1. Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,
2. the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.”
3. And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”
4. But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan,
5. “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to dwell in?
6. I 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.
7. In 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?”’
8. 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, that you should be prince over my people Israel.