2 Samuel 7
Modern English Version
God’s Covenant With David(A)
7 Now when the king settled into his house and the Lord had given him rest from all of his enemies on all sides, 2 the king said to Nathan the prophet, “I am dwelling in a cedar house, but the ark of God is sitting in a tent.”
3 Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart because the Lord is with you.”
4 That night the word of the Lord came to Nathan:
5 Go and say to My servant David: Thus says the Lord: Do you intend to build a house for Me in which I will dwell? 6 I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought the sons of Israel from Egypt until this day. I have been moving about with a tent as My dwelling. 7 Wherever I have moved with all the sons of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?”
8 Now therefore, you will say to My servant David: Thus says the Lord of Hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following after the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all of your enemies before you. I will make your name great, like the great ones across the land. 10 Moreover, I will appoint a place for My people Israel. I will plant them, and they will dwell in that very place. They will be restless no longer, and the unjust will no longer oppress them, as in former times, 11 ever since the day in which I appointed judges over My people Israel. I will give you rest from all of your enemies.
The Lord declares to you that He will instead bring about a house for you. 12 When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up after you an offspring from your body, and I will establish his rule. 13 He will build a house for My name, and I will establish his royal throne forever. 14 I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to Me. When he goes astray, I will correct him with the rod of men and afflictions of the sons of men. 15 My commitment will not abandon him, as I removed it from Saul, whom I deposed before you. 16 Your house and dominion will endure before Me forever, and your throne will be established by the Lord forever.
17 So Nathan spoke to David in accordance with all of these words and the entirety of this vision.
The Prayer of David(B)
18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord. He said,
“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house that You have brought me this far? 19 Yet this was comparatively insignificant in Your sight, Lord God, for You have also spoken about Your servant’s house into the distant future. Is this Your manner with man, Lord God?
20 “What more can David say to You? You know Your servant, Lord God. 21 Because of Your word, according to Your will, You have done all of this greatness to inform Your servant.
22 “Therefore You are great, Lord God. There is none like You, and there is no God except You, according to everything that we have heard with our ears. 23 And who is like Your people, like Israel—a single nation in the land, whom God went to redeem as a people for Himself, making a name for Himself by doing great and awesome things for Your land, before Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods. 24 You established Your people Israel as Your own people forever, and You, Lord, became their God.
25 “Now, Lord God, confirm forever the word that You spoke regarding Your servant and his house and do as You have spoken. 26 May Your name be magnified forever by saying, ‘The Lord of Hosts is God over Israel,’ and may the house of Your servant David be established before You.
27 “For You, O Lord of Hosts, God of Israel, have revealed a word to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore, Your servant has found the courage to pray this prayer to You. 28 Now, Lord God, You are God, and Your words are true. You have spoken this good message to Your servant. 29 Now, be resolved and bless Your servant’s dynastic house, so that it may stand before You forever. You, Lord God, have spoken, and with Your blessing, the house of Your servant will be blessed forever.”
2 Samuel 7
21st Century King James Version
7 And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house and the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies,
2 that the king said unto Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.”
3 And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in thine heart, for the Lord is with thee.”
4 And it came to pass that night that the word of the Lord came unto Nathan, saying,
5 “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus saith the Lord: Shalt thou build Me a house for Me to dwell in?
6 For I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.
7 In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel, spoke I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed My people Israel, saying, “Why build ye not Me a house of cedar?”’
8 Now therefore, so shalt thou say unto My servant David, ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts: I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel.
9 And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, 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 who are on the earth.
10 Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as before,
11 and as since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. “‘Also the Lord telleth thee that He will make thee a house.
12 And when thy days be fulfilled and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, who shall proceed out of thy loins, 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 commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men;
15 but My mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever 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 went King David in and sat before the Lord, and he said: “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that Thou hast brought me hitherto?
19 And this was yet a small thing in Thy sight, O Lord God; but Thou hast spoken also of Thy servant’s house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord God?
20 And what can David say more unto Thee? For Thou, Lord God, knowest Thy servant.
21 For Thy word’s sake and according to Thine own heart hast Thou done all these great things to make Thy servant know them.
22 Therefore Thou art great, O Lord God; for there is none like Thee, neither is there any God besides Thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
23 And what one nation on the earth is like Thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to Himself, and to make Him a name and to do for You great things and fearsome for Thy land, before Thy people whom Thou redeemed to Thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods?
24 For Thou hast confirmed for Thyself Thy people Israel to be a people unto Thee for ever; and Thou, Lord, art become their God.
25 And now, O Lord God, the word that Thou hast spoken concerning Thy servant and concerning his house, establish it for ever, and do as Thou hast said.
26 And let Thy name be magnified for ever saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel’; and let the house of Thy servant David be established before Thee.
27 For Thou, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to Thy servant, saying, ‘I will build thee a house.’ Therefore hath Thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto Thee.
28 And now, O Lord God, Thou art that God, and Thy words be true, and Thou hast promised this goodness unto Thy servant.
29 Therefore now let it please Thee to bless the house of Thy servant, that it may continue for ever before Thee; for Thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it, and with Thy blessing let the house of Thy servant be blessed for ever.”
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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