Now when David lived in his house, David said to Nathan the
prophet, “Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the
covenant of the LORD is under a tent.” And Nathan said to David,
“Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”

  But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, “Go and
tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: It is not you who will
build me a house to dwell in. For I have not lived in a house since
the day I brought up Israel to this day, but I have gone from tent
to tent and from dwelling to dwelling. In all places where I have
moved with all Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of
Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, saying, “Why have
you not built me a house of cedar?”’ Now, therefore, thus shall you
say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you
from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over my
people Israel, and I have been with you wherever you have gone and
have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for
you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I
will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that
they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And
violent men shall waste them no more, as formerly, from the time
that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will subdue
all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the LORD will
build you a house. When your days are fulfilled to walk with your
fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own
sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for
me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be to him a
father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast
love from him, as I took it from him who was before you, but I will
confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne
shall be established forever.’” In accordance with all these words,
and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

  Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am
I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus
far? And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God. You have also
spoken of your servant's house for a great while to come, and have
shown me future generations, O LORD God! And what more can David
say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant.
For your servant's sake, O LORD, and according to your own heart,
you have done all this greatness, in making known all these great
things. There is none like you, O LORD, and there is no God besides
you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is
like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to
redeem to be his people, making for yourself a name for great and
awesome things, in driving out nations before your people whom you
redeemed from Egypt? And you made your people Israel to be your
people forever, and you, O LORD, became their God. And now, O LORD,
let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and
concerning his house be established forever, and do as you have
spoken, and your name will be established and magnified forever,
saying, ‘The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel's God,’
and the house of your servant David will be established before you.
For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build
a house for him. Therefore your servant has found courage to pray
before you. And now, O LORD, you are God, and you have promised
this good thing to your servant. Now you have been pleased to bless
the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you,
for it is you, O LORD, who have blessed, and it is blessed
forever.”

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001
by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.