2 Samuel
7
- After the king was settled in his palace
and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him,
- he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here
I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent."
- Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever
you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you."
- That night the word of the LORD came to
Nathan, saying:
- "Go and tell my servant David, 'This
is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in ?
- I have not dwelt in a house from the day
I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from
place to place with a tent as my dwelling.
- Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites,
did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people
Israel, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar ?" '
- "Now then, tell my servant David, 'This
is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following
the flock to be ruler over my people Israel.
- I have been with you wherever you have gone,
and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your
name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth.
- And I will provide a place for my people
Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no
longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they
did at the beginning
- and have done ever since the time I appointed
leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.
"'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house
for you:
- When your days are over and you rest with
your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come
from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.
- He is the one who will build a house for
my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
- I will be his father, and he will be my
son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings
inflicted by men.
- But my love will never be taken away from
him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.
- Your house and your kingdom will endure
forever before me; your throne will be established forever.'"
- Nathan reported to David all the words of
this entire revelation.
- Then King David went in and sat before the
LORD, and he said: "Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family,
that you have brought me this far?
- And as if this were not enough in your sight,
O Sovereign LORD, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your
servant. Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign LORD ?
- "What more can David say to you? For
you know your servant, O Sovereign LORD.
- For the sake of your word and according
to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.
- "How great you are, O Sovereign LORD!
There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with
our own ears.
- And who is like your people Israel -- the
one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and
to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving
out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from
Egypt ?
- You have established your people Israel
as your very own forever, and you, O LORD, have become their God.
- "And now, LORD God, keep forever the
promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised,
- so that your name will be great forever.
Then men will say, 'The LORD Almighty is God over Israel!' And the house of
your servant David will be established before you.
- "O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you
have revealed this to your servant, saying, 'I will build a house for you.'
So your servant has found courage to offer you this prayer.
- O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words
are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.
- Now be pleased to bless the house of your
servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign
LORD, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be
blessed forever."
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