II Samuel 7

¹Now when the king was living in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from war on every side;

²The king said to Nathan the prophet, See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God is housed inside the curtains of a tent.

³And Nathan said to the king, Go and do whatever is in your heart; for the Lord is with you.

⁴Now that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying,

⁵Go and say to my servant David, The Lord says, Are you to be the builder of a house, a living-place for me?

⁶For from the day when I took the children of Israel up out of Egypt till this day, I have had no house, but have gone from place to place in a tent.

⁷In all the places where I went with all the children of Israel, did I ever say to any of the judges of Israel, to whom I gave the care of my people Israel, Why have you not made me a house of cedar?

⁸Then say these words to my servant David, The Lord of armies says, I took you from the fields, from keeping the sheep, so that you might be a ruler over my people, over my people Israel:

⁹And I have been with you wherever you went, cutting off before you all those who were against you; and I will make your name great, like the name of the greatest ones of the earth.

¹⁰And I will make a resting-place for my people Israel, planting them there, so that they may be living in the place which is theirs, and never again be moved; and never again will they be troubled by evil men as they were at the first,

¹¹From the time when I put judges over my people Israel; and I will give you peace from all who are against you. And the Lord says to you that he will make you the head of a line of kings.

¹²And when the time comes for you to go to rest with your fathers, I will put in your place your seed after you, the offspring of your body, and I will make his kingdom strong.

¹³He will be the builder of a house for my name, and I will make the seat of his authority certain for ever.

¹⁴I will be to him a father and he will be to me a son: if he does wrong, I will give him punishment with the rod of men and with the blows of the children of men;

¹⁵But my mercy will not be taken away from him, as I took it from him who was before you.

¹⁶And your family and your kingdom will keep their place before me for ever: the seat of your authority will never be overturned.

¹⁷So Nathan gave David an account of all these words and this vision.

¹⁸Then David the king went in and took his seat before the Lord, and said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have been my guide till now?

¹⁹And this was only a small thing to you, O Lord God; but your words have even been about the far-off future of your servant's family, O Lord God!

²⁰What more may David say to you? for you have knowledge of your servant, O Lord God.

²¹Because of your word and from your heart, you have done all this great work, and let your servant see it.

²²Truly you are great, O Lord God: there is no one like you and no other God but you, as is clear from everything which has come to our ears.

²³And what other nation in the earth, like your people Israel, did a god go out to take for himself, to be his people, and to make a name for himself, and to do great and strange things for them, driving out a nation and its gods from before his people?

²⁴But you took and made strong for yourself your people Israel, to be your people for ever; and you, Lord, became their God.

²⁵And now, O Lord God, may the word which you have said about your servant and about his family, be made certain for ever, and may you do as you have said!

²⁶And let your name be made great for ever, and let men say, The Lord of armies is God over Israel: and let the family of David your servant be made strong before you!

²⁷For you, O Lord of armies, the God of Israel, have clearly said to your servant, I will make you the head of a family of kings: and so it has come into your servant's heart to make this prayer to you.

²⁸And now, O Lord God, you are God and your words are true and you have said you will give your servant this good thing;

²⁹So may it be your pleasure to give your blessing to the family of your servant, so that it may go on for ever before you: (for you, O Lord God, have said it,) and may your blessing be on your servant's family line for ever!

II Samuel 7

¹It happened, when the king lived in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around,

²that the king said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within curtains."

³Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in your heart; for the Lord is with you."

⁴It happened the same night, that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying,

⁵"Go and tell my servant David, 'Thus says the Lord, "Shall you build me a house for me to dwell in?

⁶For I have not lived in a house since the day that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have moved around in a tent and in a tabernacle.

⁷In all places in which I have walked with all the children of Israel, did I say a word to any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to be shepherd of my people Israel, saying, 'Why have you not built me a house of cedar?'"'

⁸Now therefore you shall tell my servant David this, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, "I took you from the sheep pen, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people, over Israel.

⁹I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you. I will make you a great name, like the name of the great ones who are in the earth.

¹⁰I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as at the first,

¹¹and as from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. I will cause you to rest from all your enemies. Moreover the Lord tells you that the Lord will make you a house.

¹²When your days are fulfilled, and you shall sleep with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who shall proceed out of your bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

¹³He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

¹⁴I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men;

¹⁵but my loving kindness shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before you.

¹⁶Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever."'"

¹⁷According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

¹⁸Then David the king went in, and sat before the Lord; and he said, "Who am I, Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?

¹⁹This was yet a small thing in your eyes, Lord God; but you have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come; and this after the way of men, Lord God!

²⁰What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, Lord God.

²¹For your word's sake, and according to your own heart, you have worked all this greatness, to make your servant know it.

²²Therefore you are great, Lord God. For there is none like you, neither is there any God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

²³What one nation in the earth is like your people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, and to make himself a name, and to do great things for you, and awesome things for your land, before your people, whom you redeem to yourself out of Egypt, from the nations and their gods?

²⁴You established for yourself your people Israel to be a people to you forever; and you, Lord, became their God.

²⁵Now, Lord God, the word that you have spoken concerning your servant, and concerning his house, confirm it forever, and do as you have spoken.

²⁶Let your name be magnified forever, saying, 'The Lord of hosts is God over Israel; and the house of your servant David shall be established before you.'

²⁷For you, the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have revealed to your servant, saying, 'I will build you a house.' Therefore your servant has found in his heart to pray this prayer to you.

²⁸"Now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are truth, and you have promised this good thing to your servant.

²⁹Now therefore let it please you to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you; for you, Lord God, have spoken it. Let the house of your servant be blessed forever with your blessing."