2 Samuel 7
1NOW when the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side, from all his enemies round about,
2the king said to Nathan the prophet, Behold I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth in the midst of the tabernacle.
3Upon which Nathan said to the king, Whatever may be in thy heart, go and do; for the Lord is with thee.
4But that night a word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying,
5Go and say to My servant David, Thus saith the Lord, Art not thou to build Me a house to dwell in?
6Because I did not dwell in a house from the day I brought the children of Israel out of Egypt even to this day, but continued walking about in a temporary abode and in a tabernacle.
7In all the places through which I passed with all Israel, did I ever speak to any tribe of Israel whom I commanded to feed My people Israel, and say, Why have you not built for Me a house of cedar?
8But now, thus shalt thou say to My servant David, Thus saith the Lord Almighty, I took thee from the sheepcot to be ruler over My people—over Israel;
9and I have been with thee whithersoever thou didst go, and have destroyed all thine enemies from before thee, and made thee renowned according to the renown of the great men on the earth;
10and I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and plant them, and they shall dwell by themselves, and shall no more be in trouble; nor shall a son of wickedness any more humble them as heretofore,
11from the days I appointed judges over My people Israel: and I will give thee rest from all thine enemies, and the Lord will tell thee that thou art to build a house for Him.
12And it shall come to pass when thy days are fulfilled and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, that I will raise up after thee the seed of thee who shall spring from thy loins, and I will establish his kingdom.
13He shall build a house for My name, and I will raise up again his throne forever.
14I will be to him a father, and he shall be to Me a son. And when his iniquity shall come, I will correct him with a rod of men, and with scourges of the children of men,
15but I will not withdraw My mercy from him as I withdrew it from them whom I removed from My presence.
16His house and his kingdom shall be established forever before me and his throne shall be raised up again forever.
17According to all these words and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak to David.
18Whereupon king David went in and sat down before the Lord, and said, Who am I, O Lord, my Lord! and what is my house that Thou hast loved me to such a degree!
19Though I was contemptibly little before Thee, O Lord, my Lord! yet Thou hast spoken respecting the house of Thy servant for a great while to come. With regard to this law of the man, O Lord, my Lord!
20what more shall David presume to say to Thee? Now then, Thou, O Lord, my Lord! knowest Thy servant,
21and on account of Thy servant Thou hast done, and according to Thine own heart hast made all this greatness in order to make known to Thy servant
22with respect to the magnifying of Thee, O my Lord! that there is none like Thee,
23and that there is not a god besides Thee among all that we have heard of with our ears. Moreover what other nation is there on the earth like Thy people Israel? How hath God gone before them to redeem a people for Himself—to make Thyself a name—to display majesty and an appearance of deity—to drive out from before Thy people, whom Thou hadst redeemed for Thyself out of Egypt, nations and wandering hordes!
24Thou indeed preparedst for Thyself Thy people Israel to be a people forever, and Thou, O Lord! wast their God.
25Now therefore, O my Lord, confirm the word which Thou hast spoken concerning Thy servant and his house, confirm it everlastingly, O Lord Almighty, O God of Israel.
26And now as Thou hast spoken let Thy name be magnified forever.
27O Lord Almighty, O God of Israel, Thou hast made a revelation to Thy servant, saying, I am to build a house for Thee; therefore Thy servant hath found this disposition of his heart to make this prayer to Thee.
28And now, O Lord, my Lord, Thou art God, and Thy words will be true, and Thou hast spoken these good things respecting Thy servant,
29now then begin and bless the house of Thy servant, that it may continue forever before Thee. Since Thou O Lord, my Lord, hast spoken, therefore with Thy blessing, let the house of Thy servant be blessed, that it may continue forever.