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¶ And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him,

that the king said unto Nathan, the prophet, See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within curtains.

And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thy heart, for the LORD is with thee.

¶ And it came to pass that night that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying,

Go and tell my slave David, Thus hath the LORD said, Shalt thou build me a house for me to dwell in?

For I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the sons of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.

In all the places in which I have walked with all the sons of Israel did I speak a word in any of the tribes of Israel, unto whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why did ye not build me a house of cedar?

Now, therefore, so shalt thou say unto my slave David, Thus hath the LORD of the hosts said, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people, over Israel;

and I have been with thee wherever thou didst walk and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.

10 Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their place and never again be removed; neither shall the sons of iniquity afflict them any more as before,

11 since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. And I will cause thee to rest from all thy enemies. Likewise, the LORD makes thee to know that he will make thee a house.

12 And when thy days are fulfilled and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the sons of men;

15 but my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I took away from before thee.

16 And thy house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee; thy throne shall be established for ever.

17 According to all these words and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

18 ¶ Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said, O Lord GOD, Who am I and what is my house that thou hast brought me thus far?

19 And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy slave’s house for a great while to come and that this shall be the condition of a man, O Lord GOD.

20 And what more can David say unto thee? For thou, Lord GOD, knowest thy slave.

21 For thou hast done all these great things by thy word and according to thine own heart to make thy slave know them.

22 Therefore, thou art great, O LORD God, for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

23 And who in the earth is like thy people, like Israel? A Gentile for the love of whom God went to ransom as a people to himself and to give him a name and to do with you great and terrible things in thy land because of thy people whom thou didst redeem unto thee from Egypt, from the Gentiles and their gods?

24 For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be thy people for ever, and thou, LORD, have become their God.

25 And now, O LORD God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy slave and concerning his house, raise it up for ever and do as thou hast said.

26 For thus shall thy name be magnified for ever that it may be said, The LORD of the hosts is God over Israel and that the house of thy slave David be established before thee.

27 For thou, O LORD of the hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy slave, saying, I will build thee a house. Therefore, thy slave has found it in his heart to pray this prayer in thy presence.

28 And now, O Lord GOD, thou art God, and thy words shall be firm, and thou hast spoken this goodness unto thy slave.

29 Therefore, now let it please thee to bless the house of thy slave that it may continue for ever before thee, for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it, and with thy blessing the house of thy slave shall be blessed for ever.

God’s Promise to David(A)

After the king was settled in his palace(B) and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies(C) around him,(D) he said to Nathan(E) the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house(F) of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”(G)

Nathan replied to the king, “Whatever you have in mind,(H) go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.”

But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:

“Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you(I) the one to build me a house to dwell in?(J) I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day.(K) I have been moving from place to place with a tent(L) as my dwelling.(M) Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites,(N) did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd(O) my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house(P) of cedar?(Q)”’

“Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock,(R) and appointed you ruler(S) over my people Israel.(T) I have been with you wherever you have gone,(U) and I have cut off all your enemies from before you.(V) Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth.(W) 10 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant(X) them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed.(Y) Wicked(Z) people will not oppress them anymore,(AA) as they did at the beginning 11 and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders[a](AB) over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.(AC)

“‘The Lord declares(AD) to you that the Lord himself will establish(AE) a house(AF) for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest(AG) with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood,(AH) and I will establish his kingdom.(AI) 13 He is the one who will build a house(AJ) for my Name,(AK) and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.(AL) 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son.(AM) When he does wrong, I will punish him(AN) with a rod(AO) wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him,(AP) as I took it away from Saul,(AQ) whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me[b]; your throne(AR) will be established(AS) forever.(AT)’”

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

David’s Prayer(AU)

18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said:

“Who am I,(AV) Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 19 And as if this were not enough in your sight, Sovereign Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant—and this decree,(AW) Sovereign Lord, is for a mere human![c]

20 “What more can David say(AX) to you? For you know(AY) your servant,(AZ) Sovereign Lord. 21 For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.

22 “How great(BA) you are,(BB) Sovereign Lord! There is no one like(BC) you, and there is no God(BD) but you, as we have heard with our own ears.(BE) 23 And who is like your people Israel(BF)—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name(BG) for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders(BH) by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed(BI) from Egypt?[d] 24 You have established your people Israel as your very own(BJ) forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.(BK)

25 “And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise(BL) you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, 26 so that your name(BM) will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!’ And the house of your servant David will be established(BN) in your sight.

27 Lord Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ So your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. 28 Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy,(BO) and you have promised these good things to your servant. 29 Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing(BP) the house of your servant will be blessed forever.”

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 7:11 Traditionally judges
  2. 2 Samuel 7:16 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts you
  3. 2 Samuel 7:19 Or for the human race
  4. 2 Samuel 7:23 See Septuagint and 1 Chron. 17:21; Hebrew wonders for your land and before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt, from the nations and their gods.