Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem.

A Song of Ascents, of David.

The Lord Exalted for His Goodness.

A Psalm of Praise, of David.

David Plans to Build a Temple

7 ^(A)Now it came about, when the king lived in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, ² that the king said to ^(B)Nathan the prophet, “See now, I live in ^(C)a house of cedar, but the ark of God ^(D)remains within the tent.” ³ Nathan said to the king, “^(E)Go, do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.”

⁴ But in the same night, the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, ⁵ “Go and say to My servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: “^(F)Should you build Me a house for My dwelling? ⁶ For ^(G)I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; rather, I have been moving about ^(H)in a tent, that is, in a dwelling place. ^7 (I)Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, ^(J)whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’

God’s Covenant with David

⁸ Now then, this is what you shall say to My servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “^(K)I Myself took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, ^(L)to be leader over My people Israel. ⁹ And ^(M)I have been with you wherever you have gone, and ^(N)have eliminated all your enemies from you; I will also make a great name for you, like the names of the great men who ^[a]are on the earth. ¹⁰ And I will establish a place for My people Israel, and ^(O)will plant them, so that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, ^(P)nor will ^[b]malicious people oppress them anymore as previously, ¹¹ even ^(Q)from the day that I appointed judges over My people Israel; and ^(R)I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to you that ^(S)the Lord will make a house for you. ^12 (T)When your days are finished and you ^[c](U)lie down with your fathers, ^(V)I will raise up your ^[d]descendant after you, who will come from ^[e]you, and I will establish his kingdom. ^13 (W)He shall build a house for My name, and ^(X)I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ^14 (Y)I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; ^(Z)when he does wrong, I will discipline him with a rod of men and with strokes of sons of mankind, ¹⁵ but My favor shall not depart from him, ^(AA)as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from you. ^16 (AB)Your house and your kingdom shall endure before ^[f]Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”’” ¹⁷ In accordance with all these words and all of this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

¹¹ For the grace of God has ^(A)appeared, ^[a](B)bringing salvation to all people, ^12 [b]instructing us to deny ungodliness and ^(C)worldly desires and ^(D)to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner ^(E)in the present age, ¹³ looking for the blessed hope and the ^(F)appearing of the glory of ^[c](G)our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, ¹⁴ who ^(H)gave Himself for us ^(I)to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to ^(J)purify for Himself a ^(K)people for His own possession, ^(L)eager for good deeds.

¹⁵ These things speak and ^[d](M)exhort, and ^(N)rebuke with all authority. ^(O)No one is to disregard you.

Godly Living

3 ^(P)Remind them ^(Q)to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ^(R)ready for every good deed, ² to slander no one, ^(S)not to be contentious, to be ^(T)gentle, ^(U)showing every consideration for all people. ^3 (V)For we too were once foolish, ^(W)disobedient, ^(X)deceived, ^(Y)enslaved to ^(Z)various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in ^(AA)malice and ^(AB)envy, hateful, hating one another. ⁴ But when the ^(AC)kindness of ^(AD)God our Savior and His love for mankind ^(AE)appeared, ^5 (AF)He saved us, ^(AG)not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but ^(AH)in accordance with His mercy, by the ^(AI)washing of regeneration and ^(AJ)renewing by the Holy Spirit, ^6 (AK)whom He ^(AL)richly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that being justified by His grace we would be made ^(AM)heirs ^[e]according to the hope of eternal life. ^8 (AN)This statement is trustworthy; and concerning these things I ^(AO)want you to speak confidently, so that those who have ^(AP)believed God will be careful to ^(AQ)engage in good deeds. These things are good and beneficial for people.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹ Now ^[a]at this time Mary set out and went in a hurry to ^(A)the hill country, to a city of Judah, ⁴⁰ and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was ^(B)filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ⁴³ And ^[b]how has it happened to me that the mother of ^(C)my Lord would come to me? ⁴⁴ For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. ⁴⁵ And ^(D)blessed is she who ^[c]believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her ^[d]by the Lord.”

Mary’s Song: The Magnificat

⁴⁶ And Mary said:

⁵⁶ Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.