1 Chronicles 17

1It happened, when David was living in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of Yahweh is under curtains.”

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

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

4Go and say to David my servant, ‘Thus says Yahweh: You shall not build for me the house to dwell in.’

5For I have not lived in a house from the day that I brought up Israel to this day, but I have gone from tent to tent and from dwelling place to dwelling place.

6In all the places where I have walked among all Israel, did I ever speak a word to one of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, saying, ‘Why have you not built for me a house of cedar?’

7Now therefore, this is what you shall say to my servant David: This is what Yahweh of hosts says: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be ruler over my people Israel.

8And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you, and I will make for you a name like the name of the great ones who are on the earth.

9And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, and they will dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And the sons of wickedness will no longer wear them down, as at the first,

10from the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I tell you that Yahweh will build you a house.

11And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled to go to be with your fathers, that I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall be one of your sons, and I will establish his kingdom.

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

13I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me. And I will not remove my steadfast love from him, as I removed it from the one who was before you.

14But I will establish him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne will be established forever.

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

16Then King David went in and sat before Yahweh and said, “Who am I, O Yahweh God, and what is my house, that you have brought me this far?”

17And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God; yet you have spoken concerning your servant’s house for a long time to come, and you have regarded me according to the rank of man on high, O Yahweh God.

18What more can David add before you for honoring your servant? You know your servant.

19O Yahweh, for the sake of your servant and according to your heart, you have done all this greatness, to make known all these great things.

20O Yahweh, there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, in all that we have heard with our own ears.

21And who is like your people Israel, one nation on the earth, whom God went to redeem for himself as a people, to make for yourself a name by great and fearsome deeds, driving out nations from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt?

22And you made your people Israel your people forever, and you, O Yahweh, became their God.

23And now, Yahweh, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house be established forever, and do as you have spoken.

24May it be established, and may your name be magnified forever, saying, ‘Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, is God to Israel,’ and may the house of David your servant be established before you.

25For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build him a house; therefore your servant has found courage to pray before you.

26And now, Yahweh, you are God, and you have spoken this good thing concerning your servant.

27And now, you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may be before you forever; for you, O Yahweh, have blessed it, and it is blessed forever.