1 Chronicles 17:1–12

THE LORD’S COVENANT WITH DAVID

17When David^h had settled into his palace, he said to the prophet Nathan, “Look! I am living in a cedar house while the ark of the Lord’s covenant is under tent curtains.”ⁱ

²So Nathan told David, “Do all that is on your mind, for God is with you.”

³But that night^j the word of God came to Nathan: ⁴“Go to David my servant and say, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in.^{k 5}From the time I brought Israel out of Egypt until today I have not dwelt in a house; instead, I have moved from one tent site to another, and from one tabernacle location to another.^{Bl 6}In all my journeys throughout Israel, have I ever spoken a word to even one of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, asking: Why haven’t you built me a house of cedar?’^m

⁷“So now this is what you are to say to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, to be ruler over my people Israel.^{n 8}I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. I will make a name for you like that of the greatest on the earth. ⁹I will designate a place for my people Israel and plant them,^o so that they may live there and not be disturbed again. Evildoers will not continue to oppress them as they have done ¹⁰ever since the day I ordered judges to be over my people Israel. I will also subdue all your enemies.

“ ‘Furthermore, I declare to you that the Lord himself will build a house for you. ¹¹When your time comes to be with your ancestors, I will raise up after you your descendant, who is one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹²He is the one who will build a house for me,^p and I will establish his throne forever.