1 And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2 that the king said unto Nathan, the prophet, See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within curtains. 3 And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thy heart, for the LORD is with thee.
4 And it came to pass that night that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying, 5 Go and tell my slave David, Thus hath the LORD said, Shalt thou build me a house for me to dwell in? 6 For I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the sons of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7 In all the places in which I have walked with all the sons of Israel did I speak a word in any of the tribes of Israel, unto whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why did ye not build me a house of cedar? 8 Now, therefore, so shalt thou say unto my slave David, Thus hath the LORD of the hosts said, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people, over Israel; 9 and I have been with thee wherever thou didst walk and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth. 10 Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their place and never again be removed; neither shall the sons of iniquity afflict them any more as before, 11 since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. And I will cause thee to rest from all thy enemies. Likewise, the LORD makes thee to know that he will make thee a house. 12 And when thy days are fulfilled and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the sons of men; 15 but my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I took away from before thee. 16 And thy house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee; thy throne shall be established for ever. 17 According to all these words and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.