The Ark of God Inhabits a Tent

7 ^(A)Now it happened when the king inhabited his house, and Yahweh had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, ² that the king said to ^(B)Nathan the prophet, “See now, I inhabit ^(C)a house of cedar, but the ark of God ^(D)inhabits tent curtains.” ³ So Nathan said to the king, “^(E)Go, do all that is in your heart, for Yahweh is with you.”

⁴ Now it happened in the same night, that the word of Yahweh came to Nathan, saying, ⁵ “Go and say to My servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “^(F)Are you the one who would build Me a house to inhabit? ⁶ For ^(G)I have not inhabited a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; but I have been going about ^(H)in a tent, even in a ^[a]tabernacle. ^7 (I)Wherever I have gone about with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, ^(J)which I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’

David’s House Will Be Established Forever

⁸ So now, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “^(K)I Myself took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, ^(L)to be ruler over My people Israel. ^9 (M)And I have been with you wherever you have gone and ^(N)have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth. ¹⁰ And I will appoint a place for My people Israel and ^(O)will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and not be disturbed again; ^(P)and the ^[b]unrighteous will not afflict them any more as formerly, ¹¹ even ^(Q)from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and ^(R)I will give you rest from all your enemies. Yahweh also declares to you that ^(S)Yahweh will make a house for you. ^12 (T)When your days are fulfilled and you ^(U)lie down with your fathers, ^(V)I will raise up one of your seed after you, who will come forth from ^[c]your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. ^13 (W)He shall build a house for My name, and ^(X)I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ^14 (Y)I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; ^(Z)when he commits iniquity, I will reprove him with the rod of men and the strikes from the sons of men, ¹⁵ but My lovingkindness shall not be removed from him, ^(AA)as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ^16 (AB)And your house and your kingdom shall ^[d]endure before ^[e]Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”’”

The Ark of God Inhabits a Tent

17 ^(A)Now it happened when David inhabited his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, “Behold, I inhabit a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of Yahweh is under tent curtains.” ² So Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”

³ Now it happened in the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, ⁴ “Go and say to David My servant, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “^(B)You shall not build Me a house to inhabit; ⁵ for I have not inhabited a house since the day that I brought up Israel to this day, ^(C)but I have been from tent to tent and from one ^[a]dwelling place to another. ⁶ Wherever I have gone about with all Israel, did I speak a word ^(D)with even one of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’

David’s House Will Be Established Forever

⁷ So now, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “I Myself 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 have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a name like the name of the great men who are on the earth. ⁹ And I will appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and not be disturbed again; and the ^[b]unrighteous will not waste them anymore as formerly, ¹⁰ even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies.

And I tell you that Yahweh will build a house for you. ¹¹ And it will be that when your days are fulfilled to go to be with your fathers, I will raise up one of your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. ¹² He shall build for Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. ^13 (E)I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; and I will not remove My lovingkindness from him, ^(F)as I removed it from him who was before you. ¹⁴ But I will cause him to stand in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.”’”