1 *Chronicles 17

₁David lived in his palace and he said to the prophet Nathan: ‘I live in a palace made of cedar wood, but the covenant box of the Lord is standing in a tent.’ ₂Nathan said to David: ‘You may do what you want to do because God is with you.’

₃But that night the Lord said to Nathan: ₄‘You must go to my servant David and tell him I say: “You are not the one who will build a temple for Me to live in. ₅I say this because I have never lived in a temple from the time when I brought the Israelites into this land until now. I have always moved with you from one place to another in the tent of the Lord. ₆I have gone with the Israelites where they have gone and I have never complained to any of the leaders that I have chosen to lead my people, the Israelites. I never asked you to build Me a temple from cedar wood.”

₇That is why you must tell my servant David that I, the Lord who rules over all, say: “I took you away from the field where you had to look after sheep and goats. I took you from there to become the king of my people of Israel, ₈and I was with you wherever you went. I have caused all of your enemies to die and I have made you more important than any of the important kings in the world. ₉I have given my people of Israel a place to live in. They live in their own land. There is no one who gives them trouble and there are no bad people who oppress them as there were before, ₁₀when judges ruled my people, the Israelites. I have helped you defeat all your enemies. And now I am telling you that I will give you a royal family. ₁₁When your time is over and you die, I will make one of your own sons king and he will be king for many years. ₁₂He will build a temple for Me and I will let him rule for many years. ₁₃I will be like a father to him and he will be like a son to Me. I will keep on doing for him what I have promised. I did not do this for Saul, the man who was king before you. ₁₄Your son and his descendants will be kings and rule my kingdom forever.” ’

₁₅Nathan told David everything that the Lord said.

₁₆King David went into the tent of the Lord and he sat down in front of the covenant box and prayed. He said: ‘Lord God, my family and I are not important. Why are You so good to me? ₁₇O God, You have done even more. You have also told me about my royal family and my children who will rule for many years. Lord God, You talk to me as if I am a very important person. ₁₈What can I say to You, Lord? You know me. I am your servant but You have honoured me and made me feel important. ₁₉You have decided to be good to me, your servant, and You have promised these wonderful things to me.

₂₀Lord, there is no one like You. You alone are God. We do not know of any other God. ₂₁And who else are like your people of Israel? You have chosen only them from all the nations on earth and You have saved them and made them free to be your people. You did great and wonderful things when You chased away other people so that your people could live in this land, after You had saved them out of Egypt. That is why everyone knows your name. ₂₂You chose Israel to be your people forever and You became their God.

₂₃And now, Lord, You have promised things about me, your servant. You have said that You will give me a royal family. Please make those things happen and let it be like that for many years. Please do what You have promised ₂₄so that your name will always be important and people will say: “God who rules over all, the Lord Almighty, is the God of Israel.” I pray that the royal family of your servant David will always rule and that they will always serve You. ₂₅Because You are my God, and You have said that I, your servant, will have descendants who will be kings, and that You will give me a royal family. This is why I can say this prayer to You. ₂₆And now, Lord, You alone are God and You have promised these wonderful things about me, your servant. ₂₇You have blessed my family and me. Please bless my descendants forever so that they will always rule and serve You, because, Lord, You said that You would be with them and that You would bless them forever.’