2 Samuel 7 — NETB

7Verse 1The king settled into his palace, for the Lord gave him relief from all his enemies on all sides.^{Verse 2}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.”^{Verse 3}Nathan replied to the king, “You should go and do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.”^{Verse 4}That night the Lord told Nathan,^{Verse 5}“Go, tell my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord says: Do you really intend to build a house for me to live in?^{Verse 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.^{Verse 7}Wherever I moved among all the Israelites, I did not say to any of the leaders whom I appointed to care for my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?”’^{Verse 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 shepherd to make you leader of my people Israel.^{Verse 9}I was with you wherever you went, and I defeated all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth.^{Verse 10}I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle them there; they will live there and not be disturbed any more. Violent men will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning^{Verse 11}and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. Instead, I will give you relief from all your enemies. The Lord declares to you that he himself will build a dynastic house for you.^{Verse 12}When the time comes for you to die, I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom.^{Verse 13}He will build a house for my name, and I will make his dynasty permanent.^{Verse 14}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.^{Verse 15}But my loyal love will not be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.^{Verse 16}Your house and your kingdom will stand before me permanently; your dynasty will be permanent.’”^{Verse 17}Nathan told David all these words that were revealed to him.

David Offers a Prayer to God

^{Verse 18}King David went in, sat before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you should have brought me to this point?^{Verse 19}And you didn’t stop there, O Lord God! You have also spoken about the future of your servant’s family. Is this your usual way of dealing with men, O Lord God?^{Verse 20}What more can David say to you? You have given your servant special recognition, O Lord God!^{Verse 21}For the sake of your promise and according to your purpose you have done this great thing in order to reveal it to your servant.^{Verse 22}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!^{Verse 23}Who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation on the earth? Their God went to claim a nation for himself and to make a name for himself! You did great and awesome acts for your land, before your people whom you delivered for yourself from the Egyptian empire and its gods.^{Verse 24}You made Israel your very own people for all time. You, O Lord, became their God.^{Verse 25}So now, O Lord God, make this promise you have made about your servant and his family a permanent reality. Do as you promised,^{Verse 26}so you may gain lasting fame, as people say, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel!’ The dynasty of your servant David will be established before you,^{Verse 27}for you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have told your servant, ‘I will build you a dynastic house.’ That is why your servant has had the courage to pray this prayer to you.^{Verse 28}Now, O sovereign Lord, you are the true God! May your words prove to be true! You have made this good promise to your servant!^{Verse 29}Now be willing to bless your servant’s dynasty 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!”