2 Samuel 7-9

GOD’S WORD Translation

David’s Wish to Build a House for God^(A)

7 While King David was living in his house, the Lord gave him peace with all his enemies around him. ² So the king said to the prophet Nathan, “Look, I’m living in a house made of cedar, while the ark of God remains in the tent.”

³ Nathan told the king, “Do everything you have in mind, because the Lord is with you.”

⁴ But that same night the Lord spoke his word to Nathan: ⁵ “Say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you the one who will build me a house to live in? ⁶ I haven’t lived in a house from the day I took Israel out of Egypt to this day. Instead, I moved around in a tent, the tent ⌞of meeting⌟. ⁷ In all the places I’ve moved with all the Israelites, did I ever ask any of the judges ^[a] of Israel whom I ordered to be shepherds of my people Israel why they didn’t build me a house of cedar?’

⁸ “Now this is what you will say to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: I took you from the pasture where you followed sheep so that you could be the leader of my people Israel. ⁹ I was with you wherever you went, and I destroyed all your enemies in front of you. I will make your name famous like the names of the greatest people on earth. ¹⁰ I will make a place for my people Israel and plant them there. They will live in their own place and not be troubled anymore. The wicked will no longer oppress them as they used to do ¹¹ ever since I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. So I will give you peace with all your enemies. I, the Lord, tell you that I will make a house for you.

¹² “ ‘When the time comes for you to lie down in death with your ancestors, I will send one of your descendants, ⌞one⌟ who will come from you. I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ He will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ¹⁴ I will be his Father, and he will be my Son. If he sins, I will punish him with a rod and with blows inflicted by people. ¹⁵ But I will never stop showing him my love as I did to Saul, whom I took out of your way. ¹⁶ Your royal house will remain in my presence ^[b] forever. Your throne will be established forever.’ ”

¹⁷ Nathan told David all these words and everything he had seen.

¹⁸ King David went into the tent and sat in front of the Lord. “Who am I, Almighty Lord,” he asked, “and why is my house so important that you have brought me this far? ¹⁹ And even this you consider to be a small act, Almighty Lord. You’ve also spoken about the distant future of my house. Almighty Lord, this is the teaching about the man.

²⁰ “What more can I, David, say to you, Almighty Lord, since you know me so well! ²¹ You’ve done this great thing because of your promise and your own desire. You made it known to me.

²² “That is why you are great, Lord God. There is no one like you, and there is no other god except you, as we have heard with our own ears. ²³ Who is like your people Israel? It is the one nation on earth that God came to free in order to make its people his own, to make his name ^[c] known, and to do great and wonderful things for them. You forced ^[d] nations and their gods out of the way of your people, whom you freed from Egypt to be your own. ²⁴ You created the people of Israel to be your people forever. And you, Lord, became their God.

²⁵ “Now, Lord God, keep the promise you made to me and my house forever. Do as you promised. ²⁶ Your name will be respected forever when ⌞people⌟ say, ‘The Lord of Armies is God over Israel.’ And the house of your servant David will be established in your presence. ²⁷ You, Lord of Armies, God of Israel, have revealed it especially to me, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ That is why I have found the courage to offer this prayer to you.

²⁸ “Almighty Lord, you are God, and your words are trustworthy. You promised me this good thing. ²⁹ Now, please bless my house so that it may continue in your presence forever. Indeed, you, Almighty Lord, have promised it. With your blessing my house will be blessed forever.”

David’s Successes^(B)

8 After this, David defeated and crushed the Philistines. He took control of the main Philistine city from them.^[e]

² He also defeated Moab, made the Moabites lie down on the ground, and measured them with a rope. He measured two lengths which were to be killed, and one length which was to be spared. So the Moabites became David’s subjects and paid taxes ⌞to him⌟.

³ When David went to restore his control ⌞over the territory⌟ along the Euphrates River, he defeated Zobah’s King Hadadezer, son of Rehob. ⁴ David took 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers from him. David also disabled all but 100 of their horses so that they couldn’t pull chariots.

⁵ When the Arameans from Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David killed 22,000 of them. ⁶ David put troops in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became his subjects and paid taxes ⌞to him⌟. Everywhere David went, the Lord gave him victories.

⁷ David took the gold shields that belonged to Hadadezer’s ^[f] servants, and he brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ King David also took a large quantity of bronze from Betah and Berothai, Hadadezer’s cities.

⁹ When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated Hadadezer’s whole army, ¹⁰ he sent his son Joram to greet King David and congratulate him for fighting and defeating Hadadezer. (There had often been war between Hadadezer and Toi.) Joram brought articles of gold, silver, and bronze with him. ¹¹ King David dedicated these articles to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had dedicated from all the nations he conquered— ¹² from Edom, Moab, Ammon, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the goods taken from Zobah’s King Hadadezer, son of Rehob.

¹³ David made a name for himself by killing 18,000 Edomites ^[g] in the Dead Sea region as he returned ⌞to Jerusalem⌟. ¹⁴ He put troops everywhere in Edom, and all the Edomites were David’s subjects. Everywhere David went, the Lord gave him victories.

¹⁵ So David ruled all Israel. He did what was fair and right for all his people. ¹⁶ Zeruiah’s son Joab was in charge of the army. Ahilud’s son Jehoshaphat was the royal historian. ¹⁷ Ahitub’s son Zadok and Abiathar’s son Ahimelech were priests. Seraiah was the royal scribe. ¹⁸ Jehoiada’s son Benaiah was commander of the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And David’s sons were priests.^[h]

David Keeps His Promise to Jonathan

9 David asked, “Is there anyone left in Saul’s family to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

² Now, Saul’s family had a servant whose name was Ziba. He was summoned to ⌞come to⌟ David. “Are you Ziba?” the king asked him.

“⌞Yes,⌟ I am,” he answered.

³ David asked, “Is there someone left in Saul’s family to whom I can show God’s kindness?”

“Jonathan has a son who is disabled,” Ziba answered.

⁴ “Where is he?” the king asked.

Ziba replied, “He is at the home of Machir, Ammiel’s son, in Lo Debar.”

⁵ So King David sent men to get him from the home of Ammiel’s son Machir in Lo Debar. ⁶ When Mephibosheth (son of Jonathan and grandson of Saul) came to David, he quickly bowed down with his face touching the ground.

“Mephibosheth!” David said to him.

“Yes, sir,” he answered.

⁷ “Don’t be afraid,” David told him, “I will certainly show you kindness for your father Jonathan’s sake. I will give back to you all the land of your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

⁸ Mephibosheth bowed down ⌞again⌟ and answered, “Who am I that you would look at a dead dog like me?”

⁹ Then the king called for Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. ¹⁰ You, your sons, and your servants should farm the land for him and harvest ⌞the crops⌟ so that your master’s family will have food to eat. However, your master’s grandson Mephibosheth will always eat at my table.” (Ziba had 15 sons and 20 servants.)

¹¹ Ziba responded, “I will do everything you’ve commanded, Your Majesty.” From then on, Mephibosheth ate at David’s table as one of the king’s sons.

¹² Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. Everyone who lived at Ziba’s home became Mephibosheth’s servant. ¹³ However, Mephibosheth, who was disabled, lived in Jerusalem. He always ate at the king’s table.