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But that same night the Lord said to Nathan,

“Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has declared: Are you the one to build a house for me to live in? I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. I have always moved from one place to another with a tent and a Tabernacle as my dwelling. Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel’s tribal leaders, the shepherds of my people Israel. I have never asked them, “Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?”’

“Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth! 10 And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past, 11 starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.

“‘Furthermore, the Lord declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! 12 For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. 13 He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. 15 But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. 16 Your house and your kingdom will continue before me[a] for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’”

17 So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the Lord had said in this vision.

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Footnotes

  1. 7:16 As in Greek version and some Hebrew manuscripts; Masoretic Text reads before you.

That night the Lord’s message came to Nathan, “Go, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has said: Do you really intend to build a house for me to live in? I have not lived in a house from the time I brought the Israelites up from Egypt to the present day. Instead, I was traveling with them and living in a tent.[a] Wherever I moved among all the Israelites, I did not say[b] to any of their leaders[c] whom I appointed to care for[d] my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?”’

“So now, say this to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has said: I took you from the pasture and from your work as a shepherd[e] to make you leader of my people Israel. I was with you wherever you went, and I defeated[f] all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth.[g] 10 I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle[h] them there; they will live there and not be disturbed[i] anymore. Violent men[j] will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning 11 and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. Instead, I will give you relief[k] from all your enemies. The Lord declares[l] to you that he himself[m] will build a dynastic house[n] for you. 12 When the time comes for you to die,[o] I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you,[p] and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He will build a house for my name, and I will make his dynasty permanent.[q] 14 I will become his father and he will become my son. When he sins, I will correct him with the rod of men and with wounds inflicted by human beings. 15 But my loyal love will not be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will stand before me[r] permanently; your dynasty[s] will be permanent.’” 17 Nathan told David all these words that were revealed to him.[t]

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 7:6 tn Heb “in a tent and in a dwelling.” The expression is a hendiadys, using two terms to express one idea.
  2. 2 Samuel 7:7 tn Heb “Did I speak a word?” In the Hebrew text the statement is phrased as a rhetorical question.
  3. 2 Samuel 7:7 tn Heb “tribes of Israel” (so KJV, NASB, NCV), but the parallel passage in 1 Chr 17:6 has “judges of Israel.”
  4. 2 Samuel 7:7 tn Heb “whom I commanded to shepherd” (so NIV, NRSV).
  5. 2 Samuel 7:8 tn Heb “and from after the sheep.”
  6. 2 Samuel 7:9 tn Heb “cut off.”
  7. 2 Samuel 7:9 tn Heb “and I will make for you a great name like the name of the great ones who are in the earth.”
  8. 2 Samuel 7:10 tn Heb “plant.”
  9. 2 Samuel 7:10 tn Heb “shaken.”
  10. 2 Samuel 7:10 tn Heb “the sons of violence.”
  11. 2 Samuel 7:11 tn Or “rest.”
  12. 2 Samuel 7:11 tn In the Hebrew text the verb is apparently perfect with vav consecutive, which would normally suggest a future sense (“he will declare”; so the LXX, ἀπαγγελεῖ [apangelei]). But the context seems instead to call for a present or past nuance (“he declares” or “he has declared”). The synoptic passage in 1 Chr 17:10 has וָאַגִּד (vaʾaggid, “and I declared”). The construction used in 2 Sam 7:11 highlights this important statement.
  13. 2 Samuel 7:11 tn Heb “the Lord.”
  14. 2 Samuel 7:11 tn Heb “house,” but used here in a metaphorical sense, referring to a royal dynasty. Here the Lord’s use of the word plays off the literal sense that David had in mind as he contemplated building a temple for the Lord. To reflect this in the English translation the adjective “dynastic” has been supplied.
  15. 2 Samuel 7:12 tn Heb, “when your days are full and you lie down with your ancestors.”
  16. 2 Samuel 7:12 tn Heb “your seed after you who comes out from your insides.”
  17. 2 Samuel 7:13 tn Heb “and I will establish the throne of his kingdom permanently.”
  18. 2 Samuel 7:16 tc Heb “before you.” A few medieval Hebrew mss read instead “before me,” which makes better sense contextually. (See also the LXX and the Syriac Peshitta.) The MT reading is probably the result of dittography (note the כ [kaf] at the beginning of the next form), with the extra כ then being interpreted as a pronominal suffix.
  19. 2 Samuel 7:16 tn Heb “throne.”
  20. 2 Samuel 7:17 tn Heb “according to all these words and according to all this revelation, so Nathan said to David.”