The Lord's Message to David
(2 Samuel 7.1-17)1 Soon after David moved into his new palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Look around! I live in a palace made of cedar, but the sacred chest is kept in a tent.”
2 Nathan replied, “The Lord is with you—do what you want.”
3 That night, the Lord told Nathan 4 to go to David and tell him:
David, you are my servant, so listen carefully: You are not the one to build a temple for me. 5 I didn't live in a temple when I brought my people out of Egypt, and I don't live in one now. A tent has always been my home wherever I have gone with them. 6 I chose special leaders and told them to be like shepherds for my people Israel. But did I ever say anything to even one of them about building a cedar temple for me?
7 David, this is what I, the Lord All-Powerful, say to you. I brought you in from the fields where you took care of sheep, and I made you the leader of my people. 8 Wherever you went, I helped you and destroyed your enemies right in front of your eyes. I have made you one of the most famous people in the world.
9 I have given my people Israel a land of their own where they can live in peace. They will no longer have to tremble with fear—evil nations won't bother them, as they did 10 when I let judges rule my people, and I will keep your enemies from attacking you.
Now I promise that like you, your descendants will be kings. 11 I'll choose one of your sons to be king when you reach the end of your life and are buried beside your ancestors. I'll make him a strong ruler, 12 and no one will be able to take his kingdom away from him. He will be the one to build a temple for me. 13 I will be like a father to him, and he will be like a son to me. I will never put an end to my agreement with him, as I put an end to my agreement with Saul, who was king before you. 14 I will make sure that your son and his descendants will rule my people and my kingdom forever.
15 Nathan told David exactly what the Lord had said.
David Gives Thanks to the Lord
(2 Samuel 7.18-29)16 David went into the tent he had set up for the sacred chest. He sat there and prayed:
Lord God, my family and I don't deserve what you have already done for us, 17 and yet you have promised to do even more for my descendants. You are treating me as if I am a very important person. 18 I am your servant, and you know my thoughts. What else can I say, except that you have honored me? 19 It was your choice to do these wonderful things for me and to make these promises.
20 No other god is like you, Lord—you alone are God. Everything we have heard about you is true. 21 And there is no other nation on earth like Israel, the nation you rescued from slavery in Egypt to be your own. You became famous by using great and wonderful miracles to force other nations and their gods out of your land, so that your people could live here. 22 You have chosen Israel to be your people forever, and you have become their God.
23 Lord God, please do what you promised me and my descendants. 24 Then you will be famous forever, and everyone will say, “The Lord All-Powerful rules Israel and is their God.”
My kingdom will be strong, 25 because you are my God, and you have promised that my descendants will be kings. That's why I have the courage to pray to you like this, even though I am only your servant.
26 You are the Lord God, and you have made this good promise to me. 27 Now please bless my descendants forever, and let them always be your chosen kings. You have already blessed my family, and I know you will bless us forever.
1 Nowe afterward when Dauid dwelt in his house, he saide to Nathan the Prophet, Beholde, I dwell in an house of cedar trees, but the Arke of the Lordes couenant remaineth vnder curtaines. 2 Then Nathan said to Dauid, Do all that is in thine heart: for God is with thee. 3 And the same night euen the word of God came to Nathan, saying, 4 Goe, and tell Dauid my seruant, Thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not buylde me an house to dwell in: 5 For I haue dwelt in no house, since the day that I brought out the childre of Israel vnto this daye, but I haue bene from tent to tent, and from habitation to habitation. 6 Wheresoeuer I haue walked with all Israel spake I one word to any of the iudges of Israel (whome I commanded to feede my people) saying, Why haue ye not built mee an house of cedar trees? 7 Nowe therefore thus shalt thou say vnto my seruant Dauid, Thus saith the Lord of hostes, I tooke thee from the sheepecoat and from following the sheepe, that thou shouldest bee a prince ouer my people Israel. 8 And I haue bene with thee whithersoeuer thou hast walked, and haue destroyed all thine enemies out of thy sight, and haue made thee a name, like the name of the great men that are in the earth. 9 (Also I will appoynt a place for my people Israel, and will plant it, that they may dwell in their place, and moue no more: neither shall the wicked people vexe them any more, as at the beginning, 10 And since the time that I commanded iudges ouer my people Israel) And I wil subdue all thine enemies: therefore I say vnto thee, that the Lord wil buylde thee an house. 11 And when thy dayes shalbe fulfilled to go with thy fathers, then will I rayse vp thy seede after thee, which shalbe of thy sonnes, and will stablish his kingdome. 12 He shall builde me an house, and I will stablish his throne for euer. 13 I wil be his father, and he shalbe my sonne, aud I will not take my mercie away from him, as I tooke it from him that was before thee. 14 But I wil establish him in mine house, and in my kingdome for euer, and his throne shalbe stablished for euer, 15 According to all these wordes, and according to al this vision. So Nathan spake to Dauid. 16 And Dauid the King went in and sate before the Lord and said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? 17 Yet thou esteeming this a small thing, O God, hast also spoken concerning the house of thy seruaut for a great while, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of hie degree, O Lord God. 18 What can Dauid desire more of thee for the honour of thy seruant? for thou knowest thy seruant. 19 O Lord, for thy seruantes sake, euen according to thine heart hast thou done all this great thing to declare all magnificence. 20 Lord, there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee, according to all that we haue heard with our eares. 21 Moreouer what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whose God went to redeeme them to be his people, and to make thy selfe a Name, and to doe great and terrible things by casting out nations from before thy people, whom thou hast deliuered out of Egypt? 22 For thou hast ordeined thy people Israel to be thine owne people for euer, and thou Lord art become their God. 23 Therefore nowe Lord, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy seruant and concerning his house, be confirmed for euer, and doe as thou hast sayd, 24 And let thy name be stable and magnified for euer, that it may be sayd, The Lord of hostes, God of Israel, is the God of Israel, and let the house of Dauid thy seruant bee stablished before thee. 25 For thou, O my God, hast reueiled vnto the eare of thy seruant, that thou wilt builde him an house: therefore thy seruant hath bene bolde to pray before thee. 26 Therefore nowe Lord (for thou art God, and hast spoken this goodnesse vnto thy seruant) 27 Now therfore, it hath pleased thee to blesse the house of thy seruant, that it may bee before thee for euer: for thou, O Lord, hast blessed it, and it shalbe blessed for euer.