The Lord's Message to David
(1 Chronicles 17.1-15)1 King David moved into his new palace, and the Lord let his kingdom be at peace. 2 Then one day, as David was talking with Nathan the prophet, David said, “Look around! I live in a palace made of cedar, but the sacred chest has to stay in a tent.”
3 Nathan replied, “The Lord is with you, so do what you want!”
4 That night, the Lord told Nathan 5 to go to David and give him this message:
David, you are my servant, so listen to what I say. Why should you build a temple for me? 6 I didn't live in a temple when I brought my people out of Egypt, and I don't live in one now. A tent has always been my home wherever I have gone with them. 7 I chose leaders and told them to be like shepherds for my people Israel. But did I ever say anything to even one of them about building a cedar temple for me?
8 David, this is what I, the Lord All-Powerful, say to you. I brought you in from the fields where you took care of sheep, and I made you the leader of my people. 9 Wherever you went, I helped you and destroyed your enemies right in front of your eyes. I have made you one of the most famous people in the world.
10 I have given my people Israel a land of their own where they can live in peace, and they won't have to tremble with fear any more. Evil nations won't bother them, as they did 11 when I let judges rule my people. And I have kept your enemies from attacking you.
Now I promise that you and your descendants will be kings. 12 I'll choose one of your sons to be king when you reach the end of your life and are buried in the tomb of your ancestors. I'll make him a strong ruler, 13 and no one will be able to take his kingdom away from him. He will be the one to build a temple for me. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son.
When he does wrong, I'll see that he is corrected, just as children are corrected by their parents. 15 But I will never put an end to my agreement with him, as I put an end to my agreement with Saul, who was king before you. 16 I will make sure that one of your descendants will always be king.
17 Nathan told David exactly what he had heard in the vision.
David Gives Thanks to the Lord
(1 Chronicles 17.16-27)18 David went into the tent he had set up for the sacred chest. Then he sat there and prayed:
Lord All-Powerful, my family and I don't deserve what you have already done for us, 19 and yet you have promised to do even more. Is this the way you usually treat people? 20 I am your servant, and you know my thoughts, so there is nothing more that I need to say. 21 You have done this wonderful thing, and you have let me know about it, because you wanted to keep your promise.
22 Lord All-Powerful, you are greater than all others. No one is like you, and you alone are God. Everything we have heard about you is true. 23 And there is no other nation on earth like Israel, the nation you rescued from slavery in Egypt to be your own. You became famous by using great and wonderful miracles to force other nations and their gods out of your land, so your people could live here. 24 You have chosen Israel to be your people forever, and you have become their God.
25 And now, Lord God, please do what you have promised me and my descendants. 26 Then you will be famous forever, and everyone will say, “The Lord God All-Powerful rules Israel, and David's descendants are his chosen kings.” 27 After all, you really are Israel's God, the Lord All-Powerful. You've told me that you will let my descendants be kings. That's why I have the courage to pray to you like this, even though I am only your servant.
28 Lord All-Powerful, you are God. You have promised me some very good things, and you can be trusted to do what you promise. 29 Please bless my descendants and let them always be your chosen kings. You have already promised, and I'm sure that you will bless my family forever.
1 Afterwarde when the King sate in his house and the Lord had giuen him rest rounde about from all his enemies, 2 The King saide vnto Nathan the Prophet, Beholde, nowe I dwel in an house of cedar trees, and the Arke of God remayneth within the curtaines. 3 Then Nathan sayde vnto the King, Go, and doe all that is in thine heart: for the Lord is with thee. 4 And the same night the worde of the Lord came vnto Nathan, saying, 5 Goe and tell my seruant Dauid, Thus saieth the Lord, Shalt thou buylde me an house for my dwelling? 6 For I haue dwelt in no house since the time that I brought the children of Israel out of Egypt vnto this day, but haue walked in a tent and tabernacle. 7 In al the places wherein I haue walked with all the children of Israel, spake I one worde with any of the tribes of Israel when I commanded the iudges to feede my people Israel? or sayde I, Why build ye not me an house of cedar trees? 8 Nowe therefore so say vnto my seruant Dauid, Thus saieth the Lord of hostes, I tooke thee from the sheepecote following the sheepe, that thou mightest bee ruler ouer my people, ouer Israel. 9 And I was with thee wheresoeuer thou hast walked, and haue destroyed all thine enemies out of thy sight, and haue made thee a great name, like vnto the name of the great men that are in the earth. 10 (Also I will appoynt a place for my people Israel, and will plant it, that they may dwell in a place of their owne, and moue no more, neither shall wicked people trouble them any more as before time, 11 And since the time that I set Iudges ouer my people of Israel) and I will giue thee rest from al thine enemies: also the Lord telleth thee, that he will make thee an house. 12 And when thy daies bee fulfilled, thou shalt sleepe with thy fathers, and I wil set vp thy seede after thee, which shall proceede out of thy body, and will stablish his kingdome. 13 He shall buyld an house for my Name, and I will stablish ye throne of his kingdome for euer. 14 I will be his father, and hee shall bee my sonne: and if he sinne, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the plagues of the children of men. 15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I tooke it from Saul whome I haue put away before thee. 16 And thine house shall be stablished and thy kingdome for euer before thee, euen thy throne shalbe stablished for euer. 17 According to all these wordes, and according to all this vision, Nathan spake thus vnto Dauid. 18 Then King Dauid went in, and sate before the Lord, and sayde, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? 19 And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God, therefore thou hast spoken also of thy seruants house for a great while: but doth this appertaine to man, O Lord God? 20 And what can Dauid say more vnto thee? for thou, Lord God, knowest thy seruant. 21 For thy words sake, and according to thine owne heart hast thou done all these great things, to make them knowen vnto thy seruant. 22 Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee, according to all that wee haue heard with our eares. 23 And what one people in the earth is like thy people, like Israel? whose God went and redeemed them to himselfe, that they might be his people, and that hee might make him a name, and do for you great things, and terrible for thy land, O Lord, euen for thy people, whome thou redeemedst to thee out of Egypt, from the nations, and their gods? 24 For thou hast ordeyned to thy selfe thy people Israel to be thy people for euer: and thou Lord art become their God. 25 Nowe therefore, O Lord God, confirme for euer the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy seruant and his house, and doe as thou hast sayde. 26 And let thy Name bee magnified for euer by them that shall say, The Lord of hostes is the God ouer Israel: and let the house of thy seruant Dauid be stablished before thee. 27 For thou, O Lord of hostes, God of Israel, hast reueiled vnto thy seruant, saying, I will build thee an house: therefore hath thy seruant bene bold to pray this prayer vnto thee. 28 Therefore now, O Lord God, (for thou art God, and thy words be true, and thou hast tolde this goodnes vnto thy seruant) 29 Therefore nowe let it please thee to blesse the house of thy seruant, that it may continue for euer before thee: for thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it: and let the house of thy seruant be blessed for euer, with thy blessing.