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the king had settled in his palace, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2 the king said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am living in a house of cedar, while the Ark of God sits inside tent curtains.”
3 So Nathan told the king, “Go and do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”
4 But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: 5 “Go and tell My servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says, “Are you the one who should build Me a house to dwell in? 6 For I have not dwelt in a house from the day when I brought the Israelites up from Egypt, even to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7 Wherever I have moved about with all of the Israelites, have I ever asked any of their leaders whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ ” ’
8 “Now this is what you must tell My servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Hosts says,“I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over My people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. 10 I will establish a place for My people Israel and plant them there, so that they may live in a home of their own and not be disturbed again. Evildoers will not oppress them anymore as they did in former times, 11 ever since the time I appointed judges over My people Israel, I will give you rest from all your enemies.
‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord will establish a house for you. 12 When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to Me. When he does wrong, I will reprove him with the rods of men, and with the blows of the sons of men. 15 But My faithful love will never be withdrawn from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure before Me forever, and your throne will be established forever’.”
17 Nathan spoke all these words to David and told him about the entire prophesy.
18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said,
“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that You have brought me this far? 19 Yet even this is a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God, for you have also spoken about Your servant’s house also for the future. May this be instituted among mankind, O Lord God.
20 “What more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord God. 21 For the sake of your word and according to Your own heart You have done all these great things, and have made it known to Your servant.
22 “This is why You are so great, O Lord God. There is no one like You, and there is no God but You, as we have heard with our own ears. 23 And who is like your people Israel? From one nation on earth, God has redeemed a people for Himself, to make a name for Himself, and to perform great and awesome deeds, by driving out nations and their gods before Your people, whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt! 24 You have established Your people Israel to be Your own people forever, and You, O Lord, have become their God.
25 “And now, O Lord God, fulfil Your promise to Your servant and his house, and establish it forever. Do as You have promised, 26 so that Your name will be exalted forever in the saying, ‘The Lord of Hosts is God over Israel!’ And may the house of Your servant David be established before You.
27 “For You, O Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you’. So Your servant has found the courage to pray this prayer to You. 28 And now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised these good things to Your servant. 29 Now may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You, O Lord God, have spoken, and with Your blessing the house of Your servant will be blessed forever.”