1And it came to pass , when the king dwelt in his house , and Jehovah had given him rest from all his enemies round about , 2that the king said unto Nathan the prophet , See now , I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains . 3And Nathan said to the king , Go , do all that is in thy heart ; for Jehovah is with thee . 4And it came to pass the same night , that the word of Jehovah came unto Nathan , saying , 5Go and tell my servant David , Thus saith Jehovah , Shalt thou build me a house for me to dwell in ? 6for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt , even to this day , but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle . 7In all places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel , spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel , whom I commanded to be shepherd of my people Israel , saying , Why have ye not built me a house of cedar? 8Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David , Thus saith Jehovah of hosts , I took thee from the sheepcote , from following the sheep , that thou shouldest be prince over my people , over Israel ; 9and I have been with thee whithersoever thou wentest , and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee ; and I will make thee a great name , like unto the name of the great ones that are in the earth. 10And I will appoint a place for my people Israel , and will plant them , that they may dwell in their own place , and be moved no more ; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more , as at the first , 11and as from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel ; and I will cause thee to rest from all thine enemies. Moreover Jehovah telleth thee that Jehovah will make thee a house . 12When thy days are fulfilled , and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, that shall proceed out of thy bowels , and I will establish his kingdom . 13He shall build a house for my name , and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever . 14I will be his father , and he shall be my son : if he commit iniquity , I will chasten him with the rod of men , and with the stripes of the children of men ; 15but my lovingkindness shall not depart from him , as I took it from Saul , whom I put away before thee . 16And thy house and thy kingdom shall be made sure for ever before thee : thy throne shall be established for ever . 17According to all these words , and according to all this vision , so did Nathan speak unto David .
The Nature of God's Promises
18Then David the king went in , and sat before Jehovah ; and he said, Who am I , O Lord Jehovah , and what is my house , that thou hast brought me thus far ? 19And this was yet a small thing in thine eyes , O Lord Jehovah ; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant ’s house for a great while to come ; and this too after the manner of men , O Lord Jehovah ! 20And what can David say more unto thee ? for thou knowest thy servant , O Lord Jehovah . 21For thy word ’s sake , and according to thine own heart , hast thou wrought all this greatness , to make thy servant know it . 22Wherefore thou art great , O Jehovah God : for there is none like thee , neither is there any God besides thee , according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23And what one nation in the earth is like thy people , even like Israel , whom God went to redeem unto himself for a people , and to make him a name , and to do great things for you , and terrible things for thy land , before thy people , whom thou redeemedst to thee out of Egypt , from the nations and their gods ? 24And thou didst establish to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever ; and thou , Jehovah , becamest their God . 25And now , O Jehovah God , the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant , and concerning his house , confirm thou it for ever , and do as thou hast spoken . 26And let thy name be magnified for ever , saying, Jehovah of hosts is God over Israel ; and the house of thy servant David shall be established before thee . 27For thou , O Jehovah of hosts , the God of Israel , hast revealed to thy servant , saying, I will build thee a house : therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee . 28And now , O Lord Jehovah , thou art God , and thy words are truth, and thou hast promised this good thing unto thy servant : 29now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant , that it may continue for ever before thee ; for thou , O Lord Jehovah , hast spoken it : and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever .