歷代志上17:16-27

17:16 於是大衛王進去，坐在耶和華面前，說：「耶和華上帝啊，我是誰，我的家算甚麼，你竟使我到這地步呢？
17:17 上帝啊，這在你眼中還看為小，又應許你僕人的家至於久遠。耶和華上帝啊，你看顧我好像看顧高貴的人。
17:18 你加於僕人的尊榮，我還有何言可說呢？因為你知道你的僕人。
17:19 耶和華啊，你行了這大事，並且顯明出來，是因你僕人的緣故，也是照你的心意。
17:20 耶和華啊，照我們耳中聽見，沒有可比你的，除你以外再無上帝。
17:21 世上有何民能比你的民以色列呢？你上帝從埃及救贖他們作自己的子民，又在你贖出來的民面前行大而可畏的事，驅逐列邦人，顯出你的大名。
17:22 你使以色列人作你的子民，直到永遠；你─耶和華也作他們的上帝。
17:23 耶和華啊，你所應許僕人和僕人家的話，求你堅定，直到永遠，照你所說的而行。
17:24 願你的名永遠堅立，被尊為大，說：『萬軍之耶和華是以色列的上帝，是治理以色列的上帝。』這樣，你僕人大衛的家必在你面前堅立。
17:25 我的上帝啊，因你啟示僕人說，我必為你建立家室，所以僕人大膽在你面前祈禱。
17:26 耶和華啊，惟有你是上帝，你也應許將這福氣賜給僕人。
17:27 現在你喜悅賜福與僕人的家，可以永存在你面前。耶和華啊，你已經賜福，還要賜福到永遠。」

¹⁶ Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said:
“Who am I, Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? ¹⁷ And as if this were not enough in your sight, my God, you have spoken about the future of the house of your servant. You, Lord God, have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men.
¹⁸ “What more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant, ¹⁹ Lord. For the sake of your servant and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made known all these great promises.
²⁰ “There is no one like you, Lord, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. ²¹ And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on earth whose God went out to redeem a people for himself, and to make a name for yourself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt? ²² You made your people Israel your very own forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.
²³ “And now, Lord, let the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house be established forever. Do as you promised, ²⁴ so that it will be established and that your name will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord Almighty, the God over Israel, is Israel’s God!’ And the house of your servant David will be established before you.
²⁵ “You, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. So your servant has found courage to pray to you. ²⁶ You, Lord, are God! You have promised these good things to your servant. ²⁷ Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Lord, have blessed it, and it will be blessed forever.”

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    大衛聽完拿單所宣告上帝的話語之後，正這一段禱告來回應上帝所應許的福分！雖然不能在他手中建聖殿，卻可以在將來他的繼承人的時候完成，讓他非常興慰！當然這一章的記載和「撒母耳記下」7:1-29所記載的一樣。

    這個禱告也是一首讚美詩，尤其是大衛感受到上帝對他的高舉，於是從心中不禁述說上帝的作為：「耶和華上帝啊，我是誰，我的家算甚麼，你竟使我到這地步呢？上帝啊，這在你眼中還看為小，又應許你僕人的家至於久遠。耶和華上帝啊，你看顧我好像看顧高貴的人。你加於僕人的尊榮，我還有何言可說呢？因為你知道你的僕人。」（16-18節）

    也因此他勇敢的宣告：「耶和華啊，照我們耳中聽見，沒有可比你的，除你以外再無上帝。世上有何民能比你的民以色列呢？你上帝從埃及救贖他們作自己的子民，又在你贖出來的民面前行大而可畏的事，驅逐列邦人，顯出你的大名。你使以色列人作你的子民，直到永遠；你─耶和華也作他們的上帝。」（20-22節）

