David's Prayer of Gratitude

18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, (A)“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. (B)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? (C)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 (D)Therefore you are great, O Lord God. (E)For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 (F)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 (G)and doing for them[a] great and awesome things by driving out before your people,[b] whom (H)you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? 24 (I)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 (J)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, (K)and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 7:23 With a few Targums, Vulgate, Syriac; Hebrew you
  2. 2 Samuel 7:23 Septuagint (compare 1 Chronicles 17:21); Hebrew awesome things for your land, before your people

18 Then King David went and sat before Yahweh and said, “Who am I, my lord Yahweh, and what is my house that you have brought me up to this place?[a] 19 Still, this was insignificant[b] in your eyes, my lord Yahweh, and also you have spoken about the house of your servant from afar, and this may be the teaching of humans, my lord Yahweh. 20 What more can David say to you?[c] You know your servant, my lord Yahweh. 21 Because of your word and according to your heart, you have done all of this great thing, in order to let your servant know. 22 Therefore you are great, my lord Yahweh, for there is no one like you, and there is no god except you, in all that we have heard with our ears. 23 Who is like your people, like Israel? Israel is the one nation on earth whose God led them,[d] in order to redeem a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to do for you[e] the great and awesome things for your land in the presence of your people whom he redeemed for himself from Egypt, from the nations and their gods. 24 You have established your people Israel for yourself as a people forever, and you, O Yahweh, have become their God. 25 So then, Yahweh God, the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, confirm it forever, and do just as you have promised. 26 Your name shall be great forever, and they will say,[f] ‘Yahweh of hosts is God over Israel’; and the house of your servant David shall be established before you. 27 For you, O Yahweh of hosts, are God of Israel! You have revealed to the ear of your servant, ‘I will build a house for you’; therefore your servant has found courage[g] to pray this prayer to you. 28 Now, my Lord Yahweh, you alone are God, and your words are[h] true. You have promised this good to your servant. 29 So then, be content and bless the house of your servant to be forever in your presence, for you, my Lord Yahweh, have spoken, and because of your blessing, may the house of your servant be blessed forever.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 7:18 Literally “here”
  2. 2 Samuel 7:19 Literally “small”
  3. 2 Samuel 7:20 Literally “And what can David still add to say”
  4. 2 Samuel 7:23 Literally “went”; LXX reads “led”
  5. 2 Samuel 7:23 David switches pronouns from the third person to the second person
  6. 2 Samuel 7:26 Literally “saying”
  7. 2 Samuel 7:27 Literally “has found his heart”
  8. 2 Samuel 7:28 Hebrew “will be”