The Lord’s Covenant with David
1 yNow when David lived in his house, David said to zNathan the prophet, “Behold, I dwell in a ahouse of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is bunder a tent.” 2 And Nathan said to David, “Do all that is cin your heart, for God is with you.”
3 But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, 4 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: dIt is not you who will build me a house to dwell in. 5 For eI have not lived in a house since the day I brought up Israel to this day, but I have gone from tent to tent and from dwelling to dwelling. 6 In all places where I have moved with all Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ 7 Now, therefore, thus shall you say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you ffrom the pasture, from following the sheep, to be gprince over my people Israel, 8 and I have been hwith you wherever you have gone and have icut off all your enemies from before you. And I will jmake for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 9 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall waste them no more, as formerly, 10 kfrom the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that lthe Lord will build you a house. 11 When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, mI will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 nHe shall build a house for me, and I will establish his othrone forever. 13 pI will be to him a qfather, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him, ras I took it from him who was before you, 14 but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.’” 15 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
David’s Prayer
16 sThen King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, t“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 17 And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God. You have also spoken of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have shown me future generations,1 O Lord God! 18 And what more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant. 19 For your servant’s sake, O Lord, and according to your own heart, you have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. 20 uThere is none like you, O Lord, and vthere is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 21 And wwho is like your people Israel, the one2 nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making for yourself a name for great and awesome things, in driving out nations before your people whom you redeemed from Egypt? 22 And you made your people Israel xto be your people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God. 23 And now, O Lord, ylet the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house be established forever, and do as you have spoken, 24 and your name will be established and magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 25 For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. Therefore your servant has found courage to pray before you. 26 And now, O Lord, you are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 27 Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you, for it is you, O Lord, who have blessed, and it is blessed zforever.”
The Lord’s Covenant with David
1 mNow when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, 2 the king said to nNathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a ohouse of cedar, but the ark of God dwells pin a tent.” 3 And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is qin your heart, for the Lord is with you.”
4 But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, 5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: rWould you build me a house to dwell in? 6 sI have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. 7 In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges1 of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ 8 Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you tfrom the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be uprince2 over my people Israel. 9 And I have been vwith you wherever you went and have wcut off all your enemies from before you. And I will xmake for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will yplant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 zfrom the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that athe Lord will make you a house. 12 bWhen your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, cI will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body,3 and I will establish his kingdom. 13 dHe shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the ethrone of his kingdom forever. 14 fI will be to him a gfather, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, has I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.4 Your throne shall be established forever.’” 17 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
David’s Prayer of Gratitude
18 iThen King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, j“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! 20 And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! 21 Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. 22 Therefore you are kgreat, O Lord God. For lthere is none like you, and there is mno God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 And nwho is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them5 great and awesome things by driving out before your people,6 whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? 24 And you oestablished for yourself your people Israel pto be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God. 25 And now, O Lord God, qconfirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. 26 And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 27 For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. 28 And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 29 Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed rforever.”
