1 Chronicles 17

1 Now when David was living in his house, he said to Nathan the prophet, See, I am living in a house of cedar-wood, but the ark of the Lord's agreement is under the curtains of a tent.

After David had settled into his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under a tent.”

2 And Nathan said to David, Do whatever is in your heart, for God is with you.

And Nathan replied to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”

3 But that same night, the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

But that night the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

4 Go and say to David my servant, The Lord says, You are not to make me a house for my living-place:

“Go and tell My servant David that this is what the LORD says: You are not the one to build Me a house in which to dwell.

5 For from the day when I took Israel up, till this day, I have had no house, but have gone from tent to tent, and from living-place to living-place.

For I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up out of Egypt until this day, but I have moved from tent to tent and dwelling to dwelling.

6 In all the places where I have gone with all Israel, did I ever say to any of the judges of Israel, whom I made the keepers of my people, Why have you not made for me a house of cedar?

In all My journeys with all the Israelites, have I ever asked any of the leaders I appointed to shepherd My people, ‘Why haven’t you built Me a house of cedar?’

7 So now, say to my servant David, The Lord of armies says, I took you from the fields, from keeping sheep, so that you might be a ruler over my people Israel;

Now then, you are to tell My servant David that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be the ruler over My people Israel.

8 And I have been with you wherever you went, cutting off before you all those who were against you; and I will make your name like the name of the greatest ones of the earth.

I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make for you a name like the greatest in the land.

9 And I will make a resting-place for my people Israel, planting them there, so that they may be in the place which is theirs and never again be moved; and never again will they be made waste by evil men, as they were at first,

And I will provide a place for My people Israel and will plant them so that they may dwell in a place of their own and be disturbed no more. No longer will the sons of wickedness oppress them as they did at the beginning

10 From the time when I put judges over my people Israel; and I will overcome all those who are against you; and I will make you great and the head of a line of kings.

and have done since the day I appointed judges over My people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the LORD will build a house for you.

11 And when the time comes for you to go to your fathers, I will put in your place your seed after you, one of your sons, and I will make his kingdom strong.

And when your days are fulfilled and you go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom.

12 He will be the builder of my house, and I will make the seat of his authority certain for ever.

He will build a house for Me, and I will establish his throne forever.

13 I will be to him a father and he will be to me a son; and I will not take my mercy away from him as I took it from him who was before you;

I will be his Father, and he will be My son. And I will never remove My loving devotion from him as I removed it from your predecessor.

14 But I will make his place in my house and in my kingdom certain for ever; and the seat of his authority will never be overturned.

But I will set him over My house and My kingdom forever, and his throne will be established forever.”

15 So Nathan gave David an account of all these words and this vision.

So Nathan relayed to David all the words of this entire vision.

16 Then David the king went in and took his seat before the Lord, and said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have been my guide till now?

Then King David went in, sat before the LORD, and said, “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?

17 And this was only a small thing to you, O God; but your words have even been about the far-off future of your servant's family, looking on me as on one of high position, O Lord God.

And as if this was a small thing in Your eyes, O God, You have spoken about the future of the house of Your servant and have regarded me as a man of great distinction, O LORD God.

18 What more may David say to you? for you have knowledge of your servant.

What more can David say to You for so honoring Your servant? For You know Your servant,

19 O Lord, because of your servant, and from your heart, you have done all these great things and let them be seen.

O LORD. For the sake of Your servant and according to Your own heart, You have accomplished this great thing and revealed all Your greatness.

20 O Lord, there is no one like you, and no other God but you, as is clear from everything which has come to our ears.

O LORD, there is none like You, and there is no God but You, according to everything we have heard with our own ears.

21 And what other nation in the earth, like your people Israel, did a god go out to take for himself, to be his people, making his name great and to be feared, driving out the nations from before your people whom you made free and took out of Egypt?

And who is like Your people Israel—the one nation on earth whom God went out to redeem as a people for Himself? You made a name for Yourself through great and awesome wonders by driving out nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed from Egypt.

22 For your people Israel you made yours for ever; and you, Lord, became their God.

For You have made Your people Israel Your very own forever, and You, O LORD, have become their God.

23 And now, Lord, let your words about your servant and about his family be made certain for ever, and do as you have said.

And now, O LORD, let the word You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house be established forever. Do as You have promised,

24 So let your words be made certain and your name be made great, when men say, The Lord of armies is the God of Israel; and when the family of David your servant is made strong before you.

so that Your name will be established and magnified forever when it is said, ‘The LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, is God over Israel.’ And may the house of Your servant David be established before You.

25 For you, O my God, have let your servant see that you will make him head of a line of kings; and so it has come into your servant's heart to make his prayer to you.

For You, my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build a house for him. Therefore Your servant has found the courage to pray before You.

26 And now, O Lord, you are God, and you have said you will give this good thing to your servant:

And now, O LORD, You are God! And You have promised this goodness to Your servant.

27 And now you have been pleased to give your blessing to the family of your servant, so that it may go on for ever before you; you, O Lord, have given your blessing, and a blessing will be on it for ever.

So now You have been pleased to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You. For You, O LORD, have blessed it, and it will be blessed forever.”