2 Samuel 7

The Lord Establishes a Covenant with David

1 The king settled into his palace,t for the Lord gave him relieft from all his enemies on all sides.t2 The king said to Nathan the prophet, “Look! I am living in a palace made from cedar, while the ark of God sits in the middle of a tent.”3 Nathan replied to the king, “You should gos and do whatever you have in mind,t for the Lord is with you.”4 That night the Lord told Nathan,t5 “Go, tell my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord says: Do you really intend to build a house for me to live in?6 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.t

7 Wherever I moved among all the Israelites, I did not sayt to any of the leaderst whom I appointed to care fort my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?”’
8 “So now, say this to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of hosts says: I took you from the pasture and from your work as a shepherdt to make you leader of my people Israel.9 I was with you wherever you went, and I defeatedt all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth.t10 I will establish a place for my people Israel and settlet them there; they will live there and not be disturbedt any more. Violent ment will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning11 and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. Instead, I will give you relieft from all your enemies. The Lord declarest to you that he himselft will build a dynastic houset for you.12 When the time comes for you to die,t I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you,t and I will establish his kingdom.13 He will build a house for my name, and I will make his dynasty permanent.t14 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 mes permanently; your dynastyt will be permanent.’”

17 Nathan told David all these words that were revealed to him.t

David Offers a Prayer to God

18 King David went in, sat before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family,t that you should have brought me to this point?19 And you didn’t stop there, O Lord God! You have also spoken about the future of your servant’s family.t Is this your usual way of dealing with men,t O Lord God?20 What more can David say to you? You have given your servant special recognition,t O Lord God!21 For the sake of your promise and according to your purposet you have done this great thing in order to reveal it to your servant.t22 Therefore you are great, O Lord God, for there is none like you! There is no God besides you! What we have heard is true!t23 Who is like your people, Israel, a unique nationt on the earth? Their Godt wentt to claimt a nation for himself and to make a name for himself! You did great and awesome acts for your land,t before your people whom you delivered for yourself from the Egyptian empire and its gods.t24 You made Israel your very own people for all time.t You, O Lord, became their God.25 So now, O Lord God, make this promise you have made about your servant and his family a permanent reality.t Do as you promised,t26 so you may gain lasting fame,t as people say,t ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel!’ The dynastyt of your servant David will be established before you,27 for you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have toldt your servant, ‘I will build you a dynastic house.’t That is why your servant has had the couraget to pray this prayer to you.28 Now, O sovereign Lord, you are the true God!t May your words prove to be true!t You have made this good promise to your servant!t

29 Now be willing to bless your servant’s dynastyt so that it may stand permanently before you, for you, O sovereign Lord, have spoken. By your blessing may your servant’s dynasty be blessed on into the future!”t

2 Samuel 7

Nathan's Message to David

1 King David was settled in his palace, and the LORD kept him safe from all his enemies.

2 Then the king said to the prophet Nathan, “Here I am living in a house built of cedar, but God's Covenant Box is kept in a tent!”
3 Nathan answered, “Do whatever you have in mind, because the LORD is with you.” 4 But that night the LORD said to Nathan, 5 “Go and tell my servant David that I say to him, ‘You are not the one to build a temple for me to live in. 6 From the time I rescued the people of Israel from Egypt until now, I have never lived in a temple; I have traveled around living in a tent.

7 In all my traveling with the people of Israel I never asked any of the leaderst that I appointed why they had not built me a temple made of cedar.’
8 “So tell my servant David that I, the LORD Almighty, say to him, ‘I took you from looking after sheep in the fields and made you the ruler of my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have defeated all your enemies as you advanced. I will make you as famous as the greatest leaders in the world. 10-11 I have chosen a place for my people Israel and have settled them there, where they will live without being oppressed any more. Ever since they entered this land, they have been attacked by violent people, but this will not happen again. I promise to keep you safe from all your enemies and to give you descendants. 12 When you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will make one of your sons king and will keep his kingdom strong. 13 He will be the one to build a temple for me, and I will make sure that his dynasty continues forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him as a father punishes his son. 15 But I will not withdraw my support from him as I did from Saul, whom I removed so that you could be king.

16 You will always have descendants, and I will make your kingdom last forever. Your dynasty will never end.’”

17 Nathan told David everything that God had revealed to him.

David's Prayer of Thanksgiving

18 Then King David went into the Tent of the LORD's presence, sat down and prayed, “Sovereign LORD, I am not worthy of what you have already done for me, nor is my family. 19 Yet now you are doing even more, Sovereign LORD; you have made promises about my descendants in the years to come. And you let a man see this,t Sovereign LORD! 20 What more can I say to you! You know me, your servant. 21 It was your will and purpose to do this; you have done all these great things in order to instruct me. 22 How great you are, Sovereign LORD! There is none like you; we have always known that you alone are God. 23 There is no other nation on earth like Israel, whom you rescued from slavery to make them your own people. The great and wonderful things you did for themt have spread your fame throughout the world. You drove outt other nations and their gods as your people advanced, the people whom you set free from Egypt to be your own.

24 You have made Israel your own people forever, and you, LORD, have become their God.
25 “And now, LORD God, fulfill for all time the promise you made about me and my descendants, and do what you said you would. 26 Your fame will be great, and people will forever say, ‘The LORD Almighty is God over Israel.’ And you will preserve my dynasty for all time.

27 LORD Almighty, God of Israel! I have the courage to pray this prayer to you, because you have revealed all this to me, your servant, and have told me that you will make my descendants kings.
28 “And now, Sovereign LORD, you are God; you always keep your promises, and you have made this wonderful promise to me.

29 I ask you to bless my descendants so that they will continue to enjoy your favor. You, Sovereign LORD, have promised this, and your blessing will rest on my descendants forever.”