2 Samuel 7

₁King David went and stayed in his palace and the Lord gave him peace. Not one of his enemies came to start a war_against him. ₂Then the king said to Nathan the prophet: ‘I live in a beautiful palace made of cedar wood, but the covenant box of God stays in a small tent.’ ₃Nathan said to the king: ‘You may do what you want to because the Lord is with you.’

₄But that night the Lord said to Nathan: ₅‘You must tell my servant David that I say: “Do you want to build a home for Me to live in? ₆I have never lived in a home, from the day that I saved the Israelites from Egypt until now. I went with them and my home was a tent. ₇I went with the Israelites and I chose leaders to lead my people of Israel, but I never complained to one of those leaders or asked them to build a home from cedar wood for Me.” ₈That is why you must tell my servant David: I, the Lord who rules over all, say: “It was I, the Lord, who took you away from the field where you looked after the sheep and goats. I took you from there to come and rule over my people of Israel, ₉and I was with you wherever you went. I have defeated all your enemies and I will make you as important as the most important kings of the earth. ₁₀I will give my people Israel a place to live and they will live in their own land. No one will give them trouble and bad people will not make them suffer like they did before ₁₁when I chose judges to rule over my people of Israel. I will give you peace, and your enemies will not come to fight in a war_against you. Now I tell you: I will give you a house and descendants and the people from your house will be kings. ₁₂When your days are over and you die, I will make one of your sons king and he will be king for many years. ₁₃He will build a home for Me and he will rule for a very long time. ₁₄I will be like a father to him and he will be like a son to Me. When he does things that are wrong, I will punish him like a father punishes his child. ₁₅I will always love your son. I will not do as I did with Saul who was king before you. ₁₆The people of your house and your kingdom will rule for a very long time, and one of your descendants will always be king.” ’

₁₇Nathan told David everything that the Lord had said and showed him.

₁₈King David went into the tent of the Lord and he sat down in front of the covenant box of the Lord. He said: ‘Lord God, my family and I are not important. I do not know why You have done so many things for me. ₁₉And, Lord, my God, You have done even more. You have told me, your servant, what will happen to my family in the future and You have said they will rule for many years. This, my Lord, is what You have said must happen to me, and I am just a man. ₂₀What can I, David, say to You? Lord, my God, You know all about me, your servant. ₂₁You have decided to do this great thing and to tell me, your servant. ₂₂That is why, O Lord my God, You are great. No one is like You. You alone are God. We do not know of any other God. ₂₃And who are like your people, like Israel? You have chosen only them from all the people on earth and You have saved them to be your people. You have made a great name for Yourself, because You did great and wonderful things for your land when You saved your people out of Egypt. They were slaves of other people and gods but now they belong to You. ₂₄You have made your people, Israel, a nation that will be here for a very long time, because You, Lord, have become their God.

₂₅And now, Lord, You have promised things to me, your servant, and my family. You said that we will rule. Please let these things happen and let it stay like that for many years. Do what You have promised. ₂₆Then people will always honour your name and they will say: “The Lord, who rules over all, is God of Israel.”

And let the family of your servant David always rule and let them serve You. ₂₇Because You, Lord, who rule over all, God of Israel, You have told me, your servant, this. You said You will let my family rule and You will build a royal house for me. This is why I, your servant, can pray this prayer to You. ₂₈And now, Lord, my God, You alone are God, and You always do the things that You have said. You have promised these good things to me, your servant. ₂₉Please start now and bless my family. Please be with them and the house of the king, because You, Lord, my God, have spoken. You have said that You will bless my family, and that is why I know that You will always be with the family of your servant.’