⁸ Remember Jesus Christ, ^(A)risen from the dead, the ^(B)offspring of David, ^(C)as preached in my gospel, ^9 (D)for which I am suffering, ^(E)bound with chains as a criminal. But ^(F)the word of God is not bound! ¹⁰ Therefore ^(G)I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain ^(H)the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with ^(I)eternal glory. ¹¹ The saying is ^(J)trustworthy, for:

for ^(Q)he cannot deny himself.

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16 Paul^[a] came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named ^(A)Timothy, ^(B)the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. ² He was well spoken of by ^(C)the brothers^[b] at Lystra and Iconium. ³ Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he ^(D)took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

⁸ Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, ^(A)I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince^[a] over my people Israel. ^9 (B)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. ¹⁰ And I will appoint a place for my people Israel ^(C)and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place ^(D)and be disturbed no more. ^(E)And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, ^11 (F)from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And ^(G)I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that ^(H)the Lord will make you a house. ^12 (I)When your days are fulfilled and ^(J)you lie down with your fathers, ^(K)I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ^13 (L)He shall build a house for my name, and ^(M)I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ^14 (N)I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, ^(O)I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, ^15 (P)but my steadfast love will not depart from him, ^(Q)as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. ^16 (R)And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.^{[b] (S)}Your throne shall be established forever.’” ¹⁷ In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

David's Prayer of Gratitude

¹⁸ Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, ^(T)“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? ¹⁹ And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. ^(U)You have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! ²⁰ And what more can David say to you? ^(V)For you know your servant, O Lord God! ²¹ Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. ^22 (W)Therefore you are great, O Lord God. ^(X)For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. ^23 (Y)And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name ^(Z)and doing for them^[c] great and awesome things by driving out before your people,^[d] whom ^(AA)you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? ^24 (AB)And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God. ²⁵ And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. ²⁶ And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 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. ²⁸ And now, O Lord God, you are God, and ^(AC)your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 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, ^(AD)and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”

¹⁴ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him ^(A)of whom they have never heard?^[a] And how are they to hear ^(B)without someone preaching? ¹⁵ And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ^(C)“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

⁴ Therefore ^(A)we ourselves boast about you ^(B)in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith ^(C)in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.

The Judgment at Christ's Coming

⁵ This is ^(D)evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be ^(E)considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—

¹⁷ and if children, then ^(A)heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, ^(B)provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

³⁶ For ^(A)you have need of endurance, so that ^(B)when you have done the will of God you may ^(C)receive what is promised.

^22 (A)On that day ^(B)many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not ^(C)prophesy in your name, and cast out demons ^(D)in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ^23 (E)And then will I declare to them, ‘I ^(F)never knew you; ^(G)depart from me, ^(H)you workers of lawlessness.’

Build Your House on the Rock

^24 (I)“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like ^(J)a wise man who built his house on the rock.

³³ but ^(A)whoever denies me before men, ^(B)I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.