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.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the rprize? So srun that you may obtain it. 25 Every tathlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable uwreath, but we an vimperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control,1 lest after preaching to others I myself should be wdisqualified.
Warning Against Idolatry
1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,2 that our fathers were all under the xcloud, and yall passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and zall ate the same spiritual food, 4 and aall drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for bthey were overthrown3 in the wilderness.
6 Now these things took place as examples cfor us, that we might not desire evil das they did. 7 Do not be idolaters eas some of them were; as it is written, f“The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality gas some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9 We must not hput Christ4 to the test, ias some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10 jnor kgrumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the lDestroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore mlet anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 nThe cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? oThe bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, pwe who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Consider the people of Israel:5 are not those who qeat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or rthat an idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice sthey offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 tYou cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Shall we uprovoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