    是的，我們也要為自己蒙了救贖，將來要在上帝國實現的時候與基督一同做王到永遠，獻上我們的感謝與讚美！並切要向世人宣告：「除了耶穌基督以外別無拯救！」

歷代志上17章

               歷代志上17:1-15  ,

              歷代志上17:16-27  ,

歷代志上17:1-15

17:1 大衛住在自己宮中，對先知拿單說：「看哪，我住在香柏木的宮中，耶和華的約櫃反在幔子裡。」
17:2 拿單對大衛說：「你可以照你的心意而行，因為上帝與你同在。」
17:3 當夜，上帝的話臨到拿單，說：
17:4 「你去告訴我僕人大衛，說耶和華如此說：『你不可建造殿宇給我居住。
17:5 自從我領以色列人出埃及，直到今日，我未曾住過殿宇，乃從這會幕到那會幕，從這帳幕到那帳幕。
17:6 凡我同以色列人所走的地方，我何曾向以色列的一個士師，就是我吩咐牧養我民的說：你為何不給我建造香柏木的殿宇呢？』
17:7 現在你要告訴我僕人大衛，說萬軍之耶和華如此說：『我從羊圈中將你召來，叫你不再跟從羊群，立你作我民以色列的君。
17:8 你無論往哪裡去，我常與你同在，剪除你的一切仇敵；我必使你得大名，好像世上大大有名的人一樣。
17:9 我必為我民以色列選定一個地方，栽培他們，使他們住自己的地方，不再遷移；凶惡之子也不像從前擾害他們，
17:10 並不像我命士師治理我民以色列的時候一樣。我必治服你的一切仇敵，並且我─耶和華應許你，必為你建立家室。
17:11 你壽數滿足歸你列祖的時候，我必使你的後裔接續你的位，我也必堅定他的國。
17:12 他必為我建造殿宇；我必堅定他的國位直到永遠。
17:13 我要作他的父，他要作我的子；並不使我的慈愛離開他，像離開在你以前的掃羅一樣。
17:14 我卻要將他永遠堅立在我家裡和我國裡；他的國位也必堅定，直到永遠。』」
17:15 拿單就按這一切話，照這默示告訴大衛。

After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.”

² Nathan replied to David, “Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is with you.”
³ But that night the word of God came to Nathan, saying:
⁴ “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in. ⁵ I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up out of Egypt to this day. I have moved from one tent site to another, from one dwelling place to another. ⁶ Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their leaders^[a] whom I commanded to shepherd my people, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’
⁷ “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. ⁸ I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name like the names of the greatest men on earth. ⁹ And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning ¹⁰ and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also subdue all your enemies.
“‘I declare to you that the Lord will build a house for you: ¹¹ When your days are over and you go to be with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹² He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. ¹³ I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor. ¹⁴ I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever.’”

¹⁵ Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.

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    大衛真是一位愛主的君王，想到自己住在皇宮之中，然而耶和華上帝的約櫃卻停在會幕之中，是在帳棚裡頭。也因為這樣就對先知拿單說：「看哪，我住在香柏木的宮中，耶和華的約櫃反在幔子裡。」

    先知以為上帝會喜歡大衛這樣做，就回答大衛：「你可以照你的心意而行，因為上帝與你同在。」

    雖然如此，上帝仍然透過先知拿單，告訴大衛說：「你不可建造殿宇給我居住。自從我領以色列人出埃及，直到今日，我未曾住過殿宇，乃從這會幕到那會幕，從這帳幕到那帳幕。凡我同以色列人所走的地方，我何曾向以色列的一個士師，就是我吩咐牧養我民的說：你為何不給我建造香柏木的殿宇呢？」(4-5 節)

    上帝卻應許：「我必治服你的一切仇敵，並且我─耶和華應許你，必為你建立家室。你壽數滿足歸你列祖的時候，我必使你的後裔接續你的位，我也必堅定他的國。他必為我建造殿宇；我必堅定他的國位直到永遠。我要作他的父，他要作我的子；並不使我的慈愛離開他，像離開在你以前的掃羅一樣。我卻要將他永遠堅立在我家裡和我國裡；他的國位也必堅定，直到永遠。」（10-14節）

    而在先知拿單所領受的話語中，可以看見上帝的權能，王的設立與廢除都是在乎上帝的手中，人只有存敬畏的心來領受的引導！

箴言28:3

窮人欺壓貧民，好像暴雨沖沒糧食。

A ruler who oppresses the poor

    is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.

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   在英文的版本大多如現代中譯本所說：「暴君欺壓窮人，正像暴風雨沖毀榖物」。之所以會這樣翻譯，是要讓為政者知道：政治的目的是在為人群謀福利，是在保護與教育！

    既然是如此，為政者是要使窮人翻身，維持社會的公平與正義，使每個人都可以按其努力得著應得的報償，改善自己的生活，而不是聯合富人欺壓窮人，導致富者愈富、窮者愈窮，大家都被利益薰心，貪得無厭！

    然而人要是這樣無止境的貪婪下去，只有好逸惡勞，搶奪別人努力的結果，只有耗損資源，破壞大自然的生態，結局就如這裡所說：「好像暴雨沖沒糧食。」