2 Samuel 7
Christian Standard Bible
The Lord’s Covenant with David
7 When the king had settled into his palace(A) and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, 2 the king said to the prophet Nathan,(B) “Look, I am living in a cedar house while the ark of God sits inside tent curtains.”(C)
3 So Nathan told the king, “Go and do all that is on your mind, for the Lord is with you.”
4 But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: 5 “Go to my servant David and say, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you to build me a house to dwell in?(D) 6 From the time I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until today I have not dwelt in a house; instead, I have been moving around with a tent as my dwelling.(E) 7 In all my journeys with all the Israelites, have I ever spoken a word to one of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, asking: Why haven’t you built me a house of cedar?’
8 “So now this is what you are to say to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, to be ruler over my people Israel.(F) 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. I will make a great name(G) for you like that of the greatest on the earth.(H) 10 I will designate a place(I) for my people Israel and plant them,(J) so that they may live there and not be disturbed again. Evildoers will not continue to oppress them as they have done 11 ever since the day I ordered judges to be over my people Israel.(K) I will give you rest from all your enemies.
“‘The Lord declares to you: The Lord himself will make a house for you. 12 When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up after you your descendant, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.(L) 13 He is the one who will build a house for my name,(M) and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.(N) 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son.(O) When he does wrong, I will discipline him with a rod of men and blows from mortals. 15 But my faithful love will never leave him(P) as it did when I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.(Q) 16 Your house and kingdom will endure before me[a] forever,(R) and your throne will be established forever.’”(S)
17 Nathan reported all these words and this entire vision to David.
David’s Prayer of Thanksgiving
18 Then King David went in,(T) sat in the Lord’s presence, and said,
Who am I, Lord God, and what is my house that you have brought me this far? 19 What you have done so far[b] was a little thing to you, Lord God, for you have also spoken about your servant’s house in the distant future. And this is a revelation[c] for mankind, Lord God. 20 What more can David say to you? You know your servant,(U) Lord God. 21 Because of your word and according to your will, you have revealed all these great things to your servant.
22 This is why you are great,(V) Lord God. There is no one like you, and there is no God besides you,(W) as all we have heard confirms. 23 And who is like your people Israel? God came to one nation on earth in order to redeem a people for himself, to make a name for himself, and to perform for them[d] great and awesome acts,[e] driving out nations and their gods before your people you redeemed for yourself from Egypt.(X) 24 You established your people Israel to be your own people forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.(Y)
25 Now, Lord God, fulfill the promise forever that you have made to your servant and his house. Do as you have promised, 26 so that your name will be exalted forever, when it is said, “The Lord of Armies is God over Israel.” The house of your servant David(Z) will be established before you 27 since you, Lord of Armies, God of Israel, have revealed this to your servant when you said, “I will build a house for you.” Therefore, your servant has found the courage to pray this prayer to you. 28 Lord God, you are God; your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 29 Now, please bless your servant’s house so that it will continue before you forever. For you, Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing your servant’s house will be blessed forever.(AA)
2 Samuel 7
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
God’s Covenant with David
7 Now when the king was settled in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him,(A) 2 the king said to the prophet Nathan, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.”(B) 3 Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.”(C)
4 But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, 5 “Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? 6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. 7 Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders[a] of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’(D) 8 Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel,(E) 9 and I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.(F) 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place and be disturbed no more, and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly,(G) 11 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel, and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house.(H) 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.(I) 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.(J) 14 I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings.(K) 15 But I will not take[b] my steadfast love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.(L) 16 Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me;[c] your throne shall be established forever.”(M) 17 In accordance with all these words and with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
David’s Prayer
18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?(N) 19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God; you have spoken also of your servant’s house into the distant future. May this be instruction for the people,[d] O Lord God! 20 And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God!(O) 21 Because of your promise and according to your own heart, you have wrought all this greatness so that your servant may know it. 22 Therefore you are great, O Lord God, for there is no one like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.(P) 23 Who is like your people, like Israel? Is there another[e] nation on earth whose God went to redeem it as a people and to make a name for himself, doing[f] great and awesome things, driving out[g] nations and their gods before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt?(Q) 24 And you established your people Israel for yourself to be your people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God.(R) 25 And now, O Lord God, as for the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, confirm it forever; do as you have promised. 26 Thus your name will be magnified forever in the saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you.(S) 27 For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house’; therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you.(T) 28 And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant;(U) 29 now, therefore, may it please you to bless the house of your servant so that it may continue forever before you, for you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”(V)
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.