2 SamuelChapter 7

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¹The king was now settled in his palace. The LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him. ²Then the king said to Nathan the prophet, "Look, I am living in a house made of cedar. But the ark of God stays in a tent." ³Nathan said to the king, "Go and do all that is in your heart. The LORD is with you." ⁴But that night the word of the LORD came to Nathan. He said, ⁵"Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? ⁶I have not lived in a house since the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt. Not even to this day. I have moved from place to place with a tent as my home. ⁷I have gone everywhere with all the Israelites. I chose leaders to care for my people Israel like shepherds. Did I ever ask any of them, "Why haven't you built me a house of cedar?"' ⁸So now, tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD of Hosts says: I took you from the pasture where you followed the sheep. I made you the ruler over my people Israel. ⁹I have been with you everywhere you have gone. I have wiped out all your enemies in front of you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth. ¹⁰I will give my people Israel a place. I will plant them there so they can live in their own land. They will not be troubled anymore. Wicked people will not crush them anymore, as they did at the start. ¹¹They have done it ever since I chose judges to lead my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD tells you that he himself will build a house for you. ¹²Your life will come to an end, and you will rest with your fathers. Then I will raise up your offspring after you. He will come from your own body. I will make his kingdom strong. ¹³He will build a house for my Name. And I will make the throne of his kingdom last forever. ¹⁴I will be his Father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will correct him with a rod used by men. I will punish him with blows that people give. ¹⁵But my faithful love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul. I removed Saul from before you. ¹⁶Your family and your kingdom will last forever before me. Your throne will stand firm forever.'" ¹⁷So Nathan told David all the words of this whole vision. ¹⁸Then King David went in and sat before the LORD. He said, "Lord GOD, who am I? What is my family? Why have you brought me this far? ¹⁹And as if this were a small thing to you, Lord GOD, you have also spoken about the future of your servant's family. Is this how you deal with people, Lord GOD? ²⁰What more can I, David, say to you? You know your servant, Lord GOD. ²¹You have done this great thing because of your promise. You did it because you wanted to. And you have shown it to your servant. ²²How great you are, Lord GOD! There is no one like you. There is no God but you. We have heard this with our own ears. ²³And who is like your people Israel? They are the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself. He did it to make a name for himself. You did great and amazing wonders. You drove out nations and their gods ahead of your people. You redeemed your people for yourself from Egypt. ²⁴You have made your people Israel your very own forever. And you, LORD, have become their God. ²⁵So now, LORD God, keep forever the promise you made about your servant and his family. Do what you said you would do. ²⁶Then your name will be honored forever. People will say, 'The LORD of Hosts is God over Israel.' And the family of your servant David will stand firm before you. ²⁷LORD of Hosts, God of Israel, you have shown this to your servant. You said, 'I will build a house for you.' So I, your servant, have found the courage to pray this prayer to you. ²⁸Lord GOD, you are God! Your words are true. You have promised these good things to your servant. ²⁹So now, please bless the family of your servant. Let it last forever before you. For you, Lord GOD, have spoken. With your blessing the family of your servant will be blessed forever."