The kingdom
David's Prayer to God
King David enters into the presence of the Lord and offers a deep prayer in which he expresses his awe at God's grace, praises God's greatness and Israel's unique position, and asks that God's promise concerning his house may stand firm forever.
1 Chronicles 17,16-27
16Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: "Who am I, LORD God, and what is my house, that you have brought me this far?
וַיָּבֹא֙ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ דָּוִ֔יד וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר מִֽי־אֲנִ֞י יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהִים֙ וּמִ֣י בֵיתִ֔י כִּ֥י הֲבִיאֹתַ֖נִי עַד־הֲלֹֽם׃
17And as if this were not enough in your sight, my God, you have spoken about the future of your servant's house. You have looked on me as though I were the most highly honored of men, LORD God.
וַתִּקְטַ֨ן זֹ֤את בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ אֱלֹהִ֔ים וַתְּדַבֵּ֥ר עַל־בֵּֽית־עַבְדְּךָ֖ לְמֵרָח֑וֹק וּרְאִיתַ֗נִי כְּת֧וֹר הָאָדָ֛ם הַֽמַּעֲלָ֖ה יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִֽים׃
18What more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant.
מַה־יּוֹסִ֨יף ע֥וֹד דָּוִ֛יד אֵלֶ֖יךָ לְכָב֣וֹד אֶת־עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ וְאַתָּ֖ה אֶֽת־עַבְדְּךָ֥ יָדָֽעְתָּ׃
19LORD, for the sake of your servant and according to your own heart, you have done this great thing and made known all these great promises.
יְהוָ֕ה בַּעֲב֤וּר עַבְדְּךָ֙ וּֽכְלִבְּךָ֔ עָשִׂ֕יתָ אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַגְּדוּלָּ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את לְהֹדִ֖יעַ אֶת־כָּל־הַגְּדֻלּֽוֹת׃
20LORD, there is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.
יְהוָה֙ אֵ֣ין כָּמ֔וֹךָ וְאֵ֥ין אֱלֹהִ֖ים זוּלָתֶ֑ךָ בְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־שָׁמַ֖עְנוּ בְּאָזְנֵֽינוּ׃
21And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on earth whom God went out to redeem as a people for himself, making a name for yourself by great and awesome deeds, driving out nations before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt?
וּמִי֙ כְּעַמְּךָ֣ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל גּ֥וֹי אֶחָ֖ד בָּאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֩ הָלַ֨ךְ הָאֱלֹהִ֜ים לִפְדּ֧וֹת ל֣וֹ עָ֗ם לָשׂ֤וּם לְךָ֙ שֵׁ֚ם גְּדֻלּ֣וֹת וְנֹרָא֔וֹת לְגָרֵ֗שׁ מִפְּנֵ֧י עַמְּךָ֛ אֲשֶׁר־פָּדִ֥יתָ מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם גּוֹיִֽם׃
22You made your people Israel your very own forever, and you, LORD, became their God.
וַ֠תִּתֵּן אֶת־עַמְּךָ֨ יִשְׂרָאֵ֧ל ׀ לְךָ֛ לְעָ֖ם עַד־עוֹלָ֑ם וְאַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה הָיִ֥יתָ לָהֶ֖ם לֵאלֹהִֽים׃
23And now, LORD, let the word you have spoken concerning your servant and his house be established forever. Do as you have promised,
וְעַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה הַדָּבָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבַּ֤רְתָּ עַֽל־עַבְדְּךָ֙ וְעַל־בֵּית֔וֹ יֵאָמֵ֖ן עַד־עוֹלָ֑ם וַעֲשֵׂ֖ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּֽרְתָּ׃
24so that it may stand and your name may be magnified forever, and people will say, 'The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, is God to Israel, and the house of your servant David stands firm before you.'
וְ֠יֵֽאָמֵן וְיִגְדַּ֨ל שִׁמְךָ֤ עַד־עוֹלָם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֱלֹהִ֖ים לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וּבֵית־דָּוִ֥יד עַבְדְּךָ֖ נָכ֥וֹן לְפָנֶֽיךָ׃
25You, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build him a house. That is why your servant has found the courage to pray before you.
כִּ֣י ׀ אַתָּ֣ה אֱלֹהַ֗י גָּלִ֙יתָ֙ אֶת־אֹ֣זֶן עַבְדְּךָ֔ לִבְנ֥וֹת ל֖וֹ בָּ֑יִת עַל־כֵּן֙ מָצָ֣א עַבְדְּךָ֔ לְהִתְפַּלֵּ֖ל לְפָנֶֽיךָ׃
26And now, LORD, you are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant.
וְעַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה אַתָּה־ה֖וּא הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַתְּדַבֵּר֙ עַֽל־עַבְדְּךָ֔ הַטּוֹבָ֖ה הַזֹּֽאת׃
27Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you. For you, LORD, have blessed it, and it is blessed forever."
וְעַתָּ֗ה הוֹאַ֙לְתָּ֙ לְבָרֵךְ֙ אֶת־בֵּ֣ית עַבְדְּךָ֔ לִהְי֥וֹת לְעוֹלָ֖ם לְפָנֶ֑יךָ כִּֽי־אַתָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ בֵּרַ֔כְתָּ וּמְבֹרָ֖ךְ לְעוֹלָֽם׃ פ