2 Samuel 7

And it came to pass when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him an inheritance round about from all his enemies round about,

that the king said to Nathan the prophet: See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God sits in the middle of a tent.

And Nathan said to the king: All that is in your heart — go and do it, for the Lord is with you.

And it came about in that night that a word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:

Go and say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord: You shall not build me a house for me to dwell in.

For I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought up the sons of Israel out of Egypt until this day, but I have been walking about in a lodging and in a tent.

In all the places where I went about among all Israel, did I ever speak a word to one tribe of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying: Why have you not built me a house of cedar?

And now, thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord Almighty: I took you from the sheepfold, that you should be leader over my people, over Israel.

And I was with you in all the places where you went, and I utterly destroyed all your enemies from before you, and I made you renowned according to the name of the great ones who are on the earth.

And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and I will plant him, and he shall encamp by himself and shall be anxious no more; and a son of iniquity shall no longer add to humbling him, as from the beginning,

from the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies, and the Lord will declare to you that you shall build him a house.

And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled and you sleep with your fathers, that I will raise up your seed after you, who shall come from your belly, and I will establish his kingdom.

He shall build me a house for my name, and I will set his throne upright forever.

I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. And if his iniquity comes, I will reprove him with a rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.

But my mercy I will not remove from him, just as I removed it from those from whom I removed it out of my presence.

And his house shall be made sure, and his kingdom forever before me, and his throne shall be set upright forever.

According to all these words and according to all this vision, thus Nathan spoke to David.

And King David went in and sat before the Lord and said: Who am I, my Lord, O Lord, and what is my house, that you have loved me thus far?

And this has been made a small thing before you, my Lord, O Lord, and you have spoken concerning the house of your servant for a long time to come. And this is the law of mankind, my Lord, O Lord.

And what more shall David add to say to you? And now you know your servant, my Lord, O Lord.

For the sake of your word you have done it, and according to your own heart you have wrought all this greatness, to make it known to your servant,

for the magnifying of you, my Lord, O Lord; for there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, in all that we have heard with our ears.

And who is like your people Israel, another nation on the earth? How God guided it, to redeem for himself a people, to make a name for yourself, to work greatness and a manifestation, to drive out from before your people — whom you redeemed for yourself out of Egypt — nations and their tents.

And you prepared for yourself your people Israel as a people forever, and you, O Lord, became God to them.

And now, my Lord, O Lord, the word which you spoke concerning your servant and his house — confirm it forever, O Lord Almighty, God of Israel. And now, just as you have spoken,

let your name be magnified forever.

O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, you have uncovered the ear of your servant, saying: I will build you a house. Therefore your servant has found his heart to pray this prayer to you.

And now, my Lord, O Lord, you are God, and your words shall be true, and you have spoken these good things concerning your servant.

And now begin and bless the house of your servant, that it may be forever before you; for you, my Lord, O Lord, have spoken, and from your blessing let the house of your servant be blessed forever.