I Chronicles 17

¹Now 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.”

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

³And yet, that 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.

⁵For 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,

⁶dwelling 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?’

⁷And 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.

⁸And 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.

⁹And 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,

¹⁰from 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.

¹¹And 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.

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

¹³I 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.

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

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

¹⁶And 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?

¹⁷But 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.

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

¹⁹O 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.

²⁰O 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.

²¹For 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?

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

²³Now 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.

²⁴And 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.’

²⁵For 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.

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

²⁷And 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.”

I Chronicles 17

¹Now when David was dwelling in his house, he said to Nathan the prophet: Behold I dwell in a house of cedar: and the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under skins.

²And Nathan said to David: Do all that is in thy heart: for God is with thee.

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

⁴Go, and speak to David my servant: Thus saith the Lord: Thou shalt not build me a house to dwell in.

⁵For I have not remained in a house from the time that I brought up Israel, to this day: but I have been always changing places in a tabernacle, and in a tent,

⁶Abiding with all Israel. Did I ever speak to any one, of all the judges of Israel whom I charged to feed my people, saying: Why have you not built me a house of cedar?

⁷Now therefore thus shalt thou say to my servant David: Thus saith the Lord of hosts: I took thee from the pastures, from following the flock, that thou shouldst be ruler of my people Israel.

⁸And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast gone: and have slain all thy enemies before thee, and have made thee a name like that of one of the great ones that are renowned in the earth.

⁹And I have given a place my people Israel: they shall be planted, and shall dwell therein, and shall be moved no more, neither shall the children of iniquity waste them, as at the beginning,

¹⁰Since the days that I gave judges to my people Israel, and have humbled all thy enemies. And I declare to thee, that the Lord will build thee a house.

¹¹And when thou shalt have ended thy days to go to thy fathers, I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons: and I will establish his kingdom.

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

¹³I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee.

¹⁴But I will settle him in my house, and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be most firm for ever.

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

¹⁶And king David came and sat before the Lord, and said: Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that thou shouldst give such things to me?

¹⁷But even this hath seemed little in thy sight, and therefore thou hast also spoken concerning the house of thy servant for the time to come: and hast made me remarkable above all men, O Lord God.

¹⁸What can David add more, seeing thou hast thus glorified thy servant, and known him?

¹⁹O Lord, for thy servant's sake, according to thy own heart, thou hast shewn all this magnificence, and wouldst have all the great things to be known.

²⁰O Lord there is none like thee: and here is no other God beside thee, of all whom we have heard of with our ears.

²¹For what other nation is there upon earth like thy people Israel, whom God went to deliver, and make a people for himself, and by his greatness and terrors cast out nations before their face whom he had delivered out of Egypt?

²²And thou hast made thy people Israel to be thy own people for ever, and thou, O Lord, art become their God.

²³Now therefore, O Lord, let the word which thou hast spoken to thy servant, and concerning his house, be established for ever, and do as thou hast said.

²⁴And let thy name remain and be magnified for ever: and let it be said: The Lord of hosts is God of Israel, and the house of David his servant remaineth before him.

²⁵For thou, O Lord my God, hast revealed to the ear of thy servant, that thou wilt build him a house: and therefore thy servant hath found confidence to pray before thee.

²⁶And now O Lord, thou art God: and thou hast promised to thy servant such great benefits.

²⁷And thou hast begun to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be always before thee: for seeing thou blessest it, O Lord, it shall be blessed for ever.