The Lord's Covenant with David

17 (A)Now when David lived in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, “Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.” And Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”

But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: (B)It is not you who will build me a house to dwell in. For I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up Israel to this day, (C)but I have gone from tent to tent and from dwelling to dwelling. In all places where I have moved with all Israel, did I 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?”’ Now, therefore, thus shall you say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel, and I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall waste them no more, as formerly, 10 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I (D)will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the Lord will build you a house. 11 When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, 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 (E)I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him, (F)as I took it from him who was before you, 14 but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.’” 15 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with 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? 17 And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God. You have also spoken of your servant's house for a great while to come, and have shown me future generations,[a] O Lord God! 18 And what more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant. 19 (G)For your servant's sake, O Lord, and according to your own heart, you have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. 20 There is none like you, O Lord, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 21 And who is like your people Israel, the one[b] nation on 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. 23 And now, O Lord, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house be established forever, and do as you have spoken, 24 and your name will be established and magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel's God,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 25 For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. Therefore your servant has found courage to pray before you. 26 And now, O Lord, you are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 27 Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you, for it is you, O Lord, who have blessed, and it is blessed forever.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 17:17 Or and you look upon me as a man of high rank
  2. 1 Chronicles 17:21 Septuagint, Vulgate other

17 Now it came to pass, as Dovid sat in his bais, that Dovid said to Natan HaNavi, Hinei, I dwell in a bais ha’arazim (a palace of cedars) but the Aron Brit Hashem [dwelleth] under tent curtains.

Then Natan said to Dovid, Do all that is in thine levav; for HaElohim is with thee.

And it came to pass the same lailah, that the Devar Elohim came to Natan, saying,

Go and tell Dovid Avdi, Thus saith Hashem, Thou shalt not build Me HaBayit to dwell in,

For I have not dwelt in a Bayit since the day that I brought up Yisroel until this day, but have gone from ohel to ohel, and from one mishkan to another.

Wheresoever I have walked with kol Yisroel, spoke I a word to any of the Shofetim of Yisroel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, Why have ye not built me a Bais Arazim?

Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto Avdi Dovid, Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os, I took thee from the naveh, even from following the tzon, that thou shouldest be Nagid over My people Yisroel;

And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine oyevim from before thee, and have made thee a shem like the shem of the gedolim that are in ha’aretz.

Also I will ordain a makom for My people Yisroel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more; neither shall the bnei avel oppress them any more, as they did at the beginning,

10 And since the time that I commanded Shofetim to be over My people Yisroel. Moreover I will subdue all thine oyevim. Furthermore I tell thee that Hashem will build thee a Bais (House, Dynasty).

11 And it shall come to pass, when thy yamim are expired that thou must go to be with Avoteicha, that I will raise up thy zera after thee, which shall be of thy banim; and I will establish his Malchut ([Messianic] Kingdom).

12 He shall build for Me a Bais, and I will establish his kisse ad olam.

13 I will be his Av, and he shall be My Ben [HaElohim]; and I will not take My chesed away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee,

14 But I will set him in Mine Bais and in My Malchut ad olam, and his kisse shall be established ad olam.

15 According to all these devarim, and according to all this chazon (revelation), so did Natan speak unto Dovid.

16 And Dovid HaMelech came and sat before Hashem, and said, Who am I, Hashem Elohim, and what is mine bais, that Thou hast brought me hitherto?

17 And as if this were not sufficient in Thine eyes, O Elohim, Thou hast also spoken of Bais Avdecha in the future afar off, and hast regarded me according to the estate of ha’adam hama’alah (the man of high degree), O Hashem Elohim.

18 What more can Dovid speak to Thee regarding the kavod of Thy eved? For Thou hast da’as of Thy eved.

19 Hashem, for the sake of Thy eved, and according to Thine own lev (heart, will), hast Thou done all this gedullah (greatness), in making known kol hagedulot (all great things).

20 Hashem, there is none like Thee, neither is there any Elohim zulah (besides) Thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

21 And what one goy (nation) in ha’aretz is like Thy people Yisroel, whom HaElohim went to redeem to be His own people, to make for Thee Shem Gedullot and Nora’ot, by driving out Goyim from before Thy people whom Thou hast redeemed out of Mitzrayim?

22 For Thy people Yisroel didst Thou make Thine own people ad olam; Thou Hashem, became their Elohim.

23 Therefore now, Hashem, let the davar that Thou hast spoken concerning Thy eved and concerning his Bais be established ad olam, and do as Thou hast said.

24 Let it even be established, that Thy Shem may be magnified ad olam, saying, Hashem Tzva’os is Elohei Yisroel, even Elohim to Yisroel; let Bais Dovid Avdecha be established before Thee.

25 For Thou, O Elohai, hast revealed in the ozen of Thy eved that Thou wilt build him a Bais; therefore Thy eved hath found to daven in prayer before Thee.

26 Now, Hashem, Thou art HaElohim, and hast promised this tovah unto Thy eved.

27 Now therefore let it please Thee to make brocha upon the Bais of Thy eved, that it may be before Thee l’olam; for Thou makest brocha Hashem, and it shall be mevorech l’olam (blessed forever).