1 Chronicles 17

1 It happened, when David lived in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, "Look, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of Jehovah is under curtains."

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

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

4 "Go and tell David my servant, 'Thus says Jehovah, "You shall not build me a house to dwell in;

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 lived in a house since the day that I brought up Israel to this day, but have gone about from tent to tent, and from tabernacle to tabernacle.

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 In all places in which I have walked with all Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to be shepherd of my people, saying, 'Why have you not built me a house of cedar?'"'

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 "Now therefore, you shall tell my servant David, 'Thus says Jehovah of hosts, "I took you from the sheep pen, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over 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 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you. I will make you a name, like the name of the great ones who are in 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 I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the first,

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 and from the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel; and I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover I tell you that Jehovah will build you a house.

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 it will come about when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will raise up your descendant after you, who shall be of 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 will build me a house, and I will establish his throne forever.

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

13 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. I will not take my loving kindness away from him, as I took it from him that 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 but I will settle him in my house and in my kingdom forever. His throne shall be established forever."'"

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 all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

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

16 Then king David went in and sat before Jehovah and said, "Who am I, Jehovah God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?

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 This was a small thing in your eyes, God, but you have spoken of your servant's house for a great while to come, and you have let me look upon the generation of humankind to come, Jehovah 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 can David say yet more to you concerning the honor which is done to your servant? For you know your servant, Jehovah.

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

19 For your servant's sake, and according to your own heart, you have worked all this greatness, to make known to your servant all these great things.

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

20 Jehovah, there is none like you, neither is there any God besides you, according to all that we have heard 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 And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went out to redeem to be a people for himself, to make a name for yourself by great and awesome deeds, by driving out from before your people, whom you redeemed out of Egypt, a nation and its gods?

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 made your people Israel for yourself to be your people forever; and you, Jehovah, became their God.

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

23 Now, Jehovah, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant, and concerning his house, be established forever, and do 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 Let your name be established and magnified forever, saying, 'Jehovah of hosts is the God of Israel,' and the house of David your servant is established before you.

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 have revealed to your servant that you will build him a house. Therefore your servant has found courage to 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, Jehovah, you are God, and have promised this good thing to your servant.

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

27 Now it has pleased you to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you; for you, Jehovah, have blessed, and it is 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.