1 Chronicles 17

1 And it happened, when David was settled in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, “Look — I am living in a house of cedar, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under covers.” [a] 2 And Nathan said to David, “Do everything that is in your soul, for God is with you.” [b]

3 And it happened that night, and the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, 4 “Go and say to David my servant, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not the one who will build me a house for me to live in. [c] 5 For I have not lived in a house from the day I brought Israel up until this day; I have been in a tent and in a lodging. † 6 In all the places I went through with all Israel, did I ever speak a word to one tribe of Israel, to shepherd my people, and say, “You have not built me a house of cedar”?’ [d]

7 And now this is what you are to say to my slave David: ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the sheepfold, from behind the flocks, to be leader over my people Israel. [e] 8 And I was with you in everything, wherever you went, and I destroyed all your enemies from before you, and I made you a name like the name of the great ones on the earth. 9 And I will set a place for my people Israel, and I will plant him, and he will settle by himself and worry no more; and wrongdoing will not go on bringing him low, as it did from the beginning, [f] 10 and from the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I brought low all your enemies. And I will increase you, and the Lord will build you a house. [g]

11 And it will be, when your days are fulfilled and you sleep with your fathers, that I will raise up your seed after you, one who will come from your own body, and I will make his kingdom ready. † 12 He will build me a house, and I will set his throne upright forever. 13 I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me. And my mercy I will not take away from him, as I took it away from those who were before you. [h] 14 And I will make him sure in my house and in his kingdom forever, and his throne will be set upright forever.’” 15 According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

16 And King David came and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, Lord God, and what is my house, that you have loved me forever? 17 And these things were made a small thing before you, O God, and you have spoken about the house of your servant far into the years to come, and you have looked on me as one looks on a man, and you have lifted me high, Lord God. [i] 18 What more will David add to say to you, to glorify you? And you yourself know your slave. 19 And according to your own heart you have done all this greatness.

20 Lord, there is no one like you, and there is no one besides you, in all that we have heard with our ears. [j] 21 And there is no other nation on the earth like your people Israel — how God led him, to ransom a people for himself, to make himself a great and glorious name, to drive out nations from before your people, whom you ransomed out of Egypt. 22 And you gave your people Israel to yourself as a people forever; and you, Lord, became their God.

23 And now, Lord, let the word you spoke to your servant and about his house be made sure forever, [k] 24 while men say, ‘Lord, Lord Almighty, God of Israel,’ and let the house of David your servant be set upright before you. 25 For you, Lord, opened the ear of your servant, to build him a house; that is why your servant has found it in himself to pray before your face. [l] 26 And now, Lord, you yourself are God, and you have spoken these good things about your slave. 27 And now you have begun to bless the house of your servant, so that it may be forever before you; for you, Lord, have blessed it — and bless it forever.”