1 Chronicles 17

1 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.”

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

5 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,

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.

6 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?’

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?

7 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.

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;

8 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.

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.

9 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,

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,

10 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.

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.

11 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.

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.

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

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

13 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.

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;

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

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.

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

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

16 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?

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?

17 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.

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.

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

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

19 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.

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

20 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.

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.

21 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?

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?

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

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

23 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.

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

24 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.’

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.

25 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.

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.

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

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

27 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.”

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.