¹⁷ My father David had it in mind to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.^(A)

² the king said to the prophet Nathan, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.”^{(A) 3} Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.”^(B)

² Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Hear me, my brothers and my people. I had planned to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, for the footstool of our God, and I made preparations for building.^(A)

⁷ David said to Solomon, “My son, I had planned to build a house to the name of the Lord my God.^(A)

God’s Covenant with David

17 Now when David settled in his house, David said to the prophet Nathan, “I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.”^{(A) 2} Nathan said to David, “Do all that you have in mind, for God is with you.”

³ But that same night the word of God came to Nathan, saying, ⁴ “Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: You shall not build me a house to live in.^{(B) 5} For I have not lived in a house since the day I brought out Israel to this very day, but I have lived in a tent and a tabernacle.^{[a](C) 6} Wherever I have moved about among all Israel, did I ever speak 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?’^{(D) 7} Now 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, to be ruler over my people Israel, ⁸ and I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies before you, and I will make for you a name like the name of the great ones of the earth. ⁹ I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place and be disturbed no more, and evildoers shall wear them down no more, as they did formerly, ¹⁰ from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel, and I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the Lord will build you a house.^{(E) 11} When your days are fulfilled to go to be with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹² He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. ¹³ I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you,^{(F) 14} but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.”^{(G) 15} In accordance with all these words and all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.