[1] Now when the king was living in his house, and the Lord had given him
rest from war on every side; [2] The king said to Nathan the prophet, See
now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God is housed inside
the curtains of a tent. [3] And Nathan said to the king, Go and do whatever
is in your heart; for the Lord is with you. [4] Now that night the word of
the Lord came to Nathan, saying, [5] Go and say to my servant David, The
Lord says, Are you to be the builder of a house, a living-place for me? [6]
For from the day when I took the children of Israel up out of Egypt till
this day, I have had no house, but have gone from place to place in a tent.
[7] In all the places where I went with all the children of Israel, did I
ever say to any of the judges of Israel, to whom I gave the care of my
people Israel, Why have you not made me a house of cedar? [8] Then say
these words to my servant David, The Lord of armies says, I took you from
the fields, from keeping the sheep, so that you might be a ruler over my
people, over my people Israel: [9] And I have been with you wherever you
went, cutting off before you all those who were against you; and I will
make your name great, like the name of the greatest ones of the earth. [10]
And I will make a resting-place for my people Israel, planting them there,
so that they may be living in the place which is theirs, and never again be
moved; and never again will they be troubled by evil men as they were at
the first, [11] From the time when I put judges over my people Israel; and
I will give you peace from all who are against you. And the Lord says to
you that he will make you the head of a line of kings. [12] And when the
time comes for you to go to rest with your fathers, I will put in your
place your seed after you, the offspring of your body, and I will make his
kingdom strong. [13] He will be the builder of a house for my name, and I
will make the seat of his authority certain for ever. [14] I will be to him
a father and he will be to me a son: if he does wrong, I will give him
punishment with the rod of men and with the blows of the children of men;
[15] But my mercy will not be taken away from him, as I took it from him
who was before you. [16] And your family and your kingdom will keep their
place before me for ever: the seat of your authority will never be
overturned. [17] So Nathan gave David an account of all these words and
this vision. [18] Then David the king went in and took his seat before the
Lord, and said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have
been my guide till now? [19] And this was only a small thing to you, O Lord
God; but your words have even been about the far-off future of your
servant's family, O Lord God! [20] What more may David say to you? for you
have knowledge of your servant, O Lord God. [21] Because of your word and
from your heart, you have done all this great work, and let your servant
see it. [22] Truly you are great, O Lord God: there is no one like you and
no other God but you, as is clear from everything which has come to our
ears. [23] And what other nation in the earth, like your people Israel, did
a god go out to take for himself, to be his people, and to make a name for
himself, and to do great and strange things for them, driving out a nation
and its gods from before his people? [24] But you took and made strong for
yourself your people Israel, to be your people for ever; and you, Lord,
became their God. [25] And now, O Lord God, may the word which you have
said about your servant and about his family, be made certain for ever, and
may you do as you have said! [26] And let your name be made great for ever,
and let men say, The Lord of armies is God over Israel: and let the family
of David your servant be made strong before you! [27] For you, O Lord of
armies, the God of Israel, have clearly said to your servant, I will make
you the head of a family of kings: and so it has come into your servant's
heart to make this prayer to you. [28] And now, O Lord God, you are God and
your words are true and you have said you will give your servant this good
thing; [29] So may it be your pleasure to give your blessing to the family
of your servant, so that it may go on for ever before you: (for you, O Lord
God, have said it,) and may your blessing be on your servant's family line
for ever!
