1 Chronicles 17
1WHEN David was settled in his house, he said to Nathan the prophet, Behold I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is beneath curtains of skin.
2Thereupon Nathan said to David, Do whatever is in thy heart; for God is with thee.
3But that very night there came to Nathan a word of the Lord,
4Go, and say to David My servant, Thus saith the Lord: Thou shalt not build Me a house to dwell in.
5Because I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought up Israel even to this day, but have been in a tent and under a curtain in all the places
6through which I passed among Israel, did I ever speak to any tribe of Israel, whom I commanded to feed My people, and say, Why have you not built for Me a house of cedar?
7But now, Thus shalt thou say to My servant David, Thus saith the Lord Almighty, I took thee from the fold—from following the flocks, to be ruler over My people Israel
8and have been with thee wherever thou hast gone, and have cut off all thy enemies from before thee, and made thee a name like the name of the great men on the earth;
9and I will fix a place for My people Israel, and plant them, and they shall dwell by themselves and no more be in trouble, nor shall a son of iniquity any more humble them as at the first,
10even from the time I appointed judges over My people Israel. I have indeed subdued all thy enemies, and I will increase thee and the Lord will build thee a house.
11And when thy days are fulfilled and thou shalt go to rest with thy fathers, I will raise up thy seed after thee who shall proceed from thy loins, and I will prepare his kingdom.
12He shall build a house for Me, and I will establish his throne forever.
13I will be to him a father and he shall be to Me a son; and I will not withdraw My mercy from him as I withdrew it from them who were before him;
14but will confirm him in My house and in his kingdom, and his throne shall be established forever.
15According to all these words and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak to David.
16Whereupon king David went and sat down before the Lord, and said: Who am I, O Lord my God, and what is my house that Thou shouldst love me forever!
17Though these were very small before Thee, O my God, yet Thou hast spoken of Thy servant’s house for a great while to come, and hast looked upon me as with the eyes of a man, and exalted me.
18O Lord my God, what more can David address to Thee to express Thy praise? Thou knowest Thy servant,
19and according to Thy own heart Thou hast made all this greatness.
20O Lord! there is none like Thee, nor is there a god besides Thee according to all that we have heard with our ears;
21nor is there another nation on the earth like Thy people Israel. How hath God led them to redeem a people for Himself, to make Himself a name great and glorious, by driving out nations from before Thy people whom Thou didst redeem out of Egypt!
22As Thou hast made Thy people Israel a people for Thyself forever, and Thou the Lord art become their God;
23now therefore, O Lord, let the word which Thou hast spoken to Thy servant, and touching his house be established forever, and do as Thou hast spoken;
24and let Thy name be established and magnified forever by men, saying, O Lord, Lord Almighty, Thou art the God of Israel, and the house of Thy servant David is established before thee.
25Because Thou, O Lord my God, hast revealed to the ear of Thy servant, that Thou wilt build him a house; therefore Thy servant hath found freedom to make supplication before Thee.
26And now, O Lord, Thou art God. As Thou hast spoken these good things, respecting Thy servant;
27now therefore begin to bless the house of Thy servant that it may be before Thee forever. Because Thou hast blessed, therefore bless it forever.