1 Chronicles

17 And when David had sat down in his house, David said to the prophet Nathan “Here I am living in the cedar house, but the ark of Jehovah’s covenant is under curtains.” 2 And Nathan said to David “Whatever you have in mind do; for God is with you.”

3 But that night God’s word came to Nathan 4 “Go and say to my servant David ‘Says Jehovah, Are you to build me the house to live in? 5* for I have never lived in a house from the day that I brought Israel up until this day, but have been from tent to tent, and from tabernacle. 6 In all my going about in all Israel did I ever speak with one of the judges of Israel whom I commissioned to be shepherds of my people Israel to say “Why have you not built me a cedar house?”’ 7 And now you are to say to my servant David ‘Says Jehovah of Armies, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be warden over my people Israel, 8 and I was with you wherever you went and exterminated all your enemies before you; and I will make you a name like the names of the great of the earth, 9 and will fix a place for my people Israel and plant them, and they shall dwell in one spot and never be disturbed again, and no longer shall the men of foul play wear them down as they formerly did, 10 ever since the days when I commissioned judges over my people Israel; and I will humble all your enemies, and will make you great; and Jehovah will build a house for you, 11 and when your time is full for going to be with your fathers, I will raise up after you your issue, who shall be a son of yours, and I will establish his kingship. 12 He shall build me a house, and I will make his throne firm forever. 13 I will be father to him and he shall be son to me, and my friendship I will never withdraw from him as I withdrew it from the one that was before you, 14 but I will let him stand in my house and my kingdom forever; and his throne shall be firm forever.’” 15 Just these words, just this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

16 And King David went in and sat down before Jehovah and said “Who am I, Jehovah God, and who are my house, that you have brought me so far as this? 17* And this has seemed to you a little thing too, God, and you have made promises about your servant’s house to distant times, and have viewed me in the aspect of rising men, Jehovah God. 18 What more should David add to you for glory? but you know your servant. 19 Jehovah, for your servant’s sake, and in accordance with your own will, you have done all this great work, to make known all the great things. 20 Jehovah, there is none like you and no God but you, as in everything that we have heard with our ears; 21 and who is like your people Israel, a single nation on earth which God has gone to redeem for a people of his own to make you a name? great and terrible things, driving out nations before your people whom you redeemed out of Egypt, 22 and making your people Israel your own people forever, and you, Jehovah, becoming their own God! 23 And now, Jehovah, let the promise you have given about your servant and his house be sure forever, and do as you have promised, 24 and your name will be sure and great forever, men saying ‘Israel has for its God Jehovah of Armies, Israel’s God,’ and your servant David’s house will be firm before you; 25 because you, my God, have made to your servant the disclosure of building a house for him—this is why your servant, has found it possible to pray before you. 26 And now, Jehovah, you are God, and you have promised for your servant this much good; 27 now you have been willing to bless your servant’s house that it may be forever before you, because you, Jehovah, have blessed, and it is blessed forever.”