After David had settled down to live in his palace, he spoke with the prophet Nathan. "Look, here I am living in this cedar palace, but the ark of the LORD's covenant remains surrounded by curtains!"

"Do everything you have in mind," Nathan replied to David, "because God is with you."

But later that same night, this message came to Nathan from God:

"Go tell David, my servant, "This is what the LORD says:

"""You won't be building a house for me to inhabit, will you? After all, I haven't lived in a house from the day I brought out Israel until today. Instead, I've lived from tent to tent and from one place to another.

Wherever I've moved within all of Israel, did I ever ask even one judge of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd my people, "Why haven't you built me a cedar house?'"'

"Now therefore this is what you are to tell my servant David: "This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "I took you from the pasture myself from tending sheep to become Commander-in-Chief over my people Israel.

"""Furthermore, I have remained with you everywhere you have gone, annihilating all your enemies right in front of you. I will make your reputation great, like the reputation of the great ones who have lived on earth.

I will establish a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure location where they will never be disturbed anymore. Wicked people will not oppress them as happened in the past,

during the time I had commanded judges to administer my people Israel. I'll also grant you deliverance from all your enemies.

"""I'm also announcing to you that the LORD also will himself build a house for you. It will come about that when your life is complete and you go to join your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who is related to one of your sons, and I will fortify his kingdom.

He will build a temple dedicated to me, and I will make his throne last forever.

I will be a father to him and he will be a son to me. I will never remove my gracious love from him as I did from the one who preceded you.

I will confirm him in my Temple and in my kingdom forever, and his throne will remain secure forever."'"

Using precisely these words, Nathan communicated this complete oracle to David.

Then King David went in, sat down in the presence of the LORD, and said:

"Who am I, LORD God, and what is my household, since you have brought me to this? Furthermore, this is a small thing to you, God, and yet you have spoken concerning your servant's household for a great while to come, and you have seen in me the fulfillment of man's purpose, LORD God.

"What more can David say to you about how you are honoring your servant, and you surely know your servant.

LORD, for the sake of your servant, and consistent with your heart, you have done all of these great things and are now making these great things known.

"LORD, there is no one like you, and we have heard from no god other than you.

What other one nation on the earth is like your people Israel, God, which you have redeemed from slavery to become your own people, making a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You did awesome miraculous deeds, driving out nations that stood in their way.

You took your people Israel to be your very own people forever, and you, LORD, have become their God.

"And now, LORD, let what you have spoken concerning your servant and his household be done forever and let it be done just as you've promised.

May your name be made great and honored forever: The LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, is God for Israel, and may the family of David your servant stand before you forever.

"Because of you, my God, I have been bold to pray to you, as you have told your servant that you will build him a dynasty.

And now, LORD, you are God, and you have promised all of these good things to your servant.

Furthermore, it has pleased you to bless the dynasty of your servant, so that it will continue in place forever in your presence, because when you, LORD, grant a blessing, it is an eternal blessing."