, by all that we have heard with our ears.

O Lord, there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

21 W hat other nation on earth is like Your people Israel? God went to free them to be His people. You made Yourself a name by great things which filled people with fear. You drove out the nations before Your people, whom You set free from Egypt.

And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his own people, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people, whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt?

22 Y ou made Your people Israel to be Your people forever. And You, O Lord, became their God.

For thy people Israel didst thou make thine own people for ever; and thou, Lord, becamest their God.

23 N ow, O Lord, let the Word that You have spoken about Your servant and his house be made sure forever. Do as You have said.

Therefore now, Lord, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as thou hast said.

24 L et Your name be made sure and honored forever, saying, ‘The Lord of All, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God. And the house of Your servant David is made to last before You.’

Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, The Lord of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel: and let the house of David thy servant be established before thee.

25 F or You, O my God, have made it known to Your servant that You will build a house for him. So Your servant has found strength of heart to pray to You.

For thou, O my God, hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him an house: therefore thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before thee.

26 A nd now, O Lord, You are God. You have promised this good thing to Your servant.

And now, Lord, thou art God, and hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:

27 N ow it has pleased You to bring good to the house of Your servant. May it last forever before You. For when You bring good to something, O Lord, good is with it forever.”

now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest, O Lord, and it shall be blessed for ever.