1   And it came to passe when the king sate in his house, and our Lord had geuen him rest on euery side from al his enemies,

2   he sayd to Nathan the prophet: Doest thou see that I dwel in a house of cedar, and the arke of God is sette ^note in the middes skinnes?

3   And Nathan sayd to the king: Al that is in thy hart, goe doe, because our Lord is with thee.

4   And it came to passe in that night: and behold the word of our Lord to Nathan, saying:

5   Goe, and speake to my seruant Dauid: Thus sayth our Lord: Shalt thou build me a house to dwel in?

6   For neither haue I dwelt in house from the day that I brought the children of Israel out of the Land of Ægypt, vntil this day: but I walked in tabernacle, and in tent.

7   Through out al the places, that I haue passed with al the children of Israel, speaking did I speake to one of the tribes of Israel, which I commanded to feede my people Israel, saying: Why did you not build me a house of cedar?

8   And now these thinges shalt thou say to my seruant Dauid: Thus sayth the Lord of hostes: I tooke thee out of the pastures folowing the flockes, that thou shouldest be prince ouer my people Israel:

9   and I haue beene with thee wheresoeuer thou hast walked, and haue slayne al thine enemies from thy face: and haue made thee a great name, according to the name of the great ones, that are in the earth.

10   And I wil appoint a place for my people Israel, and wil plant it, and they shal dwel vnder it, and shal be trubled no more: neither shal the children of iniquitie adde to afflict them as before.

11   From the day that I appointed Iudges ouer my people Israel: and I wil geue thee rest from al thine enemies. and our Lord foretelleth thee, that our Lord wil make thee a house.

12   And when thy daies shal be accomplished, and thou shalt sleepe with thy fathers, I wil rayse vp thy seede after thee,

Dauid. which shal come forth of thy wombe, and ^note I wil establish his kingdom.

13   He shal build a house to my name, and I wil establish the throne of his kingedome for euer.

14    ^noteI wil be to him for a father, and he shal be to me for a sonne: who if ^note he shal do any thing vniustly, I wil rebuke him in the rod of men, and in the plagues of the sonnes of men.

15   But my mercie I wil not take away from him, as I tooke from Saul, whom I remoued from thy face.

16   And thy house shal be faithful, and ^note thy kingdom for euer before thy face, and thy throne shal be firme continually.

17   According to al these wordes, and according to al this vision, so did Nathan speake to Dauid.

18   And Dauid went in, and sate before our Lord, and said: Who am I ô Lord God, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me thus farre?

19   But this also hath semed litle in thy sight ô Lord God, vnles thou didst speake also of the house of thy seruant for a long time: for this is the law of Adam, Lord God.

20   What can Dauid therefore adde yet, to speake vnto thee? for thou knowest thy seruant ô Lord God.

21   For thy word, and according to thy hart thou hast done al these great thinges, so that thou wouldest notifie it to thy seruant.

22   Therefore art thou magnified ô lord God, because there is none like to thee, neither is there a God besides thee, in al thinges that we haue heard with our eares.

23   And what nation is there in the earth, as thy people Israel, for the which ^note God hath gone, that he might ^note redeme it to be his people, and might make him selfe a name & doe for them great wonders, and horrible thinges vpon the earth, before the face of thy people, whom thou redemedst to thy self out of Ægypt, from the nations and from their goddes.

24   For thou hast confirmed thy people Israel to be an euerlasting people: and thou Lord God art become their God.

25   Now therefore ô Lord God, raise vp for euer the word, that thou hast spoken vpon thy seruant, and vpon his house: and doe as thou hast spoken,

26   that thy name may be magnified for euer, and it may be said: The Lord of hostes is God ouer Israel. And the house of thy seruant Dauid shal be established before our Lord,

27   because thou ô Lord of hostes God of Israel hast reueled the eare of thy seruant, saying: A house I build thee: therefore hath thy seruant found his hart to pray thee with this prayer.

28   Now therefore ô Lord God, thou art God, and thy wordes shal be true: for thou hast spoken to thy seruant

Dauid. these good thinges.

29   Beginne therefore, and blesse the house of thy seruant, that it may be for euer before thee: because thou Lord God hast spoken, by thy blessing shal the house of thy seruant be blessed for euer.

Previous section

Next section