1 Chronicles 17
Legacy Standard Bible
The Ark of God Inhabits a Tent
17 (A)Now it happened when David inhabited his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, “Behold, I inhabit a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of Yahweh is under tent curtains.” 2 So Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”
3 Now it happened in the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, 4 “Go and say to David My servant, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “(B)You shall not build Me a house to inhabit; 5 for I have not inhabited a house since the day that I brought up Israel to this day, (C)but I have been from tent to tent and from one [a]dwelling place to another. 6 Wherever I have gone about with all Israel, did I speak a word (D)with even one of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’
David’s House Will Be Established Forever
7 So now, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “I Myself took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. 8 And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a name like the name of the great men who are on the earth. 9 And I will appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and not be disturbed again; and the [b]unrighteous will not waste them anymore as formerly, 10 even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies.
And I tell you that Yahweh will build a house for you. 11 And it will be that when your days are fulfilled to go to be with your fathers, I will raise up one of your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He shall build for Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 (E)I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; and I will not remove My lovingkindness from him, (F)as I removed it from him who was before you. 14 But I will cause him to stand in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.”’” 15 According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
David Magnifies Yahweh’s Name
16 Then David the king went in and sat before Yahweh and said, “(G)Who am I, O Yahweh God, and what is my house that You have brought me this far? 17 And this was a small thing in Your eyes, O God; but You have spoken of the house of Your slave concerning the distant future, and have regarded me according to the standard of a man of high degree, O Yahweh God. 18 Again what more can David say to You concerning the glory bestowed on Your slave? You know Your slave. 19 O Yahweh, (H)for the sake of Your slave, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness, to make known all these great things. 20 O Yahweh, there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 21 And what one nation in the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make You a name by great and awesome things, in driving out nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed out of Egypt? 22 (I)Yet You gave Your people Israel to be Your own people forever, and You, O Yahweh, have become their God.
23 “So now, O Yahweh, let the word that You have spoken concerning Your slave and concerning his house [c]endure forever, and do as You have spoken, 24 that Your name [d]endure and be magnified forever, by saying, ‘Yahweh of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel; and the house of David Your [e]servant is established before You.’ 25 For You, O my God, have revealed in the hearing of Your slave that You will build for him a house; therefore Your slave has found courage to pray before You. 26 So now, O Yahweh, You are God, and You have [f]promised this good thing to Your slave. 27 So now, You have been pleased to bless the house of Your slave, that it may be forever before You. For You, O Yahweh, have blessed, and it is blessed forever.”
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 17:5 Or tabernacle, cf. 2 Sam 7:6
- 1 Chronicles 17:9 Lit sons of wickedness
- 1 Chronicles 17:23 Or be true
- 1 Chronicles 17:24 Or be true
- 1 Chronicles 17:24 Or slave, cf. 17:23; see Foreword, “The Terminology of Slave”
- 1 Chronicles 17:26 Lit spoken
1 Chronicles 17
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
God’s Covenant with David
17 Now when David settled in his house, David said to the prophet Nathan, “I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.”(A) 2 Nathan said to David, “Do all that you have in mind, for God is with you.”
3 But that same night the word of God came to Nathan, saying, 4 “Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: You shall not build me a house to live in.(B) 5 For I have not lived in a house since the day I brought out Israel to this very day, but I have lived in a tent and a tabernacle.[a](C) 6 Wherever I have moved about among all Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’(D) 7 Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people Israel, 8 and I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies before you, and I will make for you a name like the name of the great ones of the earth. 9 I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place and be disturbed no more, and evildoers shall wear them down no more, as they did formerly, 10 from the time that 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.(E) 11 When your days are fulfilled to go to be with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you,(F) 14 but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.”(G) 15 In accordance with all these words and all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
David’s Prayer
16 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?(H) 17 And even this was a small thing in your sight, O God; you have also spoken of your servant’s house into the distant future. You regard me as someone of high rank,[b] O Lord God! 18 And what more can David say to you for honoring your servant? You know your servant. 19 For your servant’s sake, O Lord, and according to your own heart, you have done all these great deeds, making known all these great things.(I) 20 There is no one like you, O Lord, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 21 Who is like your people Israel, one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making for yourself a name for great and awesome things, in driving out nations before your people whom you redeemed from Egypt? 22 And you made your people Israel to be your people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God.(J) 23 And now, O Lord, as for the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, let it be established forever, and do as you have promised. 24 Thus your name will be established and magnified forever in the saying, ‘The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God,’ and the house of your servant David will be established in your presence.(K) 25 For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him; therefore your servant has found it possible to pray before you. 26 And now, O Lord, you are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant; 27 therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord, have blessed and are blessed[c] forever.”
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.