1 Chronicles

The first book of the Chronicles, chapter 17, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 17 New English Translation

God Makes a Promise to David

   1 When David had settled into his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, "Look, I am living in a palace made from cedar, while the ark of the LORD's covenant is under a tent." 2 Nathan said to David, "You should do whatever you have in mind, for God is with you."
   3 That night God told Nathan the prophet, 4 "Go, tell my servant David: 'This is what the LORD says: "You must not build me a house in which to live. 5 For I have not lived in a house from the time I brought Israel up from Egypt to the present day. I have lived in a tent that has been in various places. 6 Wherever I moved throughout Israel, I did not say to any of the leaders whom I appointed to care for my people Israel, 'Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?'"'
   7 "So now, say this to my servant David: 'This is what the LORD who commands armies says: "I took you from the pasture and from your work as a shepherd to make you a leader of my people Israel. 8 I was with you wherever you went and I defeated all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth. 9 I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle them there; they will live there and not be disturbed anymore. Violent men will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning 10 and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. I will subdue all your enemies. "'"I declare to you that the LORD will build a dynastic house for you! 11 When the time comes for you to die, I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He will build me a house, and I will make his dynasty permanent. 13 I will become his father and he will become my son. I will never withhold my loyal love from him, as I withheld it from the one who ruled before you. 14 I will put him in permanent charge of my house and my kingdom; his dynasty will be permanent."'" 15 Nathan told David all these words that were revealed to him.

David Praises God

   16 David went in, sat before the LORD, and said: "Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my family, that you should have brought me to this point? 17 And you did not stop there, O God! You have also spoken about the future of your servant's family. You have revealed to me what men long to know, O LORD God. 18 What more can David say to you? You have honored your servant; you have given your servant special recognition. 19 O LORD, for the sake of your servant and according to your will, you have done this great thing in order to reveal your greatness. 20 O LORD, there is none like you; there is no God besides you! What we heard is true! 21 And who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation in the earth? Their God went to claim a nation for himself! You made a name for yourself by doing great and awesome deeds when you drove out nations before your people whom you had delivered from the Egyptian empire and its gods. 22 You made Israel your very own nation for all time. You, O LORD, became their God. 23 So now, O LORD, may the promise you made about your servant and his family become a permanent reality! Do as you promised, 24 so it may become a reality and you may gain lasting fame, as people say, 'The LORD who commands armies is the God of Israel.' David's dynasty will be established before you, 25 for you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a dynasty for him. That is why your servant has had the courage to pray to you. 26 Now, O LORD, you are the true God; you have made this good promise to your servant. 27 Now you are willing to bless your servant's dynasty so that it may stand permanently before you, for you, O LORD, have blessed it and it will be blessed from now on into the future."

King James Version

   1 Now it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD remaineth under curtains.
   2 Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that is in thine heart; for God is with thee.
   3 ¶ And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,
   4 Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in:
   5 For I have not dwelt in an house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day; but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another.
   6 Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel, spake I a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedars?
   7 Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, even from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler over my people Israel:
   8 And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name like the name of the great men that are in the earth.
   9 Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the beginning,
   10 And since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. Moreover I will subdue all thine enemies. Furthermore I tell thee that the LORD will build thee an house.
   11 ¶ And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.
   12 He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever.
   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 that was before thee:
   14 But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.
   15 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
   16 ¶ And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said, Who am I, O LORD God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?
   17 And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God; for thou hast also spoken of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O LORD God.
   18 What can David speak more to thee for the honour of thy servant? for thou knowest thy servant.
   19 O LORD, for thy servant's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things.
   20 O LORD, there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
   21 And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his own people, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people, whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt?
   22 For thy people Israel didst thou make thine own people for ever; and thou, LORD, becamest their God.
   23 Therefore now, LORD, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as thou hast said.
   24 Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel: and let the house of David thy servant be established before thee.
   25 For thou, O my God, hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him an house: therefore thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before thee.
   26 And now, LORD, thou art God, and hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:
   27 Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest, O LORD, and it shall be blessed for ever.