Covenant Promise to David

17 After David settled in his place, David said to Nathan the prophet, “Look! I am living in a house of cedar, while the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai is under a tent.”

² Then Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”

³ But that same night the word of God came to Nathan, saying: ⁴ “Go and tell David My servant, thus says Adonai, ‘You are not to build Me a house in which to dwell. ⁵ For I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel out to this day. I have gone from tent to tent, and from one dwelling to another. ⁶ Wherever I went throughout all Israel, did I ever speak a word to any of the judges of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, “Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?”’

⁷ “So now, say this to My servant David, ‘Thus says Adonai Tzva’ot, I took you from the pasture and from following the sheep, to be prince over My people Israel. ⁸ I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. I will make your name like the names of the great ones that are in the earth. ⁹ I wil establish a place for My people Israel, and plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and shall tremble no more. Violent people will no longer wear them down, as they did formerly, ¹⁰ from the days I ordered judges to be over My people Israel. I will subdue all your enemies.’

“‘Moreover, I declare to you that Adonai will build you a house. ¹¹ It will be that when your days are fulfilled to go with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹² He will build a house for Me and I will establish his throne forever. ¹³ I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me,^[a] I will not withdraw My lovingkindness from him, as I withdrew it from the one who ruled before you. ¹⁴ I will appoint him over My House and My kingdom forever, and his throne will be established forever.’”

¹⁵ According to all these words and according to all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

¹⁶ Then King David went in and sat before Adonai, and said, “Who am I, Adonai Elohim, and what is my family, that You have brought me thus far? ¹⁷ And this was not enough in Your eyes, O God! You have spoken about the future of Your servant’s household. You have regarded me as the most distinquished of men, Adonai Elohim.

¹⁸ “What more can David say to You for honoring Your servant? For You know Your servant. ¹⁹ Adonai, for the sake of Your servant and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things, to reveal all Your greatness.

²⁰ “Adonai, there is none like You and there is no other god besides You, as we have heard with our own ears. ²¹ And who is like Your people Israel—the one nation on earth whom God went out to redeem as a people for Himself and to make a Name for Yourself by great and awesome deeds, by driving out nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed from Egypt? ²² You made Your people Israel Your own people forever, and You, Adonai, became their God.

²³ “Now, Adonai, may the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house be confirmed forever. Do as You have spoken ²⁴ so that it might be established and Your Name might be magnified forever, saying, ‘Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God.’ Then the house of David Your servant will be established before You.

²⁵ “You, my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build a house for him. So Your servant has found courage to pray before You. ²⁶ Now, Adonai, You are God! You have promised this good thing to Your servant. ²⁷ Now You are willing to bless the house of Your servant, so that it may continue forever before You, for it is You, Adonai who have blessed, and it is blessed forever!”