Chronicles I 17

1 And it came to pass as 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] of skins.

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 And 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 And it came to pass in that night, that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, [saying],

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

4 Go and say to David my servant, Thus said the Lord, You shall not build me a house for me to dwell in it.

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 from the day that I brought up Israel until this day, but I have been in a tabernacle and a tent,

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 through which I have gone with all Israel: did I ever speak to [any] one tribe of Israel whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, [Why is it] that you have 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 And now thus shall you say to my servant David, Thus says the Lord Almighty, I took you from the sheepfold, from following the flocks, to be a ruler 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 and I was with you in all places whither you went, and I destroyed all your enemies from before you, and I made for you a name according to the name of the great ones that are upon 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 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and I will plant him, and he shall dwell by himself, and shall no longer be anxious; and the son of iniquity shall no longer afflict him, as at the beginning,

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 days when I appointed judges over my people Israel. Also I have humbled all your enemies, and I will increase you, and the Lord 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 shall come to pass when your days shall be fulfilled, and you shall sleep with your fathers, that I will raise up your seed after you, which shall be of your bowels, 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 shall build me a house, and I will set up his throne for ever.

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

13 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son: and my mercy will I not withdraw from him, as I withdrew [it] from them that were 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 And I will establish him in my house and in his kingdom for ever; and his throne shall be set up for ever.

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 spoke Nathan to David.

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

16 And king David came and sat before the Lord, and said, Who am I, O Lord God? and what [is] my house, that you have loved me for ever?

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 And these things were little in your sight, O God: you have also spoken concerning the house of your servant for a long time to come, and you have looked upon me as a man looks upon his fellow, and have exalted me, O Lord 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 shall David do more toward you to glorify [you]? and you know your servant.

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

19 And you have wrought all this greatness according to your heart.

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

20 O Lord, there is none like you, and there is no God beside you, according to all things which 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 Neither is there another nation upon the earth [such] as your people Israel, whereas God led him in the way, to redeem a people for himself, to make for himself a great and glorious name, to cast out nations from before your people, whom you redeemed out of Egypt.

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 have appointed your people Israel as a people to yourself for ever; and you, Lord, did become a God to them.

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

23 And now, Lord, let the word which you spoke to your servant, and concerning his house, be confirmed for ever, and do you 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 And let your name [be] established and magnified for ever, [men] saying, Lord, Lord, Almighty God of Israel: and [let] the house of your servant David [be] 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, O Lord my God, have revealed to the ear of your servant that you will build him a house; therefore your servant has found a willingness 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 And now, Lord, you yourself are God, and you have spoken these good things concerning your servant.

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

27 And now you have begun to bless the house of your servant, so that it should continue for ever before you: for you, Lord, have blessed [it], and do you bless [it] for ever.

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.