Nathan first approving the purpose of David to build God an house,

1 ¶ Now it came to pass,² as² Davidº satºª in his house,º that Davidº saidºª to² Nathanº the prophet,º Lo,² I² dwellºª in an houseº of cedars,º but the arkº of the covenantº of the LORDº [remaineth] under² curtains.º 2 Then Nathanº saidºª unto² David,º Doºª all² that² [is] in thine heart;º for² Godº [is] with² thee.

after by the Word of God forbiddeth him.

3 ¶ And it came to pass² the same² night,º that the wordº of Godº came² to² Nathan,º saying,ºª 4 Go¹ª² and tellºª² Davidº my servant,º Thus² saithºª the LORD,º Thou² shalt not² buildºª me an houseº to dwell in:ºª 5 For² I have not² dwelt² in¹ª an houseº since² the dayº that² I brought upºª² Israelº unto² this² day;º but have gone² from tentº² to² tent,º and from [one] tabernacleº² [to another]. 6 Wheresoever²² I have walkedºª with all² Israel,º spakeºª I a wordº to² anyº of the judgesºª of Israel,º whom² I commandedºª to feedºª² my people,º saying,ºª Why² have ye not² builtºª me an houseº of cedars?º 7 Now² therefore thus² shalt thou sayºª unto my servantº David,º Thus² saithºª the LORDº of hosts,º I² tookºª thee from² the sheepcote,º [even] from² followingº the sheep,º that thou shouldest be² rulerº over² my peopleº Israel:º 8 And I have been² with² thee whithersoever²² thou hast walked,ºª and have cut offºª² all² thine enemiesºª from beforeº² thee, and have madeºª thee a nameº like the nameº of the great menº that² [are] in the earth.º 9 Also I will ordainºª a placeº for my peopleº Israel,º and will plantºª them, and they shall dwellºª in their place,² and shall be movedºª no² more;² neither² shall the childrenº of wickednessº wasteºª them any more,ºª as² at the beginning,º 10 And since the timeº² that² I commandedºª judgesºª [to be] over² my peopleº Israel.º Moreover I will subdueºª² all² thine enemies.ºª Furthermore I tellºª thee that the LORDº will buildºª thee an house.º

He promiseth him blessings and benefits in his seed.

11 ¶ And it shall come to pass,² when² thy daysº be expiredºª that thou must go¹ª² [to be] with² thy fathers,º that I will raise upºª² thy seedº afterº thee, which² shall be² of thy sons;º² and I will establishºª² his kingdom.º 12 He² shall buildºª me an house,º and I will stablishºª² his throneº for¹ ever.º² 13 I² will be² his father,º and he² shall be² my son:º and I will not² take¹ª my mercy¹ awayºª² from²² him, as² I tookºª [it] from [him] that²² was² beforeº thee: 14 But I will settleºª him in mine houseº and in my kingdomº for ever:º² and his throneº shall be² establishedºª for¹ evermore.º² 15 According to all² these² words,º and according to all² this² vision,º so² did Nathanº speakºª unto² David.º

David's prayer and thanksgiving.

16 ¶ And Davidº the kingº cameºª and satºª beforeº the LORD,º and said,ºª Who² [am] I,² O LORDº God,º and what² [is] mine house,º that² thou hast broughtºª me hitherto?º² 17 And [yet] this² was a small thingºª in thine eyes,º O God;º for thou hast [also] spokenºª of² thy servant'sº houseº for a great while to come,º² and hast regardedºª me according to the estateº of a manº of high degree,º O LORDº God.º 18 What² can¹ª Davidº [speak] moreºª² to² thee for the honourº of² thy servant?º for thou² knowestºª² thy servant.º 19 O LORD,º for thy servant's¹ sake,²² and according to thine own heart,º hast thou doneºª² all² this² greatness,º in making knownºª² all² [these] great things.º 20 O LORD,º [there is] none² like thee,² neither² [is there any] Godº besideº thee, according to all² that² we have heardºª with our ears.º 21 And what² oneº nationº in the earthº [is] like thy peopleº Israel,º whom² Godº wentºª to redeemºª [to be] his own people,º to makeºª thee a nameº of greatnessº and terribleness,ºª by driving outºª nationsº from beforeº² thy people,º whom² thou hast redeemedºª out of Egypt?º² 22 For² thy peopleº Israelº didst thou makeºª thine own peopleº for¹ ever;º² and thou,² LORD,º becamest² their God.º 23 Therefore now,² LORD,º let the thingº that² thou hast spokenºª concerning² thy servantº and concerning² his houseº be establishedºª for¹ ever,º² and doºª as² thou hast said.ºª 24 Let it even be established,ºª that thy nameº may be magnifiedºª for¹ ever,º² saying,ºª The LORDº of hostsº [is] the Godº of Israel,º [even] a Godº to Israel:º and [let] the houseº of Davidº thy servantº [be] establishedºª beforeº thee. 25 For² thou,² O my God,º hast toldººª² thy servantº that thou wilt buildºª him an house:º therefore²² thy servantº hath foundºª [in his heart] to prayºª beforeº thee. 26 And now,² LORD,º thou² art God,º and hast promisedºª this² goodnessº unto² thy servant:º 27 Now² therefore let it pleaseºª thee to blessºª² the houseº of thy servant,º that it may be² beforeº thee for ever:º for² thou² blessest,ºª O LORD,º and [it shall be] blessedºª for ever.º