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Now it came to pass, when David had been dwelling in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Behold now, I am dwelling in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of Jehovah is under curtains.
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And Nathan said to David, Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.
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But it happened that night that the Word of God came to Nathan, saying,
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Go and tell My servant David, Thus says Jehovah: You shall not build Me a house to dwell in.
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For I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up Israel, even to this day, but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another.
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Wherever I have walked about with all Israel, have I spoken a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I had commanded to shepherd My people, saying, Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?
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Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, Thus says Jehovah of Hosts: I have taken you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel.
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And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies before you, and have made you a name like the name of the great ones of the earth.
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Moreover I have established a place for My people Israel, and have planted them, that they may dwell in their place and move no more, for the sons of wickedness to wear them out anymore, as previously,
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since the day that I have commanded judges to be over My people Israel. I have also subdued all your enemies. Furthermore I declare to you that Jehovah shall build you a house.
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And it shall be, when your days have been fulfilled to go to your fathers, that I will raise up your seed after you from your sons; and I will establish his kingdom.
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He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever.
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I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you.
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And I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever.
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According to all these words and according to all this vision, thus Nathan spoke to David.
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Then King David went in and sat before Jehovah, and he said: Who am I, O Jehovah God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?
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And yet this was a small thing in Your eyes, O God; and You have also spoken of Your servant's house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the manner of a man of high degree, O Jehovah God.
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What more can David add to You for the honor of Your servant? For You have known Your servant.
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O Jehovah, for Your servant's sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness, to make known all this greatness.
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O Jehovah, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
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And what single nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God has gone to redeem for Himself as a people; to make for Yourself a great name to be feared, to drive out nations before Your people whom You redeemed out of Egypt?
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For You designated Your people Israel as Your people forever; and You, Jehovah, have become their God.
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And now, O Jehovah, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, let it be established forever, and do as You have spoken.
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Let it even be established, that Your name may be magnified forever, saying, Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel, God to Israel. And let the house of Your servant David be established before You.
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For You, O my God, have disclosed to Your servant's ear that You will build him a house. Therefore Your servant has found heart to pray before You.
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And now, Jehovah, You are God, and have promised this goodness to Your servant.
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Now You have been pleased to bless the house of Your servant, that it may be before You forever; for You have blessed it, O Jehovah, and it is blessed forever.
