English Standard Version

New Living Translation

1Now when the king lived in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,

1When King David was settled in his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all the surrounding enemies,

2the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.”

2the king summoned Nathan the prophet. “Look,” David said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!”

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

3Nathan replied to the king, “Go ahead and do whatever you have in mind, for the LORD is with you.”

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

4But that same night the LORD said to Nathan,

5“Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in?

5“Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD has declared: Are you the one to build a house for me to live in?

6I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling.

6I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. I have always moved from one place to another with a tent and a Tabernacle as my dwelling.

7In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’

7Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel’s tribal leaders, the shepherds of my people Israel. I have never asked them, “Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?”’

8Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel.

8“Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel.

9And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.

9I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth!

10And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly,

10And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past,

11from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house.

11starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. “‘Furthermore, the LORD declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings!

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

12For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong.

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

13He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever.

14I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men,

14I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do.

15but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.

15But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight.

16And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”

16Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’”

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

17So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the LORD had said in this vision. David’s Prayer of Thanks

18Then 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?

18Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and prayed, “Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?

19And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord GOD. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord GOD!

19And now, Sovereign LORD, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! Do you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign LORD?

20And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord GOD!

20“What more can I say to you? You know what your servant is really like, Sovereign LORD.

21Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it.

21Because of your promise and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known to your servant.

22Therefore you are great, O LORD God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

22“How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you!

23And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods?

23What other nation on earth is like your people Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your own people? You made a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations and gods that stood in their way.

24And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O LORD, became their God.

24You made Israel your very own people forever, and you, O LORD, became their God.

25And now, O LORD God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken.

25“And now, O LORD God, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. Confirm it as a promise that will last forever.

26And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The LORD of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you.

26And may your name be honored forever so that everyone will say, ‘The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is God over Israel!’ And may the house of your servant David continue before you forever.

27For you, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you.

27“O LORD of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, I have been bold enough to pray this prayer to you because you have revealed all this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you—a dynasty of kings!’

28And now, O Lord GOD, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant.

28For you are God, O Sovereign LORD. Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to your servant.

29Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord GOD, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”

29And now, may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you have spoken, and when you grant a blessing to your servant, O Sovereign LORD, it is an eternal blessing!”

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.