I Chronicles 17

¹Now 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.

²And Nathan said to David, Do whatever is in your heart, for God is with you.

³But that same night, the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

⁴Go and say to David my servant, The Lord says, You are not to make me a house for my living-place:

⁵For 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.

⁶In 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?

⁷So 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;

⁸And 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.

⁹And 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,

¹⁰From 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.

¹¹And 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.

¹²He will be the builder of my house, and I will make the seat of his authority certain for ever.

¹³I 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;

¹⁴But 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.

¹⁵So Nathan gave David an account of all these words and this vision.

¹⁶Then 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?

¹⁷And 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.

¹⁸What more may David say to you? for you have knowledge of your servant.

¹⁹O Lord, because of your servant, and from your heart, you have done all these great things and let them be seen.

²⁰O Lord, there is no one like you, and no other God but you, as is clear from everything which has come to our ears.

²¹And 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?

²²For your people Israel you made yours for ever; and you, Lord, became their God.

²³And now, Lord, let your words about your servant and about his family be made certain for ever, and do as you have said.

²⁴So 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.

²⁵For 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.

²⁶And now, O Lord, you are God, and you have said you will give this good thing to your servant:

²⁷And 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.

I Chronicles 17

¹It happened, when 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."

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

³It happened the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

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

⁵for I have not lived in a house since the day that I brought up Israel, to this day, but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tent to another.

⁶In 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?'"'

⁷"Now therefore, you shall tell my servant David, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, "I took you from the sheep pen, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel.

⁸I 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.

⁹I 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,

¹⁰and from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel; and I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover I tell you that the Lord will build you a house.

¹¹It shall happen, when your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who shall be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom.

¹²He shall build me a house, and I will establish his throne forever.

¹³I 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;

¹⁴but I will settle him in my house and in my kingdom forever. His throne shall be established forever."'"

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

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

¹⁷This was a small thing in your eyes, God; but you have spoken of your servant's house for a great while to come, and have respected me according to the estate of a man of high degree, Lord God.

¹⁸What can David say yet more to you concerning the honor which is done to your servant? For you know your servant.

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

²⁰Lord, there is none like you, neither is there any God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

²¹What one nation in the earth is like your people Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, to make you a name by great and awesome things, in driving out nations from before your people, whom you redeem out of Egypt?

²²For your people Israel you made your own people forever; and you, Lord, became their God.

²³Now, Lord, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant, and concerning his house, be established forever, and do as you have spoken.

²⁴Let your name be established and magnified forever, saying, 'The Lord of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel. The house of David your servant is established before you.'

²⁵For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build him a house. Therefore your servant has found courage to pray before you.

²⁶Now, Lord, you are God, and have promised this good thing to your servant.

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