David Plans a Temple

1And it came to pass when the king dwelt in his house, and Jehovah had given him rest round about from all his enemies, 2that the king said to Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in a house of cedars, and the ark of God dwells under curtains. 3And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thy heart; for Jehovah is with thee.

God's Covenant with David

(1 Chronicles 17:1-15)

4And it came to pass that night that the word of Jehovah came to Nathan, saying, 5Go and say to my servant, to David, Thus saith Jehovah: Wilt thou build me a house for me to dwell in? 6For I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but I went about in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7In all my going about with all the children of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye me not a house of cedars?

8And now, thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: I took thee from the pasture-grounds, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people, over Israel; 9and I have been with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are on the earth. 10And I will appoint a place for my people, for Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and be disturbed no more; neither shall the sons of wickedness afflict them any more, as formerly, 11and since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. And I have given thee rest from all thine enemies; and Jehovah telleth thee that Jehovah will make thee a house. 12When thy days are fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 13It is he who shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 14I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the sons of men; 15but my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before thee. 16And thy house and thy kingdom shall be made firm for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. 17According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak to David.

David's Prayer of Thanksgiving

(1 Chronicles 17:16-27)

18And king David went in and sat before Jehovah, and said, Who am I, Lord Jehovah, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? 19And yet this hath been a small thing in thy sight, Lord Jehovah; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, Lord Jehovah? 20And what can David say more to thee? for thou, Lord Jehovah, knowest thy servant. 21For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, to make thy servant know [it]. 22Wherefore thou art great, Jehovah Elohim; for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23And who is like thy people, like Israel, the one nation in the earth that God went to redeem to be a people to himself, and to make himself a name, and to do for them great things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thyself from Egypt, from the nations and their gods? 24And thou hast established to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever; and thou, Jehovah, art become their God. 25And now, Jehovah Elohim, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house, fulfil it for ever, and do as thou hast said. 26And let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, Jehovah of hosts is God over Israel; and let the house of thy servant David be established before thee. 27For thou, Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee a house; therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee. 28And now, Lord Jehovah, thou art that God, and thy words are true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant; 29and now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever; for thou, Lord Jehovah, hast spoken it; and with thy blessing shall the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.