1. And it came to pass, when David dwelt in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord dwelleth under curtains.
2. And Nathan said unto David, Do all that is in thine heart; for God is with thee.
3. And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,
4. Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in:
5. for I have not dwelt in an house since the day that I brought up Israel, unto this day; but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another.
6. In all places wherein I have walked with all Israel, spake I a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedar?
7. Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be prince over my people Israel:
8. and I have been with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee; and I will make thee a name, like unto the name of the great ones that are in the earth.