¶ Now it came to pass, as David¹ sat in his house, that David said to Nathan² the prophet, Lo, I dwell³ in an house of cedars, but the ark⁴ of the covenant of the LORD remaineth under curtains⁵.

Then Nathan said unto David, Do all⁶ that is in thine heart; for God⁷ is with thee.

And it came to pass the same night, that the word⁸ of God came to Nathan, saying,

Go and tell⁹ David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not¹⁰ build me an house to dwell in:

For I have not dwelt¹¹ in an house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day; but have gone¹² from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another.

Wheresoever I have walked¹³ with all Israel, spake I a word to any of the judges¹⁴ of Israel, whom I commanded to feed¹⁶ my people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedars?

Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee¹⁷ from the sheepcote, even from following¹⁸ the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler over my people Israel:

And I have been¹⁹ with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off²⁰ all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee²¹ a name like the name of the great men that are in the earth.

Also I will²² ordain a place for my people Israel, and will plant²³ them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be²⁴ moved no more; neither shall the children²⁵ of wickedness waste²⁶ them any more, as at the²⁷ beginning,

¶ And since²⁸ the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. Moreover²⁹ I will subdue all thine enemies. Furthermore I tell thee that the LORD³⁰ will build thee an house.

And it shall come to pass, when thy³¹ days be expired that thou must go to be³² with thy fathers, that I will raise³³ up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.

He shall³⁴ build me an house, and I will³⁵ stablish his throne for ever.

I will be³⁶ his father, and he shall be my son³⁷: and I will not³⁸ take my mercy away from him, as I took³⁹ it from him that was before thee:

But I will settle him in mine⁴⁰ house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.

According⁴¹ to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

¶ And David the king came and sat before⁴² the LORD, and said, Who am I,⁴³ O LORD God, and what is⁴⁴ mine house, that thou hast⁴⁵ brought me hitherto?

And yet this was a small thing⁴⁶ in thine eyes, O God; for thou hast⁴⁷ also spoken of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and hast regarded⁴⁸ me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O LORD God.

What can David speak more to thee for the honour⁴⁹ of thy servant? for thou knowest⁵⁰ thy servant.

O LORD, for thy servant's⁵¹ sake, and according⁵² to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things⁵³.

¶ O LORD, there is none⁵⁴ like thee, neither is there any God beside thee,⁵⁵ according⁵⁶ to all that we have heard with our ears.

And what one⁵⁷ nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem⁵⁸ to be his own people, to make thee⁵⁹ a name of greatness⁶⁰ and terribleness, by driving⁶¹ out nations from before thy people, whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt?

For thy people⁶² Israel didst thou make thine own people for ever; and thou, LORD, becamest their God.

Therefore now, LORD, let the thing⁶³ that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as thou hast said.

Let it even be established, that thy name⁶⁴ may be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God⁶⁵ to Israel: and let⁶⁶ the house of David thy servant be established before thee.

For thou, O my God, hast told thy servant⁶⁷ that thou⁶⁸ wilt build him an house: therefore thy servant hath found⁶⁹ in his heart to pray before thee.

And now, LORD, thou art God⁷⁰, and hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:

Now therefore let it please⁷¹ 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.