17After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.^c”

²Nathan replied to David, “Whatever you have in mind,^d do it, for God is with you.”

³But that night the word of God came to Nathan, saying:

⁴“Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: You^e are not the one to build me a house to dwell in. ⁵I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up out of Egypt to this day. I have moved from one tent site to another, from one dwelling place to another. ⁶Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their leaders^a whom I commanded to shepherd my people, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?^f” ’

⁷“Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler^g over my people Israel. ⁸I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name like the names of the greatest men on earth. ⁹And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning ¹⁰and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders^h over my people Israel. I will also subdue all your enemies.

“ ‘I declare to you that the Lord will build a house for you: ¹¹When your days are over and you go to be with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹²He is the one who will buildⁱ a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever.^j ¹³I will be his father,^k and he will be my son.^l I will never take my love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor. ¹⁴I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne^m will be established forever.ⁿ’ ”

Read in Logos

Footnotes

aTraditionally judges; also in verse 10

Cross references

cSee 1 Ch 15:1
d 1 Ch 22:7; 28:2; 2 Ch 6:7
e 1 Ch 22:10; 28:3
fSee 1 Ch 14:1
gSee 2 Sa 6:21
hSee Jdg 2:16
iSee 1 Ki 5:5
j 1 Ch 22:10; 2 Ch 7:18; 13:5
k 2 Co 6:18
l 1 Ch 28:6; Lk 1:32; Heb 1:5*
mSee 1 Ki 2:12; 1 Ch 28:5; 29:23; 2 Ch 9:8
n Ps 132:11; Jer 33:17