King David was settled in his palace, and the LORD kept him safe from all his enemies.

Then the king said to the prophet Nathan, "Here I am living in a house built of cedar, but God's Covenant Box is kept in a tent!"

But that night the LORD said to Nathan,

From the time I rescued the people of Israel from Egypt until now, I have never lived in a temple; I have traveled around living in a tent.

"So tell my servant David that I, the LORD Almighty, say to him, 'I took you from looking after sheep in the fields and made you the ruler of my people Israel.

I have chosen a place for my people Israel and have settled them there, where they will live without being oppressed any more. Ever since they entered this land, they have been attacked by violent people, but this will not happen again. I promise to keep you safe from all your enemies and to give you descendants.

When you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will make one of your sons king and will keep his kingdom strong.

I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him as a father punishes his son.

You will always have descendants, and I will make your kingdom last forever. Your dynasty will never end.' "

And Solomon continued, "My father David planned to build a temple for the worship of the LORD God of Israel,

but you will never build it. It is your son, your own son, who will build my temple.'

"I was living comfortably in my palace, enjoying great prosperity.

Only twelve months later, while he was walking around on the roof of his royal palace in Babylon,

he said, "Look how great Babylon is! I built it as my capital city to display my power and might, my glory and majesty."

The history of King David from beginning to end is recorded in the records of the three prophets, Samuel, Nathan, and Gad.

The LORD sent the prophet Nathan to David. Nathan went to him and said, "There were two men who lived in the same town; one was rich and the other poor.

and commanded the prophet Nathan to name the boy Jedidiah, because the LORD loved him.

But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David's bodyguards were not on Adonijah's side.

The king was told that the prophet was there, and Nathan went in and bowed low before the king.

He sent Zadok, Nathan, Benaiah, and the royal bodyguards to escort him. They had him ride on the king's mule,

King Hiram of Tyre sent a trade mission to David; he provided him with cedar logs and with stonemasons and carpenters to build a palace.

Does it make you a better king if you build houses of cedar, finer than those of others? Your father enjoyed a full life. He was always just and fair, and he prospered in everything he did.

"My people, why should you be living in well-built houses while my Temple lies in ruins?

"You hoped for large harvests, but they turned out to be small. And when you brought the harvest home, I blew it away. Why did I do that? Because my Temple lies in ruins while every one of you is busy working on your own house.

until I provide a place for the LORD, a home for the Mighty God of Jacob."

He won God's favor and asked God to allow him to provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.

From the time I rescued the people of Israel from Egypt until now I have never lived in a temple; I have always lived in tents and moved from place to place.

For his own use, David built houses in David's City. He also prepared a place for God's Covenant Box and put up a tent for it.

They took the Covenant Box to the tent which David had prepared for it and put it inside. Then they offered sacrifices and fellowship offerings to God.

He spread out the covering over the Tent and put the outer covering over it, just as the LORD had commanded.

Then he put the Box in the Tent and hung up the curtain. In this way he screened off the Covenant Box, just as the LORD had commanded.

They brought the Box and put it in its place in the Tent that David had set up for it. Then he offered sacrifices and fellowship offerings to the LORD.

(The Covenant Box, however, was in Jerusalem, kept in a tent which King David had set up when he brought the Box from Kiriath Jearim.)