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David Gives Thanks to the Lord

(2 Samuel 7.18-29)

16 David went into the tent he had set up for the sacred chest. He sat there and prayed:

Lord God, my family and I don't deserve what you have already done for us, 17 and yet you have promised to do even more for my descendants. You are treating me as if I am a very important person.[a] 18 I am your servant, and you know my thoughts. What else can I say, except that you have honored me? 19 It was your choice to do these wonderful things for me and to make these promises.

20 No other god is like you, Lord—you alone are God. Everything we have heard about you is true. 21 And there is no other nation on earth like Israel, the nation you rescued from slavery in Egypt to be your own. You became famous by using great and wonderful miracles to force other nations and their gods out of your land, so that your people could live here. 22 You have chosen Israel to be your people forever, and you have become their God.

23 Lord God, please do what you promised me and my descendants. 24 Then you will be famous forever, and everyone will say, “The Lord All-Powerful rules Israel and is their God.”

My kingdom will be strong, 25 because you are my God, and you have promised that my descendants will be kings. That's why I have the courage to pray to you like this, even though I am only your servant.

26 You are the Lord God, and you have made this good promise to me. 27 Now please bless my descendants forever, and let them always be your chosen kings. You have already blessed my family, and I know you will bless us forever.

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Footnotes

  1. 17.17 You are treating me … person: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

David’s Prayer(A)

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(B) of your servant and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made known all these great promises.(C)

20 “There is no one like you, Lord, and there is no God but you,(D) 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(E) 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,(F) and you, Lord, have become their God.

23 “And now, Lord, let the promise(G) 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;(H) for you, Lord, have blessed it, and it will be blessed forever.”

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