1For it came to pass as David sat in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, "Behold, I dwell in a house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD dwells under curtains." 2And Nathan said to David, "Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you."

3And it came to pass the same night the word of God came to Nathan, saying, 4"Go and tell David My servant, 'Thus says the LORD, "You shall not build a house for Me to dwell in, 5For I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up Israel, even to this day, but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another. 6Wherever I have walked with all Israel, did I speak a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed My people, saying, 'Why have you not built Me a house of cedars?' " ' 7Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, so that you should be ruler over My people Israel. 8And I have been with you wherever you have walked, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a name like the name of the great men who are in the earth. 9And I will ordain a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall live in their place and shall be moved no more; nor shall the children of wickedness waste them any more as at the beginning, 10And since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. And I declare to you that the LORD will build you a house. 11And it shall come to pass, when your days have ended so that you must go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your seed after you, who shall be from your sons. And I will make his kingdom sure. 12He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. 13I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. And I will not take My steadfast love away from him as I took it from him who was before you. 14And I will settle him in My house and in My kingdom forever. And his throne shall be established forever." ' " 15According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

16And David the king 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? 17And yet this was a small thing in Your eyes, O God, for You have also spoken of Your servant's house for a great while to come and have regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O LORD God. 18What can David say more to You for the honor of Your servant? For You know Your servant! 19O LORD, for Your servant's sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness in making known all these great things. 20O LORD, there is none like You; neither is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 21And what one nation in the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be His own people, to make for Yourself a name of greatness and terribleness by driving out nations from before Your people whom You have redeemed out of Egypt? 22And You have chosen Your people Israel for Yourself, for Your own people forever. And You, LORD, have become their God.

23And now, O LORD, let the thing which You have spoken, concerning Your servant and concerning his house, be established forever, and do as You have said. 24Let it even be established, so that Your name may be magnified forever, saying, 'The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, is God to Israel. ' And let the house of David Your servant be established before You, 25For You, O my God, have told Your servant that You will build him a house. Therefore, Your servant has found it in his heart to pray before You. 26And now, LORD, You are God, and have promised this goodness to Your servant. 27And now let it please You to bless the house of Your servant so that it may be before You forever, for You have blessed, O LORD, and it shall be blessed forever."