Chronological Plan

¹Now it came about, when the king lived in his house, and the LORD had given him rest on every side from all his enemies,

²that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I live in a house of cedar, but the ark of God remains within the tent.”

³Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your mind, for the LORD is with you.”

⁴But in the same night, the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying,

⁵“Go and say to My servant David, ‘This is what the LORD says: “Should you build Me a house for My dwelling?

⁶For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; rather, I have been moving about in a tent, that is, in a dwelling place.

⁷Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ ” ’

⁸Now then, this is what you shall say to My servant David: ‘This is what the LORD of armies says: “I Myself took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader over My people Israel.

⁹And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have eliminated all your enemies from you; I will also make a great name for you, like the names of the great men who are on the earth.

¹⁰And I will establish a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will malicious people oppress them anymore as previously,

¹¹even from the day that I appointed judges over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD also declares to you that the LORD will make a house for you.

¹²When your days are finished and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from you, and I will establish his kingdom.

¹³He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

¹⁴I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he does wrong, I will discipline him with a rod of men and with strokes of sons of mankind,

¹⁵but My favor shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from you.

¹⁶Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”

¹⁷In accordance with all these words and all of this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

¹⁸Then David the king came in and sat before the LORD, and he said, “Who am I, Lord GOD, and who are the members of my household, that You have brought me this far?

¹⁹And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes, Lord GOD, for You have spoken also of the house of Your servant regarding the distant future. And this is the custom of mankind, Lord GOD.

²⁰Again what more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, Lord GOD!

²¹For the sake of Your word, and according to Your heart, You have done all this greatness, to let Your servant know.

²²For this reason You are great, Lord GOD; for there is no one like You, and there is no God except You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

²³And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, and to make a name for Himself, and to do a great thing for You and awesome things for Your land, because of Your people whom You have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, from other nations and their gods?

²⁴For You have established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your own people forever, and You, LORD, have become their God.

²⁵Now then, LORD God, the word that You have spoken about Your servant and his house, confirm it forever, and do just as You have spoken,

²⁶so that Your name may be great forever, by saying, ‘The LORD of armies is God over Israel’; and may the house of Your servant David be established before You.

²⁷For You, LORD of armies, God of Israel, have given a revelation to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house’; therefore Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to You.

²⁸Now then, Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are truth; and You have promised this good thing to Your servant.

²⁹And now, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, so that it may continue forever before You. For You, Lord GOD, have spoken; and with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever.”

¹And it came about, when David lived in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under tent curtains.”

²Then Nathan said to David, “Do whatever is in your heart, for God is with you.”

³But it happened that same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

⁴“Go and tell David My servant, ‘This is what the LORD says: “You shall not build a house for Me to dwell in;

⁵for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up Israel to this day, but I have gone from tent to tent and from one dwelling place to another.

⁶In all places where I have walked with all Israel, have I spoken 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?’ ” ’

⁷Now, therefore, this is what you shall say to My servant David: ‘This is what the LORD of armies says: “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader over My people Israel.

⁸I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have eliminated all your enemies from you; and I will make for you a name like the name of the great ones who are on the earth.

⁹And I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them there, so that they may live in their own place and not tremble with anxiety again; and the wicked will not make them waste away anymore as they did previously,

¹⁰even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I tell you that the LORD will build a house for you.

¹¹When your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, then I will set up one of your descendants after you, who will be from your sons; and I will establish his kingdom.

¹²He shall build for Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever.

¹³I will be his father and he shall be My son; and I will not take My favor away from him, as I took it from him who was before you.

¹⁴But I will settle him in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne will be established forever.” ’ ”

¹⁵According to all these words and according to all of this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

¹⁶Then King David came in and sat before the LORD, and said, “Who am I, LORD God, and what is my house that You have brought me this far?

¹⁷This was a small thing in Your eyes, God; but You have spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have viewed me according to the standard of a person of high degree, LORD God.

¹⁸What more can David still say to You concerning the honor bestowed on Your servant? For You know Your servant.

¹⁹LORD, for Your servant’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have accomplished all this greatness, to make known all these great things.

²⁰LORD, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to everything that we have heard with our ears.

²¹And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for You a name by great and awesome things, by driving out nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed from Egypt?

²²For You have made Your people Israel Your own people forever, and You, LORD, became their God.

²³“Now, LORD, let the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house be established forever, and do just as You have spoken.

²⁴Let Your name be established and be great forever, saying, ‘The LORD of armies is the God of Israel, a God to Israel; and the house of Your servant David is established before You.’

²⁵For You, my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build him a house; therefore Your servant has found courage to pray before You.

²⁶Now, LORD, You are God, and have promised this good thing to Your servant.

²⁷And now You have decided to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You; for You, LORD, have blessed, and it is blessed forever.”