2 SAMUEL 7 (NIV)
- After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him,
- he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent."
- Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you."
- That night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:
- "Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in?
- I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling.
- Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?"'
- "Now then, tell my servant David, 'This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel.
- I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth.
- And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning
- and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. "'The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you:
- When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.
- He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
- I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men.
- But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.
- Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.'"
- Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.
- Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said: "Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?
- And as if this were not enough in your sight, O Sovereign Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant. Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign Lord?
- "What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Sovereign Lord.
- For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.
- "How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.
- And who is like your people Israel - the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a peole for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt?
- You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, O Lord, have become their God.
- "And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised,
- so that your name will be great forever. Then men will say, 'The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!' And the house of your servant David will be established before you.
- "O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, 'I will build a house for you.' So your servant has found courage to offer you this prayer.
- O Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.
- Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever."
