⁴ “Go tell David, my servant, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘“You won’t be building a house^[d] for me to inhabit, will you? ⁵ After all, I haven’t lived in a house from the day I brought out Israel until today. Instead, I’ve lived from tent to tent and from one place to another.^{[e] 6} Wherever I’ve moved within all of Israel, did I ever ask even one judge of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd my people, ‘Why haven’t you built me a cedar house?’”’

⁷ “Now therefore this is what you are to tell my servant David:

‘This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: “I took you from the pasture myself—from tending sheep—to become Commander-in-Chief^[f] over my people Israel.

⁸ “‘“Furthermore, I have remained with you everywhere you have gone, annihilating all your enemies right in front of you. I will make your reputation^[g] great, like the reputation^[h] of the great ones who have lived on^[i] earth. ⁹ I will establish a homeland^[j] for my people Israel, planting them in a secure location where they will never be disturbed anymore. Wicked people^[k] will not oppress them as happened in the past, ¹⁰ during the time I had commanded judges to administer^[l] my people Israel. I’ll also grant you deliverance from all your enemies.

“‘“I’m also announcing to you that the Lord also will himself build a house^[m] for you. ¹¹ It will come about that when your life^[n] is complete and you go to join your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring^[o] after you, who is related to one of^[p] your sons, and I will fortify his kingdom. ¹² He will build a temple dedicated to me, and I will make his throne last forever. ¹³ I will be a father to him and he will be a son to me. I will never remove my gracious love from him as I did from the one who preceded you. ¹⁴ I will confirm him in my Temple and in my kingdom forever, and his throne will remain secure forever.”’”

“Who am I, Lord God, and what is my household,^[q] since you have brought me to this? ¹⁷ Furthermore, this is a small thing to you, God, and yet you have spoken concerning your servant’s household for a great while to come, and you have seen in me the fulfillment^[r] of man’s purpose, Lord God.

¹⁸ “What more can David say to you about how you are honoring your servant, and you surely know your servant. ¹⁹ Lord, for the sake of your servant, and consistent with your heart, you have done all of these great things and are now making these^[s] great things known.

²⁰ “Lord, there is no one like you, and we have heard from no god other than you. ²¹ What other one nation on the earth is like your people Israel, God, which you have redeemed from slavery to become your own people, making a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You did awesome miraculous deeds, driving out nations that stood in their way. ²² You took^[t] your people Israel to be your very own people forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.

²³ “And now, Lord, let what you have spoken concerning your servant and his household be done forever—and let it be done just as you’ve promised. ²⁴ May your name be made great and honored forever: The Lord of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, is God for Israel, and may the family of David your servant stand before you forever.

²⁵ “Because of you, my God, I have been bold to pray to you, as you have told your servant that you will build him a dynasty. ²⁶ And now, Lord, you are God, and you have promised all of these good things to your servant. ²⁷ Furthermore, it has pleased you to bless the dynasty of your servant, so that it will continue in place forever in your presence, because when you, Lord, grant a blessing, it is an eternal blessing.”