1 Chronicles 17

1 Now it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD [remaineth] 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 Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that [is] in thine heart; for God [is] with thee.

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

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

But that night God told Nathan,

4 Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not build me an 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 an house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day; but have gone from tent to tent, and from [one] tabernacle [to another].

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

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 Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, [even] from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler 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 have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name like the name of the great men that [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 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,

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

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 shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go [to be] with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish 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 shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever.

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

13 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 thee:

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

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 did Nathan speak unto David.

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

16 And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said, Who [am] I, O LORD God, and what [is] mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?

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 [yet] this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God; for thou hast [also] spoken of thy servant’s house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O LORD 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 can David [speak] more to thee for the honour of thy servant? for thou knowest thy servant.

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

19 O LORD, for thy servant’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making 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 LORD, [there is] none like thee, neither [is there any] God beside thee, 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 what one nation in the earth [is] like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem [to be] his own people, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people, whom thou hast redeemed 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 For thy people Israel didst thou make thine own people for ever; and thou, LORD, becamest their God.

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

23 Therefore now, LORD, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as thou hast said.

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 Let it even be established, that thy 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 thy servant [be] established before thee.

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 thou, O my God, hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him an house: therefore thy servant hath found [in his heart] to pray before thee.

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, LORD, thou art God, and hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:

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

27 Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest, O LORD, and [it shall be] blessed for ever.

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.”