Nathan's Message to David
(1 Chronicles 17.1-15)1 King David was settled in his palace, and the Lord kept him safe from all his enemies. 2 Then the king said to the prophet Nathan, “Here I am living in a house built of cedar, but God's Covenant Box is kept in a tent!”
3 Nathan answered, “Do whatever you have in mind, because the Lord is with you.” 4 But that night the Lord said to Nathan, 5 “Go and tell my servant David that I say to him, ‘You are not the one to build a temple for me to live in. 6 From the time I rescued the people of Israel from Egypt until now, I have never lived in a temple; I have traveled around living in a tent. 7 In all my traveling with the people of Israel I never asked any of the leaders that I appointed why they had not built me a temple made of cedar.’
8 “So tell my servant David that I, the Lord Almighty, say to him, ‘I took you from looking after sheep in the fields and made you the ruler of my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have defeated all your enemies as you advanced. I will make you as famous as the greatest leaders in the world. 10-11 I have chosen a place for my people Israel and have settled them there, where they will live without being oppressed any more. Ever since they entered this land, they have been attacked by violent people, but this will not happen again. I promise to keep you safe from all your enemies and to give you descendants. 12 When you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will make one of your sons king and will keep his kingdom strong. 13 He will be the one to build a temple for me, and I will make sure that his dynasty continues forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him as a father punishes his son. 15 But I will not withdraw my support from him as I did from Saul, whom I removed so that you could be king. 16 You will always have descendants, and I will make your kingdom last forever. Your dynasty will never end.’”
17 Nathan told David everything that God had revealed to him.
David's Prayer of Thanksgiving
(1 Chronicles 17.16-27)18 Then King David went into the Tent of the Lord's presence, sat down and prayed, “Sovereign Lord, I am not worthy of what you have already done for me, nor is my family. 19 Yet now you are doing even more, Sovereign Lord; you have made promises about my descendants in the years to come. And you let a man see this, Sovereign Lord! 20 What more can I say to you! You know me, your servant. 21 It was your will and purpose to do this; you have done all these great things in order to instruct me. 22 How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is none like you; we have always known that you alone are God. 23 There is no other nation on earth like Israel, whom you rescued from slavery to make them your own people. The great and wonderful things you did for them have spread your fame throughout the world. You drove out other nations and their gods as your people advanced, the people whom you set free from Egypt to be your own. 24 You have made Israel your own people forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.
25 “And now, Lord God, fulfill for all time the promise you made about me and my descendants, and do what you said you would. 26 Your fame will be great, and people will forever say, ‘The Lord Almighty is God over Israel.’ And you will preserve my dynasty for all time. 27 Lord Almighty, God of Israel! I have the courage to pray this prayer to you, because you have revealed all this to me, your servant, and have told me that you will make my descendants kings.
28 “And now, Sovereign Lord, you are God; you always keep your promises, and you have made this wonderful promise to me. 29 I ask you to bless my descendants so that they will continue to enjoy your favor. You, Sovereign Lord, have promised this, and your blessing will rest on my descendants 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.