Nathan first approves, then restrains David from building a house of the Lord—David’s son shall build the temple—Triumph of Israel foretold—David thanks the Lord for his goodness to Israel.

1 - Now it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the L ORD remaineth under curtains.

2 - Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that is in thine heart; for God is with thee.

3 - ¶ And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

4 - Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the L ORD, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in:

5 - For I have not dwelt in an house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day; but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another.

6 - Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel, spake I a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedars?

7 - Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the L ORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, even from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler over my people Israel:

8 - And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name like the name of the great men that are in the earth.

9 - Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the beginning,

10 - And since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. Moreover I will subdue all thine enemies. Furthermore I tell thee that the L ORD will build thee an house.

11 - ¶ And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.

12 - He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever.

13 - I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee:

14 - But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.

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

16 - ¶ And David the king came and sat before the L ORD, and said, Who am I, O L ORD God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?

17 - And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God; for thou hast also spoken of thy servant’s house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O L ORD God.

18 - What can David speak more to thee for the honour of thy servant? for thou knowest thy servant.

19 - O L ORD, for thy servant’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things.

20 - O L ORD, there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

21 - And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his own people, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people, whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt?

22 - For thy people Israel didst thou make thine own people for ever; and thou, L ORD, becamest their God.

23 - Therefore now, L ORD, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as thou hast said.

24 - Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, The L ORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel: and let the house of David thy servant be established before thee.

25 - For thou, O my God, hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him an house: therefore thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before thee.

26 - And now, L ORD, thou art God, and hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:

27 - Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest, O L ORD, and it shall be blessed for ever.