7:1 Once the king was settled in his royal residence, the LORD gave him relief¹ from all his enemies on all sides. 7:2 The king said to Nathan the prophet, “Look! I am dwelling in a royal residence constructed out of cedar, while the ark of God sits in the midst of a tent.”

7:3 Nathan replied to the king, “All that you have in mind² go³ and do, for the LORD will be with you.”

7:4 During that night the word of the LORD came to Nathan saying, 7:5 “Go and speak to my servant David: ‘So says the LORD: Will you really build a house for me to live in? 7:6 I have not lived in a house from the time that I brought the Israelites up from Egypt until the present time. Rather, I was traveling with them in a tent dwelling.⁴ 7:7 In the entire time that I traveled with all the Israelites did I ever say anything⁵ to any of the tribes⁶ of Israel that I commanded to shepherd my people Israel saying, “Why have you not built a house of cedar for me?”’

7:8 Now here is what you should tell my servant David: “So says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following after the flock, to be a leader for my people Israel. 7:9 I was with you wherever you went, and I removed⁷ all your enemies from before you. Now I will make you as famous as anyone in the land.⁸ 7:10 I will provide a place for my people Israel, and I will plant him there, and he will live in it and not be agitated any more. The wicked⁹ will not again afflict him the way they did previously, 7:11 going back to the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. Instead, I will give you rest from all your enemies, for the LORD has told¹⁰ you that the LORD himself will build a house for you. 7:12 When your days are full and you lie down with your fathers,¹¹ I will establish your descendants after you who will come forth from you.¹² I will also establish his kingdom. 7:13 It is he who will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 7:14 I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and with the blows of human beings. 7:15 But my loyal-love will not depart from him in the way that I removed it from Saul whom I removed from before you. 7:16 Your house and your kingdom will be established before you¹³ forever; your throne will be established forever.”

7:17 It was according to all these words and according to all this vision that Nathan spoke to David.

7:18 So king David went and sat in the LORD’s presence. He said, “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that you should bring me to this point? 7:19 And if this were yet¹⁴ a small thing in your sight, O LORD God, you have also spoken to the distant house of your servant. Is this your usual way of dealing with human beings,¹⁵ O LORD God? 7:20 What more can David say to you? You know your servant, O LORD God! 7:21 For the sake of your word and according to your purpose¹⁶ you have done all this greatness, making your servant aware of all this. 7:22 Therefore you are great, O LORD God, for there is no one like you. There is no god other than you, according to all that we have heard with our own ears. 7:23 And what single nation in the land is like your people Israel whom God has come to redeem to himself as a people and to establish for himself a name and to perform for you great and awesome wonders for your land? From before your people whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, from nations and their gods?¹⁷ 7:24 And you have established for yourself your people Israel as your people forever, and you, O LORD, have been their God. 7:25 So now, O LORD God, establish forever this message¹⁸ that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do just as you have spoken, 7:26 so that your name may be great forever. People will say, ‘The LORD of hosts is God over Israel!’ And the house of your servant David will be established before you. 7:27 For you, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have informed¹⁹ your servant saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has dared²⁰ to pray this prayer to you. 7:28 So now, O LORD God, it is you who are God! May your words prove to be true! For it is you who has spoken this good thing to your servant! 7:29 Now be favorably inclined and bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you. For you, O LORD God, have spoken. By your blessing may the house of your servant be blessed for ever!”