1 Chronicles 17

1 And it comes to pass as David sat in his house, that David says to Nathan the prophet, “Behold, I am dwelling in a house of cedars, and the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH [is] under curtains”;

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!”

2 and Nathan says to David, “All that [is] in your heart do, for God [is] with you.”

“Do what you think you should, for the God is with you,” Nathan replied.

3 And it comes to pass on that night that a word of God is to Nathan, saying,

But that night God told Nathan,

4 “Go, and you have said to My servant David, Thus said YHWH: You do not build for Me the house to dwell in.

“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.

5 For I have not dwelt in a house from the day that I brought up Israel until this day, and I am [going] from tent to tent, and from the Dwelling Place.

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.

6 Wherever I have walked up and down among all Israel, have I spoken a word with one of [the] judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed My people, saying, Why have you not built a house of cedars for Me?

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?’

7 And now, thus you say to My servant, to David, Thus said YHWH of Hosts: I have taken you from the habitation, from after the sheep, to be leader over My people Israel,

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.

8 and I am with you wherever you have walked, and I cut off all your enemies from your presence, and have made a name for you like the name of the great ones who [are] in the earth.

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.

9 And I have prepared a place for My people Israel, and planted it, and it has dwelt in its place, and is not troubled anymore, and the sons of perverseness do not add to wear it out as at first,

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,

10 indeed, even from the days that I appointed judges over My people Israel. And I have humbled all your enemies, and I declare to you that YHWH builds a house for you.

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.

11 And it has come to pass, when your days have been fulfilled to go with your fathers, that I have raised up your seed after you, who is of your sons, and I have established his kingdom;

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.

12 he builds a house for Me, and I have established his throne for all time;

He will be the one to build me a house, and I will make sure his kingdom lasts forever.

13 I am to him for a father, and he is to Me for a son, and I do not turn aside My kindness from him as I turned it aside from him who was before you,

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.

14 and I have established him in My house, and in My kingdom for all time, and his throne is established for all time.”

I will put him in charge of my house and my kingdom forever, and his dynasty will last forever.”

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

This is what Nathan explained to David—everything he was told in this divine revelation.

16 And David the king comes in and sits before YHWH, and says, “Who [am] I, O YHWH God, and what [is] my house, that You have brought me here?

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?

17 And this is small in Your eyes, O God, and You speak concerning the house of Your servant far off, and have seen me as a type of the man who is on high, O YHWH God!

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.

18 What more does David add to You for the honor of Your servant; and You have known Your servant.

What more can I, David, say to you for honoring me in this way? You know your servant all too well!

19 O YHWH, for Your servant’s sake, and according to Your own heart You have done all this greatness, to make known all these great things.

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.

20 O YHWH, there is none like You, and there is no god except You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

Lord, there really is no-one like you; there is no other God, only you. We have never heard about anyone else.

21 And who [is] as Your people Israel, one nation in the earth whom God has gone to ransom to Himself for a people, to make a great and fearful name for Yourself, to cast out nations from the presence of Your people whom You have ransomed out of Egypt?

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.

22 Indeed, You appoint Your people Israel to Yourself for a people for all time, and You, O YHWH, have been to them for God.

You made your people Israel your own forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.

23 And now, O YHWH, let the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant, and concerning his house, be steadfast for all time, and do as You have spoken;

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,

24 and let it be steadfast, and Your Name is great for all time, saying, YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel, [is] God to Israel, and the house of Your servant David is established before You;

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.

25 for You, O my God, have uncovered the ear of Your servant—to build a house for him, therefore Your servant has found [desire] to pray before You.

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.

26 And now, YHWH, You [are] God Himself, and You speak this goodness concerning Your servant;

For you, Lord, are God! You are the one who has promised all these good things to your servant.

27 and now, You have been pleased to bless the house of Your servant, to be before You for all time; for You, O YHWH, have blessed, and it is blessed for all time.”

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.”