¶ And it came to pass, when the king¹ sat in his house, and the LORD² had given him rest round about from all his enemies;

That the king said unto Nathan³ the prophet, See now, I dwell⁴ in an house of cedar, but the ark⁵ of God dwelleth within curtains⁶.

And Nathan said to the king, Go, do⁷ all that⁸ is in thine heart; for the⁹ LORD is with thee.

¶ And it came to pass that night¹⁰, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying,

Go and tell my servant David¹¹, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?

Whereas I have not¹² dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked¹³ in a tent¹⁴ and in a tabernacle.

In all the places wherein I have walked¹⁵ with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes¹⁶ of Israel, whom I commanded to feed¹⁸ my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?

Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee¹⁹ from the sheepcote, from following²⁰ the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel:

And I was²¹ with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off²² all thine enemies out of thy sight²³, and have made thee a great name, like unto²⁴ the name of the great men that are in the earth.

¶ Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them,²⁵ that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither²⁶ shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime²⁷,

And as since²⁸ the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused²⁹ thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make³⁰ thee an house.

And when³¹ thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep³² with thy fathers, I will set³³ up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

He shall³⁴ build an house for my name, and I will stablish³⁵ the throne of his kingdom for ever.

I will be³⁶ his father, and he shall be my son. If he³⁷ commit iniquity, I will³⁸ chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:

But my³⁹ mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took⁴⁰ it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.

⁴¹And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.

⁴²According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

¶ Then went king David in, and sat⁴³ before the LORD, and he said, Who am I,⁴⁴ O Lord GOD? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?

And this⁴⁵ was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou⁴⁶ hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this⁴⁷ the manner⁴⁸ of man, O Lord GOD?

¶ And what can David say more unto thee? for thou, Lord GOD, knowest⁴⁹ thy servant.

For thy word's⁵⁰ sake, and according⁵¹ to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know them.

Wherefore⁵² thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none⁵³ like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

And what one⁵⁴ nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went⁵⁵ to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him⁵⁶ a name, and to do for you great things⁵⁷ and terrible, for thy land, before thy people⁵⁸, which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods⁵⁹?

For thou hast confirmed⁶⁰ to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever: and thou, LORD, art become⁶¹ their God.

And now, O LORD God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it⁶² for ever, and do as thou hast said.

And let thy⁶³ name be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel: and let the house of thy servant David be established before thee⁶⁴.

For thou, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed⁶⁵ to thy servant, saying, I will⁶⁶ build thee an house: therefore hath thy servant found⁶⁷ in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.

And now, O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and thy words⁶⁸ be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:

Therefore now let it please thee to bless⁶⁹ the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever⁷⁰ before thee: for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.