^12 (A)“When your days are fulfilled and you ^(B)rest with your fathers, ^(C)I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ^13 (D)He shall build a house for My name, and I will ^(E)establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ^14 (F)I will be his Father, and he shall be ^(G)My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the ^[a]blows of the sons of men. ¹⁵ But My mercy shall not depart from him, ^(H)as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ¹⁶ And ^(I)your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before ^[b]you. Your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”

¹⁷ According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

³ But God said to me, ^(A)‘You shall not build a house for My name, because you have been a man of war and have shed ^(B)blood.’ ⁴ However the Lord God of Israel ^(C)chose me above all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever, for He has chosen ^(D)Judah to be the ruler. And of the house of Judah, ^(E)the house of my father, and ^(F)among the sons of my father, He was pleased with me to make me king over all Israel. ^5 (G)And of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons) ^(H)He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. ⁶ Now He said to me, ‘It is ^(I)your son Solomon who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father. ⁷ Moreover I will establish his kingdom forever, ^(J)if he is steadfast to observe My commandments and My judgments, as it is this day.’ ⁸ Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, be careful to seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land, and leave it as an inheritance for your children after you forever.

Greeting

1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, ^(A)called to be an apostle, ^(B)separated to the gospel of God ^2 (C)which He promised before ^(D)through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, ³ concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who ^[a]was ^(E)born of the seed of David according to the flesh,

³⁰ Therefore, being a prophet, ^(A)and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, ^[a]according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,

^2 (A)“Consecrate^[a] to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.”

²² Then you shall ^(A)say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: ^(B)“Israel is My son, ^(C)My firstborn.