CHAP. XVII.

1 Nathan first approouing the purpose of Dauid, to build God an house, 3 after by the word of God forbiddeth him. 11 Hee promiseth him blessings and benefits in his seed. 16 Dauids prayer and thankesgiuing.

¹ Now it came to passe, as Dauid sate in his house, that Dauid sayde to Nathan the Prophet, Loe, I dwell in an house of Cedars, but the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord remaineth vnder curtaines.¹

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² Then Nathan sayd vnto Dauid, Doe all that is in thine heart, for God is with thee.

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³ ¶ And it came to passe the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

⁴ Goe and tell Dauid my seruant, Thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in.

⁵ For I haue not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought vp Israel, vnto this day, but haue gone from tent to tent, and from one Tabernacle to another.⁵

⁶ Wheresoeuer I haue walked with all Israel, spake I a word to any of the Iudges of Israel (whom I commanded to feed my people) saying, Why haue ye not built me an house of Cedars?

⁷ Now therefore thus shalt thou say vnto my seruant Dauid, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I tooke thee from the Sheep-coat, euen from folowing the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler ouer my people Israel:⁷

⁸ And I haue bene with thee whithersoeuer thou hast walked, and haue cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and haue made thee a name, like the name of the great men that are in the earth.

⁹ Also I will ordeine a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moued no more: neither shal the children of wickednesse waste them any more (as at the beginning,

¹⁰ And since the time that I commanded Iudges to bee ouer my people Israel.) Moreouer, I will subdue all thine enemies. Furthermore I tel thee, that the Lord will build thee an house.

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¹¹ ¶ And it shall come to passe, when thy dayes be expired, that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise vp thy seed after thee, which shall bee of thy sonnes, and I wil stablish his kingdome.

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¹² He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for euer.

¹³ I will be his father, and he shall be my sonne, and I will not take my mercie away from him, as I tooke it from him that was before thee.¹³

¹⁴ But I will settle him in mine house, and in my kingdom for euer, and his throne shall bee established for euermore.

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¹⁵ According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speake vnto Dauid.

¹⁶ ¶ And Dauid the king came, and sate before the Lord, and said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought mee hitherto?

¹⁷ And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God: for thou hast also spoken of thy seruants house, for a great while to come, and hast regarded mee according to the estate of a man of high degree, O Lord God.

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¹⁸ What can Dauid speake more to thee for the honour of thy seruant? for thou knowest thy seruant.

¹⁹ O Lord, for thy seruants sake, and according to thine owne heart, hast thou done all this greatnesse in making knowen all these great things.¹⁹

²⁰ O Lord, there is none like thee neither is there any God besides thee, according to all that we haue heard with our eares.

²¹ And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whome God went to redeeme to be his owne people, to make thee a name of greatnesse and terriblenesse, by driuing out nations from before thy people whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt?

²² For thy people Israel didst thou make thine owne people for euer, and thou, Lord, becamest their God.

²³ Therefore now Lord, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy seruant, and concerning his house, be established for euer, and doe as thou hast said.

²⁴ Let it euen bee established, that thy name may bee magnified for euer, saying, The Lord of hosts is the God of Israel, euen a God to Israel: and let the house of Dauid thy seruant be established before thee.

²⁵ For thou, O my God, hast tolde thy seruant that thou wilt build him an house: therefore thy seruant hath found in his heart to pray before thee.²⁵

²⁶ And now, Lord (thou art God, and hast promised this goodnesse vnto thy seruant.)

²⁷ Now therefore let it please thee to blesse the house of thy seruant, that it may bee before thee for euer: for thou blessest, O Lord, and it shalbe blessed for euer.²⁷