And it came to pass when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies,

He said to Nathan the prophet: Dost thou see that I dwell in a house of cedar, and the ark of God is lodged within skins?

And Nathan said to the king: Go, do all that is in thy heart: because the Lord is with thee.

But it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:

Go, and say to my servant David: Thus saith the Lord: Shalt thou build me a house to dwell in?

Whereas I have not dwelt in a house from the day that I brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt even to this day: but have walked in a tabernacle, and in a tent.

In all the places that I have gone through with all the children of Israel, did ever I speak a word to any one of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying: Why have you not built me a house of cedar?

And now thus shalt thou speak to my servant David: Thus saith the Lord of hosts: I took thee out of the pastures from following the sheep to be ruler over my people Israel:

And I have been with thee wheresoever thou hast walked, and have slain all thy enemies from before thy face: and I have made thee a great man, like unto the name of the great ones that are on the earth.

And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them, and they shall dwell therein, and shall be disturbed no more: neither shall the children of iniquity afflict them any more as they did before,

From the day that I appointed judges over my people Israel: and I will give thee rest from all thy enemies. And the Lord foretelleth to thee, that the Lord will make thee a house.

And when thy days shall be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

He shall build a house to my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son: and if he commit any iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men.

But my mercy I will not take away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before my face.

And thy house shall be faithful, and thy kingdom for ever before thy face, and thy throne shall be firm for ever.

According to all these words and according to all this vision so did Nathan speak to David.

And David went in, and sat before the Lord, and said: Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me thus far?

But yet this hath seemed little in thy sight, O Lord God, unless thou didst also speak of the house of thy servant for a long time to come: for this is the law of Adam, O Lord God:

And what can David say more unto thee? for thou knowest thy servant, O Lord God:

For thy word’s sake, and according to thy own heart thou has done all these great things, so that thou wouldst make it known to thy servant.

Therefore thou art magnified, O Lord God, because there is none like to thee, neither is there any God besides thee, in all the things that we have heard with our ears.

And what nation is there upon earth, as thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for them great and terrible things, upon the earth, before the face of thy people, whom thou redeemedst to thyself out of Egypt, from the nations and their gods.

For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be an everlasting people: and thou, O Lord God, art become their God.

And now, O Lord God, raise up for ever the word that thou hast spoken, concerning thy servant and concerning his house: and do as thou hast spoken,

That thy name may be magnified for ever, and it may be said: The Lord of hosts is God over Israel. And the house of thy servant David shall be established before the Lord.

Because thou, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to the ear of thy servant, saying: I will build thee a house: therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer to thee.

And now, O Lord God, thou art God, and thy words shall be true: for thou hast spoken to thy servant these good things.

And now begin, and bless the house of thy servant, that it may endure for ever before thee: because thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it, and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.

Now when David was dwelling in his house, he said to Nathan the prophet: Behold I dwell in a house of cedar: and the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under skins.

And Nathan said to David: Do all that is in thy heart: for God is with thee.

Now that night the word of God came to Nathan, saying:

Go, and speak to David my servant: Thus saith the Lord: Thou shalt not build me a house to dwell in.

For I have not remained in a house from the time that I brought up Israel, to this day: but I have been always changing places in a tabernacle, and in a tent,

Abiding with all Israel. Did I ever speak to any one, of all the judges of Israel whom I charged to feed my people, saying: Why have you not built me a house of cedar?

Now therefore thus shalt thou say to my servant David: Thus saith the Lord of hosts: I took thee from the pastures, from following the flock, that thou shouldst be ruler of my people Israel.

And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast gone: and have slain all thy enemies before thee, and have made thee a name like that of one of the great ones that are renowned in the earth.

And I have given a place to my people Israel: they shall be planted, and shall dwell therein, and shall be moved no more, neither shall the children of iniquity waste them, as at the beginning,

Since the days that I gave judges to my people Israel, and have humbled all thy enemies. And I declare to thee, that the Lord will build thee a house.

And when thou shalt have ended thy days to go to thy fathers, I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons: and I will establish his kingdom.

He shall build me a house, and I will establish his throne for ever.

I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee.

But I will settle him in my house, and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be most firm for ever.

According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak to David.

And king David came and sat before the Lord, and said: Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that thou shouldst give such things to me?

But even this hath seemed little in thy sight, and therefore thou hast also spoken concerning the house of thy servant for the time to come: and hast made me remarkable above all men, O Lord God.

What can David add more, seeing thou hast thus glorified thy servant, and known him?

O Lord, for thy servant’s sake, according to thy own heart, thou hast shewn all this magnificence, and wouldst have all the great things to be known.

O Lord there is none like thee: and here is no other God beside thee, of all whom we have heard of with our ears.

