1 Chronicles 17

1 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.

Now it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, See, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD remains under curtains.

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

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

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

And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

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

Go and tell David my servant, Thus says the LORD, You shall not build me an house to dwell in:

5 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.

For I have not dwelled in an house since the day that I brought up Israel to this day; but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another.

6 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?

Wherever I have walked with all Israel, spoke I a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why have you not built me an house of cedars?

7 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;

Now therefore thus shall you say to my servant David, Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the sheepcote, even from following the sheep, that you should be ruler over my people Israel:

8 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.

And I have been with you wherever you have walked, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a name like the name of the great men that are in the earth.

9 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,

Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the beginning,

10 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.

And since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. Moreover I will subdue all your enemies. Furthermore I tell you that the LORD will build you an house.

11 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.

And it shall come to pass, when your days be expired that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will raise up your seed after you, which shall be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom.

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

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

13 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;

I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before you:

14 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.

But I will settle him in my house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for ever more.

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

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

16 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?

And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said, Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that you have brought me till now?

17 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.

And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O God; for you have also spoken of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O LORD God.

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

What can David speak more to you for the honor of your servant? for you know your servant.

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

O LORD, for your servant’s sake, and according to your own heart, have you done all this greatness, in making known all these great things.

20 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.

O LORD, there is none like you, neither is there any God beside you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

21 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?

And what one nation in the earth is like your people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his own people, to make you a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before your people whom you have redeemed out of Egypt?

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

For your people Israel did you make your own people for ever; and you, LORD, became their God.

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

Therefore now, LORD, let the thing that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as you have said.

24 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.

Let it even be established, that your name may be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel: and let the house of David your servant be established before you.

25 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.

For you, O my God, have told your servant that you will build him an house: therefore your servant has found in his heart to pray before you.

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

And now, LORD, you are God, and have promised this goodness to your servant:

27 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.

Now therefore let it please you to bless the house of your servant, that it may be before you for ever: for you bless, O LORD, and it shall be blessed for ever.