17:1 Now when David dwelt 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."
17:2 And Nathan said to David, "Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you."
17:3 But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan,
17:4 "Go and tell my servant David, `Thus says the LORD: You shall not build me a house to dwell in.
17:5 For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I led up Israel to this day, but I have gone from tent to tent and from dwelling to dwelling.
17:6 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?"'
17:7 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, that you should be prince over my people Israel;
17:8 and I have been with you wherever you went, 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.
17:9 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,
17:10 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.
17:11 When your days are fulfilled to go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom.
17:12 He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne for ever.
17:13 I will be his father, and he shall be my son; I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you,
17:14 but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom for ever and his throne shall be established for ever.'"
17:15 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
17:16 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and said, "Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me thus far?
17:17 And this was a small thing in thy eyes, O God; thou hast also spoken of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and hast shown me future generations, O LORD God!
17:18 And what more can David say to thee for honoring thy servant? For thou knowest thy servant.
17:19 For thy servant's sake, O LORD, and according to thy own heart, thou hast wrought all this greatness, in making known all these great things.
17:20 There is none like thee, O LORD, and there is no God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
17:21 What other nation on earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his people, making for thyself a name for great and terrible things, in driving out nations before thy people whom thou didst redeem from Egypt?
17:22 And thou didst make thy people Israel to be thy people for ever; and thou, O LORD, didst become their God.
17:23 And now, O LORD, let the word which thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as thou hast spoken;
17:24 and thy name will be established and magnified for ever, saying, `The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel's God,' and the house of thy servant David will be established before thee.
17:25 For thou, my God, hast revealed to thy servant that thou wilt build a house for him; therefore thy servant has found courage to pray before thee.
17:26 And now, O LORD, thou art God, and thou hast promised this good thing to thy servant;
17:27 now therefore may it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee; for what thou, O LORD, hast blessed is blessed for ever."
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