1 Chronicles 17
1 Once David had settled into his palace, he spoke to the prophet Nahum. “Look,” he said, “I'm living in a cedar palace while the Ark of the Lord's Agreement is kept in a tent!”
And it came to pass as David dwelt in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Behold, I dwell in a house of cedars, and the ark of the covenant of Jehovah under curtains.
2 “Do what you think you should, for the God is with you,” Nathan replied.
And Nathan said to David, Do all that is in thy heart; for God is with thee.
3 But that night God told Nathan,
And it came to pass that night that the word of God came to Nathan saying,
4 “Go and talk to my servant David. Tell him, this is what the Lord says, You are not to build a house for me to live in.
Go and say to David my servant, Thus saith Jehovah: Thou shalt not build me a house to dwell in;
5 I have not lived in a house from the time I led Israel out of Egypt until now. I have lived in tents, moving from place to place.
for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up Israel to this day; but I have been from tent to tent, and from [one] tabernacle [to another].
6 But in all those travels with all of Israel did I ever ask any Israelite leader I'd ordered to take care of my people, ‘Why haven't you built a cedar house for me?’
In all my going about with all Israel, did I speak a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why build ye me not a house of cedars?
7 So then, go and tell my servant David this is what the Lord Almighty says. It was me who took you from the fields, from looking after sheep, to become a leader of my people Israel.
And now, thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: I took thee from the pasture-grounds, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel;
8 I have been with you wherever you've gone. I have struck down all your enemies right in front of you, and I will make your reputation as great as the most famous people on earth.
and I have been with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name, like unto the name of the great men that are on the earth.
9 I will choose a place for my people Israel. I will settle them there and they won't be disturbed anymore. Evil people won't persecute them as they used to,
And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and be disturbed no more; neither shall the sons of wickedness waste them any more, as formerly,
10 from the time I placed judges in charge of my people. I will defeat all of your enemies. Also I want to make it clear that I the Lord will build a house for you.
and since the days that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. And I will subdue all thine enemies; and I tell thee that Jehovah will build thee a house.
11 For when you come to the end of your life and join your ancestors in death, I will bring to power one of your descendants, one of your sons, and make sure his kingdom is successful.
And it shall come to pass, when thy days are fulfilled that thou must go [to be] with thy fathers, that I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.
12 He will be the one to build me a house, and I will make sure his kingdom lasts forever.
It is he who shall build me a house, and I will establish his throne for ever.
13 I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me. I will never take away my kindness and love from him, as I did in the case of the one who ruled before you.
I will be his father, and he shall be my son; and I will not take away my mercy from him, as I took it from him that was before thee;
14 I will put him in charge of my house and my kingdom forever, and his dynasty will last forever.”
and I will settle him in my house and in my kingdom for ever; and his throne shall be established for ever.
15 This is what Nathan explained to David—everything he was told in this divine revelation.
According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak to David.
16 Then King David went and sat down in the presence of the Lord. He prayed, “Who am I, Lord God, and what is significant about my family, that you have brought me to this place?
And king David went in and sat before Jehovah, and said, Who am I, Jehovah Elohim, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?
17 God, you talk as if this was a small thing in your eyes, and you also have spoken about the future of my house, my family dynasty. You also see me as someone very important, Lord God.
And this hath been a small thing in thy sight, O God; and thou hast spoken of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the rank of a man of high degree, Jehovah Elohim.
18 What more can I, David, say to you for honoring me in this way? You know your servant all too well!
What can David [say] more to thee for the glory of thy servant? thou indeed knowest thy servant.
19 Lord, you're doing all this for me, your servant, and because it's what you want—doing all these amazing things and letting people know about them.
Jehovah, for thy servant's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, to make known all these great things.
20 Lord, there really is no-one like you; there is no other God, only you. We have never heard about anyone else.
Jehovah, there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
21 Who else is as fortunate as your people Israel? Who else on earth did God go and redeem to make his own people? You gained a wonderful reputation for yourself by all the tremendous, amazing things you did in driving out other nations before your people as you redeemed them from Egypt.
And who is like thy people Israel, the one nation in the earth that God went to redeem to be a people to himself, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people, which thou hast redeemed out of Egypt?
22 You made your people Israel your own forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.
And thy people Israel hast thou made thine own people for ever; and thou, Jehovah, art become their God.
23 So now, Lord, please ensure that what you have said about me and my house happens, and lasts forever. Please do as you have promised,
And now, Jehovah, let the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as thou hast said.
24 and may your true nature be recognized and honored forever, with people declaring, ‘The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, is Israel's God!’ May the house of your servant David continue to be there in your presence.
Let it even be established, and let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, is God to Israel; and let the house of David thy servant be established before thee.
25 You, my God, have explained to me, your servant, that you will build me a house. That's why your servant has had the courage to pray to you.
For thou, my God, hast revealed to thy servant that thou wilt build him a house; therefore hath thy servant found [in his heart] to pray before thee.
26 For you, Lord, are God! You are the one who has promised all these good things to your servant.
And now, Jehovah, thou art that God, and hast promised this goodness unto thy servant;
27 So now, please bless your servant's house that it may continue in your presence forever. For when you bless, Lord, it is blessed forever.”
and now, let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever; for thou, Jehovah, hast blessed [it], and it shall be blessed for ever.
