Chronicles I 17

1 And it came to pass as David lived in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord [is] under [curtains] of skins.

Now when David was living in his house, he said to the prophet Nathan: “Behold, I live in a house of cedar. But the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under tent skins.”

2 And Nathan said to David, Do all that is in your heart; for God [is] with you.

And Nathan said to David: “Do all that is in your heart. For God is with you.”

3 And it came to pass in that night, that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, [saying],

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

4 Go and say to David my servant, Thus said the Lord, You shall not build me a house for me to dwell in it.

“Go, and speak to my servant David: Thus says the Lord: You shall not build a house for me as a dwelling place.

5 For I have not lived in a house from the day that I brought up Israel until this day, but I have been in a tabernacle and a tent,

For I have not stayed in a house from the time when I led out Israel, even to this day. Instead, I have been continually changing places, in a tabernacle and tent,

6 in all places through which I have gone with all Israel: did I ever speak to [any] one tribe of Israel whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, [Why is it] that you have not built me a house of cedar?

dwelling with all of Israel. When did I ever speak to any one at all, among the judges of Israel whom I placed in charge so that they might pasture my people, saying: ‘Why have you not built a house of cedar for me?’

7 And now thus shall you say to my servant David, Thus says the Lord Almighty, I took you from the sheepfold, from following the flocks, to be a ruler over my people Israel:

And so, now you shall say this to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you when you were following the flock in the pastures, so that you would be the leader of my people Israel.

8 and I was with you in all places whither you went, and I destroyed all your enemies from before you, and I made for you a name according to the name of the great ones that are upon the earth.

And I have been with you wherever you have gone. And I have slain all your enemies before you, and I have made a name for you like one of the great ones who are celebrated upon the earth.

9 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and I will plant him, and he shall dwell by himself, and shall no longer be anxious; and the son of iniquity shall no longer afflict him, as at the beginning,

And I have given a place to my people Israel. They shall be planted, and they shall live in it, and they shall no longer be moved. Neither shall the sons of iniquity wear them away, as in the beginning,

10 and from the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel. Also I have humbled all your enemies, and I will increase you, and the Lord will build you a house.

from the days when I gave judges to my people Israel, and I humbled all your enemies. Therefore, I announce to you that the Lord will build a house for you.

11 And it shall come to pass when your days shall be fulfilled, and you shall sleep with your fathers, that I will raise up your seed after you, which shall be of your bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

And when you will have completed your days, so that you go to your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall be from your sons. And I will establish his kingdom.

12 He shall build me a house, and I will set up his throne for ever.

He shall build a house for me, and I will make firm his throne, even unto eternity.

13 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son: and my mercy will I not withdraw from him, as I withdrew [it] from them that were before you.

I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. And I will not take away my mercy from him, as I took it away from the one who was before you.

14 And I will establish him in my house and in his kingdom for ever; and his throne shall be set up for ever.

And I will station him in my house and in my kingdom, even forever. And his throne will be very firm, in perpetuity.”

15 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so spoke Nathan to David.

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

16 And king David came and sat before the Lord, and said, Who am I, O Lord God? and what [is] my house, that you have loved me for ever?

And when king David had departed, and had sat down before the Lord, he said: “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you would grant such things to me?

17 And these things were little in your sight, O God: you have also spoken concerning the house of your servant for a long time to come, and you have looked upon me as a man looks upon his fellow, and have exalted me, O Lord God.

But even this has seemed little in your sight, and therefore you have also spoken about the house of your servant even for the future. And you have made me a spectacle above all men, O Lord God.

18 What shall David do more towards you to glorify [you]? and you know your servant.

What more can David add, since you have so glorified your servant, and have known him?

19 And you have wrought all this greatness according to your heart.

O Lord, because of your servant, in accord with your own heart, you have brought about all this magnificence, and you have willed all these great things to be known.

20 O Lord, there is none like you, and there is no God beside you, according to all things which we have heard with our ears.

O Lord, there is no one like you. And there is no other God apart from you, out of all whom we have heard about with our ears.

21 Neither is there another nation upon the earth [such] as your people Israel, whereas God led him in the way, to redeem a people for himself, to make for himself a great and glorious name, to cast out nations from before your people, whom you redeemed out of Egypt.

For what other single nation upon earth is like your people Israel, to whom God reached out, so that he might free them, and might make a people for himself, and by his greatness and terribleness cast out the nations before the face of those whom he had freed from Egypt?

22 And you have appointed your people Israel as a people to yourself for ever; and you, Lord, did become a God to them.

And you have set your people Israel to be your people, even unto eternity. And you, O Lord, have become their God.

23 And now, Lord, let the word which you spoke to your servant, and concerning his house, be confirmed for ever, and do you as you have spoken.

Now therefore, O Lord, let the word that you have spoken to your servant, and over his house, be confirmed in perpetuity, and do just as you have spoken.

24 And let your name [be] established and magnified for ever, [men] saying, Lord, Lord, Almighty God of Israel: and [let] the house of your servant David [be] established before you.

And may your name remain and be magnified even for all time. And let it be said: ‘The Lord of hosts is the God of Israel. And the house of his servant David remains forever before him.’

25 For you, O Lord my God, have revealed to the ear of your servant that you will build him a house; therefore your servant has found a willingness to pray before you.

For you, O Lord my God, have revealed to the ear of your servant that you will build a house for him. And therefore your servant has found faith so that he might pray before you.

26 And now, Lord, you yourself are God, and you have spoken these good things concerning your servant.

Now then, O Lord, you are God. And you have spoken to your servant such great benefits.

27 And now you have begun to bless the house of your servant, so that it should continue for ever before you: for you, Lord, have blessed [it], and do you bless [it] for ever.

And you have begun to bless the house of your servant, so that it may be always before you. For since it is you who is blessing, O Lord, it shall be blessed forever.”