Chapter 17

Now it came to pass, as David sat¹ in his house, that David said⁴ to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell⁶ in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD [remaineth] under curtains.

Then Nathan said⁴ unto David, Do³ all that [is] in thine heart; for God [is] with thee.

And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,²

Go³ and tell¹ David my servant, Thus saith¹ the LORD, Thou shalt not build⁴ me an house to dwell in:²

For I have not dwelt¹ in an house since the day that I brought up⁵² Israel unto this day; but have gone from tent to tent, and from [one] tabernacle [to another].

Wheresoever I have walked⁹⁸ with all Israel, spake¹⁴ I a word to any of the judges⁶ of Israel, whom I commanded¹⁴ to feed² my people, saying,² Why have ye not built¹ me an house of cedars?

Now therefore thus shalt thou say⁴ unto my servant David, Thus saith¹ the LORD of hosts, I took¹ thee from the sheepcote, [even] from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler over my people Israel:

And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked,¹ and have cut off⁵⁵ all thine enemies⁶ from before thee, and have made¹ thee a name like the name of the great men that [are] in the earth.

Also I will ordain¹ a place for my people Israel, and will plant¹ them, and they shall dwell¹ in their place, and shall be moved⁴ no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste¹⁵ them any more,⁵⁵ as at the beginning,

And since the time that I commanded¹⁴ judges⁶ [to be] over my people Israel. Moreover I will subdue⁵² all thine enemies.⁶ Furthermore I tell⁵⁵ thee that the LORD will build⁴ thee an house.

And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired¹ that thou must go² [to be] with thy fathers, that I will raise up⁵² thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish⁵² his kingdom.

He shall build⁴ me an house, and I will stablish³¹ his throne for ever.

I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away⁵⁵ from him, as I took⁵² [it] from [him] that was before thee:

But I will settle⁵² him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established¹² for evermore.

According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak¹⁴ unto David.

And David the king came⁴ and sat⁴ before the LORD, and said,⁴ Who [am] I, O LORD God, and what [is] mine house, that thou hast brought⁵² me hitherto?

And [yet] this was a small thing⁴ in thine eyes, O God; for thou hast [also] spoken¹⁷ of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and hast regarded¹ me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O LORD God.

What can David [speak] more⁵⁵ to thee for the honour of thy servant? for thou knowest¹ thy servant.

O LORD, for thy servant's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done¹ all this greatness, in making known⁵³ all [these] great things.

O LORD, [there is] none like thee, neither [is there any] God beside thee, according to all that we have heard¹ with our ears.

And what one nation in the earth [is] like thy people Israel, whom God went¹ to redeem² [to be] his own people, to make² thee a name of greatness and terribleness,¹² by driving out¹⁵ nations from before thy people, whom thou hast redeemed¹ out of Egypt?

For thy people Israel didst thou make⁴ thine own people for ever; and thou, LORD, becamest their God.

Therefore now, LORD, let the thing that thou hast spoken¹⁴ concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established¹¹ for ever, and do³ as thou hast said.¹⁴

Let it even be established,¹¹ that thy name may be magnified⁴ for ever, saying,² The LORD of hosts [is] the God of Israel, [even] a God to Israel: and [let] the house of David thy servant [be] established¹² before thee.

For thou, O my God, hast told^{1 241} thy servant that thou wilt build² him an house: therefore thy servant hath found¹ [in his heart] to pray⁹⁹ before thee.

And now, LORD, thou art God, and hast promised¹⁷ this goodness unto thy servant:

Now therefore let it please⁵² thee to bless¹⁵ the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest,¹⁴ O LORD, and [it shall be] blessed³⁰ for ever.