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

1 ¶ And it came to pass,² when² the kingº satºª in his house,º and the LORDº had given him restºª round aboutº² from all²² his enemies;ºª 2 That the kingº saidºª unto² Nathanº the prophet,º Seeºª now,² I² dwellºª in an houseº of cedar,º but the arkº of Godº dwellethºª withinº curtains.º 3 And Nathanº saidºª to² the king,º Go,¹ª² doºª all² that² [is] in thine heart;º for² the LORDº [is] with² thee.

after by the Word of God forbiddeth him.

4 ¶ And it came to pass² that² night,º that the wordº of the LORDº came² unto² Nathan,º saying,ºª 5 Go¹ª² and tellºª² my servantº David,º Thus² saithºª the LORD,º Shalt thou² buildºª me an houseº for me to dwell² in?¹ª 6 Whereas² I have not² dweltºª in [any] houseº since the timeº² that I brought upºª² the childrenº of Israelº out of Egypt,º² even to² this² day,º but have² walkedºª in a tentº and in a tabernacle.º 7 In all² [the places] wherein² I have walkedºª with all² the childrenº of Israelº spakeºª I a wordº with² anyº of the tribesº of Israel,º whom² I commandedºª to feedºª² my peopleº² Israel,º saying,ºª Why² buildºª ye not² me an houseº of cedar?º 8 Now² therefore² so shalt thou sayºª unto my servantº David,º Thus² saithºª the LORDº of hosts,º I² tookºª thee from² the sheepcote,º from followingº² the sheep,º to be² rulerº over² my people,º over² Israel:º 9 And I was² with² thee whithersoever²² thou wentest,ºª and have cut offºª² all² thine enemiesºª out of thy sight,º² and have madeºª thee a greatº name,º like unto the nameº of the greatº [men] that² [are] in the earth.º 10 Moreover I will appointºª a placeº for my peopleº Israel,º and will plantºª them, that they may dwellºª in a place² of their own, and moveºª no² more;² neither² shall the childrenº of wickednessº afflictºª them any more,ºª as² beforetime,º 11 And as since² the timeº that² I commandedºª judgesºª [to be] over² my peopleº Israel,º and have caused thee to restºª from all²² thine enemies.ºª Also the LORDº tellethºª thee that² he will makeºª thee an house.º

He promiseth him benefits and blessings in his seed.

12 ¶ And when² thy daysº be fulfilled,ºª and thou shalt sleepºª with² thy fathers,º I will set upºª² thy seedº afterº thee, which² shall proceedºª out of thy bowels,º² and I will establishºª² his kingdom.º 13 He² shall buildºª an houseº for my name,º and I will stablishºª² the throneº of his kingdomº for¹ ever.º² 14 I² will be² his father,º and he² shall be² my son.º If² he commit iniquity,ºª I will chastenºª him with the rodº of men,¹² and with the stripesº of the childrenº of men:º 15 But my mercyº shall not² depart awayºª from² him, as² I tookºª [it] from²² Saul,º whom² I put awayºª beforeº² thee. 16 And thine houseº and thy kingdomº shall be establishedºª forº² ever¹² before¹ thee: thy throneº shall be² establishedºª for¹ ever.º² 17 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.

18 ¶ Then wentºª kingº Davidº in, and satºª beforeº the LORD,¹² and he said,ºª Who² [am] I,² O Lordº GOD?º and what² [is] my house,º that² thou hast broughtºª me hitherto?º² 19 And this² was yet² a small² thing¹ª in thy sight,º O Lordº GOD;º but thou hast spokenºª also² of² thy servant'sº houseº for a great while to come.º² And [is] this² the mannerº of man,º O Lordº GOD?º 20 And what² can¹ª Davidº sayºª² more¹ª² unto² thee? for thou,² Lordº GOD,º knowestºª² thy servant.º 21 For thy word's¹ sake,²² and according to thine own heart,º hast thou doneºª² all² these² great things,º to make² thy servantº knowºª [them]. 22 Wherefore²² thou art great,ºª O LORDº God:¹² for² [there is] none² like thee,² neither² [is there any] Godº besideº thee, according to all² that² we have heardºª with our ears.º 23 And what² oneº nationº in the earthº [is] like thy people,º [even] like Israel,º whom² Godº wentºª to redeemºª for a peopleº to himself, and to makeºª him a name,º and to doºª for you great² things¹ and terrible,ºª for thy land,º beforeº² thy people,º which² thou redeemedstºª to thee from Egypt,º² [from] the nationsº and their gods?º 24 For thou hast confirmedºª to thyself² thy peopleº Israelº [to be] a peopleº unto thee for¹ ever:º² and thou,² LORD,º art becomeºª their God.º 25 And now,² O LORDº God,º the wordº that² thou hast spokenºª concerning² thy servant,º and concerning² his house,º establishºª [it] for¹ ever,º² and doºª as² thou hast said.ºª 26 And let thy nameº be magnifiedºª for¹ ever,º² saying,ºª The LORDº of hostsº [is] the Godº over² Israel:º and let the houseº of thy servantº Davidº be² establishedºª beforeº thee. 27 For² thou,² O LORDº of hosts,º Godº of Israel,º hast revealedººª to thy servant,º saying,ºª I will buildºª thee an house:º therefore²² hath thy servantº foundºª in² his heartº to prayºª² this² prayerº unto² thee. 28 And now,² O Lordº GOD,º thou² [art] that² God,º and thy wordsº be² true,º and thou hast promisedºª² this² goodnessº unto² thy servant:º 29 Therefore now² let it please¹ª² thee to blessºª² the houseº of thy servant,º that it may continue² for everº beforeº thee: for² thou,² O Lordº GOD,º hast spokenºª [it]: and with thy blessingº² let the houseº of thy servantº be blessedºª for ever.º