God’s Covenant with David^(A)

7 Now it came to pass ^(B)when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around, ² that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in ^(C)a house of cedar, ^(D)but the ark of God dwells inside tent ^(E)curtains.”

³ Then Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your ^(F)heart, for the Lord is with you.”

⁴ But it happened that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, ⁵ “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: ^(G)“Would you build a house for Me to dwell in? ⁶ For I have not dwelt in a house ^(H)since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in ^(I)a tent and in a tabernacle. ⁷ Wherever I have ^(J)moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded ^(K)to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ ” ’ ⁸ Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: ^(L)“I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. ⁹ And ^(M)I have been with you wherever you have gone, ^(N)and have ^[a]cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth. ¹⁰ Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will ^(O)plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; ^(P)nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, ^11 (Q)since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also the Lord ^[b]tells you ^(R)that He will make you a ^[c]house.

^12 (S)“When your days are fulfilled and you ^(T)rest with your fathers, ^(U)I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ^13 (V)He shall build a house for My name, and I will ^(W)establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ^14 (X)I will be his Father, and he shall be ^(Y)My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the ^[d]blows of the sons of men. ¹⁵ But My mercy shall not depart from him, ^(Z)as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ¹⁶ And ^(AA)your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before ^[e]you. Your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”

¹⁷ According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

David’s Thanksgiving to God^(AB)

¹⁸ Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: ^(AC)“Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? ¹⁹ And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come. ^(AD)Is this the manner of man, O Lord God? ²⁰ Now what more can David say to You? For You, Lord God, ^(AE)know Your servant. ²¹ For Your word’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things, to make Your servant know them. ²² Therefore ^(AF)You are great, ^[f]O Lord God. For ^(AG)there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ^(AH)ears. ²³ And who is like Your people, like Israel, ^(AI)the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a name—and to do for Yourself great and awesome deeds for Your land—before ^(AJ)Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, the nations, and their gods? ²⁴ For ^(AK)You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever; ^(AL)and You, Lord, have become their God.

²⁵ “Now, O Lord God, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, establish it forever and do as You have said. ²⁶ So let Your name be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel.’ And let the house of Your servant David be established before You. ²⁷ For You, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to You.

²⁸ “And now, O Lord God, You are God, and ^(AM)Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. ²⁹ Now therefore, let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You, O Lord God, have spoken it, and with Your blessing let the house of Your servant be blessed ^(AN)forever.”

²⁷ For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, ^(A)because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him.

The Reign of Jesse’s Offspring^(A)

⁴⁴ And in the days of these kings ^(A)the God of heaven will set up a kingdom ^(B)which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; ^(C)it shall ^[a]break in pieces and ^[b]consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ^(A)

1 The book of the ^(B)genealogy^[a] of Jesus Christ, ^(C)the Son of David, ^(D)the Son of Abraham:

A House Divided Cannot Stand^(A)

^22 (B)Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the ^[a]blind and mute man both spoke and saw. ²³ And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the ^(C)Son of David?”

^24 (D)Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by ^[b]Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

²⁵ But Jesus ^(E)knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. ²⁶ If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? ²⁷ And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. ²⁸ But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, ^(F)surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. ^29 (G)Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. ³⁰ He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

^31 (A)And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and ^(B)shall call His name Jesus. ³² He will be great, ^(C)and will be called the Son of the Highest; and ^(D)the Lord God will give Him the ^(E)throne of His ^(F)father David. ^33 (G)And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”