1 Chronicles 17

Revised Geneva Translation

17 Now afterward, when David dwelt in his house, he said to Nathan the Prophet, “Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar trees. But the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant remains under curtains.”

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

³ And the same night, the Word of God came to Nathan, saying,

⁴ “Go and tell David, My servant, ‘Thus says the LORD: “You shall not build Me a house to dwell in.

⁵ “For I have dwelt in no house since the day that I brought out the children of Israel until this day. But I have been from tent to tent, and from habitation to habitation.

⁶ “Therefore, I have walked with all Israel. Have I spoken one word to any of the judges of Israel (whom I Commanded to feed My people) saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar trees?’”’

⁷ “Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of Hosts: “I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, so that you would be a prince over My people Israel.

⁸ “And I have been with you wherever you have walked and have destroyed all your enemies out of your sight and have made you a name like the name of the great men who are on the Earth.

⁹ “Also, I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant it, so that they may dwell in their place and no longer move. Nor shall the wicked people trouble them anymore, as at the beginning

¹⁰ “and since the time that I Commanded judges over My people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. Therefore, I say to you that the LORD will build you a House.

¹¹ “And when your days shall be fulfilled, to go with your fathers, then I will raise up your seed after you, who shall be of your sons, and will establish his kingdom.

¹² “He shall build Me a House. And I will establish his throne 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 who was before you.

¹⁴ “But I will establish him in My House, and in My Kingdom, forever. And his throne shall be established forever.”’”

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

¹⁶ And David the king went in and sat before the LORD, and said, “Who am I, O LORD God? And what is my House, that You have brought me this far?

¹⁷ “Yet You, esteeming this a small thing, O God, have also spoken concerning the house of your servant for a great while, and have regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O LORD God.

¹⁸ “What more can David desire of You for the honor of Your servant? For You know Your servant.

¹⁹ “O LORD, for Your servant’s sake You have done all this great thing, according to Your Heart, to declare all magnificence.

²⁰ “LORD, there is none like You! Nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears!

²¹ “Moreover what one nation on the Earth is like Your people Israel, whose God went to redeem them to be His people, and to make Yourself a Name, and to do great and fearful things by casting out Nations from before Your people, whom You have delivered out of Egypt?

²² “For You have ordained Your people Israel to be Your own people forever. And You, LORD, have become their God.

²³ “Therefore now, LORD, let the thing that You have spoken concerning Your servant, and concerning his house, be confirmed forever. And do as You have said,

²⁴ “and let Your Name be stable and magnified forever, so that it may be said, ‘The LORD of Hosts, God of Israel, is the God of Israel,’ and let the House of David, Your servant, be established before You.

²⁵ “For You, O my God, have revealed to the ear of Your servant that You will build him a House. Therefore, Your servant has been bold to pray before You.

²⁶ “Therefore now, LORD — for You are God, and have spoken this goodness to Your servant —

²⁷ “now, therefore, it has pleased You to bless the House of Your servant, so that it may be before You forever. For You, O LORD, have blessed it. And it shall be blessed forever.”