When David was settled in his palace, he summoned Nathan the prophet. "Look," David said, "I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of the LORD's Covenant is out there under a tent!"

Nathan replied to David, "Do whatever you have in mind, for God is with you."

But that same night God said to Nathan,

"Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD has declared: You are not the one to build a house for me to live in.

I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. My home has always been a tent, moving from one place to another in a Tabernacle.

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

"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.

I 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!

And 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,

starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will defeat all your enemies. " 'Furthermore, I declare that the LORD will build a house for you-- a dynasty of kings!

For when you die and join your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, one of your sons, and I will make his kingdom strong.

He is the one who will build a house-- a temple-- for me. And I will secure his throne forever.

I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my favor from him as I took it from the one who ruled before you.

I will confirm him as king over my house and my kingdom for all time, and his throne will be secure forever.'"

So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the LORD had said in this vision.

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

And now, O God, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! You speak as though I were someone very great, O LORD God!

"What more can I say to you about the way you have honored me? You know what your servant is really like.

For the sake of your servant, O LORD, and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known.

"O LORD, there is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you!

What 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 that stood in their way.

You chose Israel to be your very own people forever, and you, O LORD, became their God.

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

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

"O my God, I have been bold enough to pray to you because you have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him-- a dynasty of kings!

For you are God, O LORD. And you have promised these good things to your servant.

And now, it has pleased you to bless the house of your servant, so that it will continue forever before you. For when you grant a blessing, O LORD, it is an eternal blessing!"