1Chronicles 17

The Lord’s Covenant Promise to David

17When David was settled in his palace, he summoned Nathan the prophet. "Look," David said, "I am living in a beautiful cedar palace

, but the Ark of the LORD's Covenant is out there under a tent!"H1732H3427H1004H1732H559H5416H5030H3427H1004H730H727H1285H3068H34072Nathan replied to David, "Do whatever you have in mind, for God is with you."H5416H559H1732H6213H3824H4303But that same night God said to Nathan,H3915H1697H430H5416H5594"Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD has declared: You are not the one to build a house for me to live in.H3212H559H1732H5650H559H3068H1129H1004H34275I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. My home has always been a tent, moving from one place to another in a Tabernacle.H3427H1004H3117H5927H3478H3117H168H168H49086Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel's leaders

, the shepherds of my people. I have never asked them, "Why haven't you built me a beautiful cedar house?"'H1980H3478H1696H1697H259H8199H3478H6680H7462H5971H559H1129H1004H7307"Now go and say to my servant David, 'This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel.H559H5650H1732H559H3068H6635H3947H5116H310H6629H5057H5971H34788I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth!H1980H3772H341H6440H6213H8034H8034H1419H7769And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won't oppress them as they've done in the past,H7760H4725H5971H3478H5193H7931H7264H1121H5766H1086H3254H722310starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will defeat all your enemies."'Furthermore, I declare that the LORD will build a house for you—a dynasty of kings!H3117H6680H8199H5971H3478H3665H341H5046H3068H1129H100411For when you die and join your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, one of your sons, and I will make his kingdom strong.H3117H4390H3212H1H6965H2233H310H1121H3559H443812He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for me. And I will secure his throne forever.H1129H1004H3559H3678H5704H576913I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my favor from him as I took it from the one who ruled before you.H1H1121H5493H2617H5493H5493H644014I will confirm him as king over my house and my kingdom for all time, and his throne will be secure forever.'"H5975H1004H4438H5769H3678H3559H5704H576915So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the LORD had said in this vision.H1697H2377H5416H1696H1732

David’s Prayer of Thanks

16Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and prayed, "Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?H1732H4428H935H3427H6440H3068H559H3068H430H1004H935H198817And now, O God, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! You speak as though I were someone very great

, O LORD God!H6994H5869H430H1696H5650H1004H7350H7200H8448H120H4609H3068H43018"What more can I say to you about the way you have honored me? You know what your servant is really like.H3254H1732H3254H3519H5650H3045H565019For the sake of your servant, O LORD, and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known.H3068H5650H3820H6213H1420H3045H142020"O LORD, there is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you!H3068H430H2108H8085H24121What other nation on earth is like your people Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your own people? You made a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations that stood in their way.H259H1471H776H5971H3478H430H1980H6299H5971H7760H8034H1420H3372H1644H1471H6440H5971H6299H471422You chose Israel to be your very own people forever, and you, O LORD, became their God.H5971H3478H5414H5971H5704H5769H3068H43023"And now, O LORD, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. May it be a promise that will last forever.H3068H1697H1696H5650H1004H539H5704H5769H6213H169624And may your name be established and honored forever so that everyone will say, 'The LORD of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, is Israel's God!' And may the house of your servant David continue before you forever.H539H8034H1431H5704H5769H559H3068H6635H430H3478H430H3478H1004H1732H5650H3559H644025"O my God, I have been bold enough to pray to you because you have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him—a dynasty of kings!H430H1540H241H5650H1129H1004H5650H4672H6419H644026For you are God, O LORD. And you have promised these good things to your servant.H3068H430H1696H2896H565027And now, it has pleased you to bless the house of your servant, so that it will continue forever before you. For when you grant a blessing, O LORD, it is an eternal blessing!"H2974H1288H1004H5650H6440H5769H1288H3068H1288H5769