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After the king had made himself at home, he said to Nathan the prophet, āLook at this: Here I am comfortable in a luxurious palace of cedar and the Chest of the Covenant of God sits under a tent.ā Nathan told David, āWhatever is on your heart, go and do it; God is with you.ā But that night, the word of God came to Nathan, saying, āGo and tell my servant David, This is Godās word on the matter: You will not build me a āhouseā to live in. Why, I havenāt lived in a āhouseā from the time I brought up the children of Israel from Egypt till now; Iāve gone from one tent and makeshift shelter to another. In all my travels with all Israel, did I ever say to any of the leaders I commanded to shepherd Israel, āWhy havenāt you built me a house of cedar?ā āSo here is what you are to tell my servant David: The God-of-the-Angel-Armies has this word for you: I took you from the pasture, tagging after sheep, and made you prince over my people Israel. I was with you everywhere you went and mowed your enemies down before you; and now Iām about to make you famous, ranked with the great names on earth. Iām going to set aside a place for my people Israel and plant them there so theyāll have their own home and not be knocked around anymore; nor will evil nations afflict them as they always have, even during the days I set judges over my people Israel. And finally, Iām going to conquer all your enemies. āAnd now Iām telling you this: God himself will build you a house! When your life is complete and youāre buried with your ancestors, then Iāll raise up your child to succeed you, a child from your own body, and Iāll firmly establish his rule. He will build a house to honor me, and I will guarantee his kingdomās rule forever. Iāll be a father to him, and heāll be a son to me. I will never remove my gracious love from him as I did from the one who preceded you. I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will always be there, rock solid.ā Nathan gave David a complete and accurate report of everything he heard and saw in the vision. King David went in, took his place before God, and prayed: Who am I, my Master God, and what is my family, that you have brought me to this place in life? But thatās nothing compared to whatās coming, for youāve also spoken of my family far into the future, given me a glimpse into tomorrow and looked on me, Master God, as a Somebody. Whatās left for David to say to thisāto your honoring your servant, even though you know me, just as I am? O God, out of the goodness of your heart, youāve taken your servant to do this great thing and put your great work on display. Thereās none like you, God, no God but you, nothing to compare with what weāve heard with our own ears. And who is like your people, like Israel, a nation unique on earth, whom God set out to redeem as his own people (and became most famous for it), performing great and fearsome acts, throwing out nations and their gods left and right as you saved your people from Egypt? You established for yourself a peopleāyour very own Israel!āyour people forever. And you, God, became their God. So now, great God, this word that you have spoken to me and my family, guarantee it forever! Do exactly what youāve promised! Then your reputation will be confirmed and flourish always as people exclaim, āThe God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God over Israel, is Israelās God!ā And the house of your servant David will remain rock solid under your watchful presence. You, my God, have told me plainly, āI will build you a house.ā Thatās how I was able to find the courage to pray this prayer to you. God, being the God you are, you have spoken all these wonderful words to me. As if that werenāt enough, youāve blessed my family so that it will continue in your presence always. Because you have blessed it, God, itās really blessedāblessed for good!
1 Chronicles 17:1ā-ā¬10ā, ā¬10ā-ā¬27 MSG
https://bible.com/bible/97/1ch.17.1-27.MSG

