Chapter 17

The Oracle of Nathan. ^1 (A)After David had taken up residence in his house, he said to Nathan the prophet, “See, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under tentcloth.”^{(B) 2} Nathan replied to David, “Whatever is in your heart, go and do, for God is with you.”

³ But that same night the word of God came to Nathan: ⁴ Go and tell David my servant, Thus says the Lord: It is not you who are to build the house for me to dwell in.^{(C) 5} For I have never dwelt in a house, from the day I brought Israel up, even to this day, but I have been lodging in tent or tabernacle. ⁶ As long as I have wandered about with all Israel, did I ever say a word to any of the judges of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd my people, Why have you not built me a house of cedar? ⁷ Now then, speak thus to my servant David, Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to become ruler over my people Israel.^{(D) 8} I was with you wherever you went, and I cut down all your enemies before you. I will make your name like that of the greatest on the earth. ⁹ I will assign a place for my people Israel and I will plant them in it to dwell there; they will never again be disturbed, nor shall the wicked ever again oppress them, as they did at the beginning, ¹⁰ and during all the time when I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the Lord will build you a house: ¹¹ when your days have been completed and you must join your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you who will be one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom.^{(E) 12} He it is who shall build me a house, and I will establish his throne forever.^{(F) 13} I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me, and I will not withdraw my favor from him as I withdrew it from the one who was before you;^{(G) 14} but I will maintain him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be firmly established forever.

¹⁵ In accordance with all these words and this whole vision Nathan spoke to David.

David’s Thanksgiving. ¹⁶ Then King David came in and sat in the Lord’s presence, and said: “Who am I, Lord God, and what is my house, that you should have brought me so far? ¹⁷ And yet, even this is too little in your sight, O God! For you have made a promise regarding your servant’s house reaching into the future, and you have looked on me as henceforth the most notable of men, Lord God.^{(H) 18} What more can David say to you? You have known^[a] your servant. ¹⁹ Lord, for your servant’s sake and in keeping with your purpose, you have done this great thing. ²⁰ Lord, there is no one like you, no God but you, just as we have always heard.^(I)

²¹ “Is there, like your people Israel, whom you redeemed from Egypt, another nation on earth whom a god went to redeem as his people? You won for yourself a name for great and awesome deeds by driving out the nations before your people.^{(J) 22} You made your people Israel your own forever, and you, Lord, became their God. ²³ Now, Lord, may the promise that you have spoken concerning your servant and his house remain firm forever. Bring about what you have promised, ²⁴ that your name, Lord of hosts, God of Israel, may be great and abide forever, while the house of your servant is established in your presence.

²⁵ “Because you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build him a house, your servant dares to pray before you.^{(K) 26} Since you, Lord, are truly God and have made this generous promise to your servant, ²⁷ do, then, bless the house of your servant, that it may be in your presence forever—since it is you, Lord, who blessed it, it is blessed forever.”^(L)