2 Samuel 7

1 Now when the king was living in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from war on every side;

After the king had settled into his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him,

2 The king said to Nathan the prophet, See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God is housed inside the curtains of a tent.

he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”

3 And Nathan said to the king, Go and do whatever is in your heart; for the Lord is with you.

And Nathan replied to the king, “Go and do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you.”

4 Now that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying,

But that night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying,

5 Go and say to my servant David, The Lord says, Are you to be the builder of a house, a living-place for me?

“Go and tell My servant David that this is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build for Me a house to dwell in?

6 For from the day when I took the children of Israel up out of Egypt till this day, I have had no house, but have gone from place to place in a tent.

For I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt until this day, but I have moved about with a tent as My dwelling.

7 In all the places where I went with all the children of Israel, did I ever say to any of the judges of Israel, to whom I gave the care of my people Israel, Why have you not made me a house of cedar?

In all My journeys with all the Israelites, have I ever asked any of the leaders I appointed to shepherd My people Israel, ‘Why haven’t you built Me a house of cedar?’

8 Then say these words to my servant David, The Lord of armies says, I took you from the fields, from keeping the sheep, so that you might be a ruler over my people, over my people Israel:

Now then, you are to tell My servant David that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be the ruler over My people Israel.

9 And I have been with you wherever you went, cutting off before you all those who were against you; and I will make your name great, like the name of the greatest ones of the earth.

I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make for you a name like the greatest in the land.

10 And I will make a resting-place for my people Israel, planting them there, so that they may be living in the place which is theirs, and never again be moved; and never again will they be troubled by evil men as they were at the first,

And I will provide a place for My people Israel and will plant them so that they may dwell in a place of their own and be disturbed no more. No longer will the sons of wickedness oppress them as they did at the beginning

11 From the time when I put judges over my people Israel; and I will give you peace from all who are against you. And the Lord says to you that he will make you the head of a line of kings.

and have done since the day I appointed judges over My people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD declares to you that He Himself will establish a house for you.

12 And when the time comes for you to go to rest with your fathers, I will put in your place your seed after you, the offspring of your body, and I will make his kingdom strong.

And when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.

13 He will be the builder of a house for my name, and I will make the seat of his authority certain for ever.

He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

14 I will be to him a father and he will be to me a son: if he does wrong, I will give him punishment with the rod of men and with the blows of the children of men;

I will be his Father, and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.

15 But my mercy will not be taken away from him, as I took it from him who was before you.

But My loving devotion will never be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I moved out of your way.

16 And your family and your kingdom will keep their place before me for ever: the seat of your authority will never be overturned.

Your house and kingdom will endure forever before Me, and your throne will be established forever.”

17 So Nathan gave David an account of all these words and this vision.

So Nathan relayed to David all the words of this entire vision.

18 Then David the king went in and took his seat before the Lord, and said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have been my guide till now?

Then King David went in, sat before the LORD, and said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?

19 And this was only a small thing to you, O Lord God; but your words have even been about the far-off future of your servant's family, O Lord God!

And as if this was a small thing in Your eyes, O Lord GOD, You have also spoken about the future of the house of Your servant. Is this Your custom with man, O Lord GOD?

20 What more may David say to you? for you have knowledge of your servant, O Lord God.

What more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord GOD.

21 Because of your word and from your heart, you have done all this great work, and let your servant see it.

For the sake of Your word and according to Your own heart, You have accomplished this great thing and revealed it to Your servant.

22 Truly you are great, O Lord God: there is no one like you and no other God but you, as is clear from everything which has come to our ears.

How great You are, O Lord GOD! For there is none like You, and there is no God but You, according to everything we have heard with our own ears.

23 And what other nation in the earth, like your people Israel, did a god go out to take for himself, to be his people, and to make a name for himself, and to do great and strange things for them, driving out a nation and its gods from before his people?

And who is like Your people Israel—the one nation on earth whom God went out to redeem as a people for Himself and to make a name for Himself? You performed great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before Your people, whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt.

24 But you took and made strong for yourself your people Israel, to be your people for ever; and you, Lord, became their God.

For You have established Your people Israel as Your very own forever, and You, O LORD, have become their God.

25 And now, O Lord God, may the word which you have said about your servant and about his family, be made certain for ever, and may you do as you have said!

And now, O LORD God, confirm forever the word You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house. Do as You have promised,

26 And let your name be made great for ever, and let men say, The Lord of armies is God over Israel: and let the family of David your servant be made strong before you!

so that Your name will be magnified forever when it is said, ‘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 armies, the God of Israel, have clearly said to your servant, I will make you the head of a family of kings: and so it has come into your servant's heart to make this prayer to you.

For You, O LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant when You said, ‘I will build a house for you.’ Therefore Your servant has found the courage to offer this prayer to You.

28 And now, O Lord God, you are God and your words are true and you have said you will give your servant this good thing;

And now, O Lord GOD, You are God! Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant.

29 So may it be your pleasure to give your blessing to the family of your servant, so that it may go on for ever before you: (for you, O Lord God, have said it, ) and may your blessing be on your servant's family line for ever!

Now therefore, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord GOD, have spoken, and with Your blessing the house of Your servant will be blessed forever.”