For what other nation is there upon earth like thy people Israel, whom God went to deliver, and make a people for himself, and by his greatness and terrors cast out nations before their face whom he had delivered out of Egypt?

And thou hast made thy people Israel to be thy own people for ever, and thou, O Lord, art become their God.

Now therefore, O Lord, let the word which thou hast spoken to thy servant, and concerning his house, be established for ever, and do as thou hast said.

And let thy name remain and be magnified for ever: and let it be said: The Lord of hosts is God of Israel, and the house of David his servant remaineth before him.

For thou, O Lord my God, hast revealed to the ear of thy servant, that thou wilt build him a house: and therefore thy servant hath found confidence to pray before thee.

And now O Lord, thou art God: and thou hast promised to thy servant such great benefits.

And thou hast begun to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be always before thee: for seeing thou blessest it, O Lord, it shall be blessed for ever.

Unto the end, a psalm for David. To thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul.

In thee, O my God, I put my trust; let me not be ashamed.

Neither let my enemies laugh at me: for none of them that wait on thee shall be confounded.

Let all them be confounded that act unjust things without cause. Shew, O Lord, thy ways to me, and teach me thy paths.

Direct me in thy truth, and teach me; for thou art God my Saviour; and on thee have I waited all the day long.

Remember, O Lord, thy bowels of compassion; and thy mercies that are from the beginning of the world.

The sins of my youth and my ignorances do not remember. According to thy mercy remember thou me: for thy goodness’ sake, O Lord.

The Lord is sweet and righteous: therefore he will give a law to sinners in the way.

He will guide the mild in judgment: he will teach the meek his ways.

All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth, to them that seek after his covenant and his testimonies.

For thy name’s sake, O Lord, thou wilt pardon my sin: for it is great.

Who is the man that feareth the Lord? He hath appointed him a law in the way he hath chosen.

His soul shall dwell in good things: and his seed shall inherit the land.

The Lord is a firmament to them that fear him: and his covenant shall be made manifest to them.

My eyes are ever towards the Lord: for he shall pluck my feet out of the snare.

Look thou upon me, and have mercy on me; for I am alone and poor.

The troubles of my heart are multiplied: deliver me from my necessities.

See my abjection and my labour; and forgive me all my sins.

Consider my enemies for they are multiplied, and have hated me with an unjust hatred.

Keep thou my soul, and deliver me: I shall not be ashamed, for I have hoped in thee.

The innocent and the upright have adhered to me: because I have waited on thee.

Deliver Israel, O God, from all his tribulations.

A psalm for David, at the finishing of the tabernacle. Bring to the Lord, O ye children of God: bring to the Lord the offspring of rams.

Bring to the Lord glory and honour: bring to the Lord glory to his name: adore ye the Lord in his holy court.

The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of majesty hath thundered, The Lord is upon many waters.

The voice of the Lord is in power; the voice of the Lord in magnificence.

The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars: yea, the Lord shall break the cedars of Libanus.

And shall reduce them to pieces, as a calf of Libanus, and as the beloved son of unicorns.

The voice of the Lord divideth the flame of fire:

The voice of the Lord shaketh the desert: and the Lord shall shake the desert of Cades.

The voice of the Lord prepareth the stags: and he will discover the thick woods: and in his temple all shall speak his glory.

The Lord maketh the flood to dwell: and the Lord shall sit king for ever. The Lord will give strength to his people: the Lord will bless his people with peace.

A psalm for David. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye just: praise becometh the upright.

Give praise to the Lord on the harp; sing to him with the psaltery, the instrument of ten strings.

Sing to him a new canticle, sing well unto him with a loud noise.

For the word of the Lord is right, and all his works are done with faithfulness.

He loveth mercy and judgment; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.

By the word of the Lord the heavens were established; and all the power of them by the spirit of his mouth:

Gathering together the waters of the sea, as in a vessel; laying up the depths in storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the Lord, and let all the inhabitants of the world be in awe of him.

For he spoke and they were made: he commanded and they were created.

The Lord bringeth to nought the counsels of nations; and he rejecteth the devices of people, and casteth away the counsels of princes.

But the counsel of the Lord standeth for ever: the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord: the people whom he hath chosen for his inheritance.

The Lord hath looked from heaven: he hath beheld all the sons of men.

From his habitation which he hath prepared, he hath looked upon all that dwell on the earth.

He who hath made the hearts of every one of them: who understandeth all their works.

The king is not saved by a great army: nor shall the giant be saved by his own great strength.

Vain is the horse for safety: neither shall he be saved by the abundance of his strength.

Behold the eyes of the Lord are on them that fear him: and on them that hope in his mercy.

To deliver their souls from death; and feed them in famine.

Our soul waiteth for the Lord: for he is our helper and protector.

For in him our heart shall rejoice: and in his holy name we have trusted.

Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in thee.