David desireth to build a house unto God -- God forbiddeth him -- David's prayer.

¹⁾And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORDLord had given him rest round about from all his enemies;

²⁾That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See, now, I dwell in ana house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.

³⁾And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORDLord is with thee.

⁴⁾And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORDLord came unto Nathan, saying,

⁵⁾Go and tell my servant David, Thus saithsaid the LORDLord, Shalt thou build me ana house for me to dwell in?

⁶⁾Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time 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.

⁷⁾In all the 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 feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me ana house of cedar?

⁸⁾Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORDLord of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel:;

⁹⁾And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, 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 a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any moreanymore, as beforetimebefore time,

¹¹⁾And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORDLord telleth thee that he will make thee ana house.

¹²⁾And when thy days be 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 ana house for my name, and I will stablishestablish the throne of his kingdom for everforever.

¹⁴⁾I 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:.

¹⁵⁾But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.

¹⁶⁾And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for everforever before thee:; thy throne shall be established for everforever.

¹⁷⁾According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

¹⁸⁾Then went king David in, and sat before the LORDLord, and he said, Who am I, O Lord GODGod? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?

¹⁹⁾And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GODGod; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord GODGod?

²⁰⁾And what can David say more unto thee? for thou, Lord GODGod, knowest thy servant.

²¹⁾For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know them.

²²⁾Wherefore thou art great, O LORDLord God:; for there is none like thee, neither is there any God besidebesides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

²³⁾And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods?

²⁴⁾For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever:forever; and thou, LORDLord, art become their God.

²⁵⁾And now, O LORDLord God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it for everforever, and do as thou hast said.

²⁶⁾And let thy name be magnified for everforever, saying, The LORDLord of hosts is the God over Israel:; and let the house of thy servant David be established before thee.

²⁷⁾For thou, O LORDLord of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee ana house:; therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.

²⁸⁾And now, O Lord GODGod, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:;

²⁹⁾Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for everforever before thee:; for thou, O Lord GODGod, hast spoken it:; and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for everforever.