2 Samuel 7:1-16

English Standard Version

The Lord's Covenant with David

7 ^(A)Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord ^(B)had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, ²the king said to ^(C)Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell ^(D)in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells ^(E)in a tent.” ³And Nathan said to the king, ^(F)“Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”

⁴But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, ⁵“Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: ^(G)Would you build me a house to dwell in? ⁶I have not lived in a house ^(H)since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about ^(I)in a tent for my dwelling. ⁷In all places where ^(J)I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with ^(K)any of the judges^[a] of Israel, whom I commanded ^(L)to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ ⁸Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, ^(M)I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince^[b] over my people Israel. ⁹^(N)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. ¹⁰And I will appoint a place for my people Israel ^(O)and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place ^(P)and be disturbed no more. ^(Q)And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, ¹¹^(R)from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And ^(S)I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that ^(T)the Lord will make you a house. ¹²^(U)When your days are fulfilled and ^(V)you lie down with your fathers, ^(W)I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³^(X)He shall build a house for my name, and ^(Y)I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ¹⁴^(Z)I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, ^(AA)I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, ¹⁵^(AB)but my steadfast love will not depart from him, ^(AC)as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. ¹⁶^(AD)And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.^[c] ^(AE)Your throne shall be established forever.’”

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Footnotes

2 Samuel 7:7 Compare 1 Chronicles 17:6; Hebrew tribes
2 Samuel 7:8 Or leader
2 Samuel 7:16 Septuagint; Hebrew you

Psalm 72

English Standard Version

Give the King Your Justice

Of ^(A)Solomon.

72 Give the king your ^(B)justice, O God,
    and your righteousness to the royal son!
²May he ^(C)judge your people with righteousness,
    and your poor with justice!
³Let the mountains bear ^(D)prosperity for the people,
    and the hills, in righteousness!
⁴May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
    give deliverance to the children of the needy,
    and crush the oppressor!

⁵May they fear you^[a] while ^(E)the sun endures,
    and as long as the moon, ^(F)throughout all generations!
⁶May he be like ^(G)rain that falls on ^(H)the mown grass,
    like ^(I)showers that water the earth!
⁷In his days may ^(J)the righteous flourish,
    and ^(K)peace abound, till the moon be no more!

⁸May he have dominion from ^(L)sea to sea,
    and from ^(M)the River^[b] to the ^(N)ends of the earth!
⁹May desert tribes ^(O)bow down before him,
    and his enemies ^(P)lick the dust!
¹⁰May the kings of ^(Q)Tarshish and of ^(R)the coastlands
    render him ^(S)tribute;
may the kings of ^(T)Sheba and ^(U)Seba
    bring gifts!
¹¹May all kings ^(V)fall down before him,
    all nations serve him!

¹²For he delivers ^(W)the needy when he calls,
    the poor and him who has no helper.
¹³He has pity on the weak and the needy,
    and saves the lives of the needy.
¹⁴From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
    and ^(X)precious is their blood in his sight.

¹⁵Long may he live;
    may ^(Y)gold of Sheba be given to him!
May prayer be made ^(Z)for him continually,
    and blessings invoked for him all the day!
¹⁶May there be abundance of grain in the land;
    on the tops of the mountains may it wave;
    may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people ^(AA)blossom in the cities
    like the ^(AB)grass of the field!
¹⁷^(AC)May his name endure forever,
    his fame continue as long as the sun!
^(AD)May people be blessed in him,
    ^(AE)all nations call him blessed!

¹⁸^(AF)Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who alone does ^(AG)wondrous things.
¹⁹Blessed be his ^(AH)glorious name forever;
may ^(AI)the whole earth be filled with his glory!
^(AJ)Amen and Amen!