God's Promise to David

¹Once the king had settled into his palace and the LORD had given him peace from all his enemies on every side, ²the king said to Nathan the prophet, "Look, I live in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within curtains." ³Nathan told the king, "Go ahead and do whatever is on your heart, because the LORD is with you." ⁴But that very night, the word of the LORD came to Nathan: ⁵"Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD says: Are you the one who should build me a house to live in? ⁶I haven't lived in a house from the day I brought the people of Israel out of Egypt until now. Instead, I've been moving from place to place in a tent and a tabernacle. ⁷In all the places I have traveled with all the children of Israel, did I ever speak to any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, 'Why have you not built me a house of cedar?' ⁸"So tell my servant David, 'The LORD of hosts says: I took you from the pasture, from following sheep, and made you ruler over my people Israel. ⁹I have been with you wherever you went, and I have destroyed all your enemies from before you, and I have made your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth. ¹⁰I will appoint a place for my people Israel and plant them there, so they can live in their own place and not be moved again. The children of wickedness will no longer oppress them as they did before. ¹¹as they have since the time I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. And beyond that, the LORD declares that he will build a house for you — ¹²When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³He is the one who will build a house for my name, and I will make his royal throne last forever. ¹⁴I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men. ¹⁵But my mercy will never be taken from him the way I took it from Saul, whom I removed to make room for you. ¹⁶Your house and your kingdom will be established forever before you; your throne will be established forever. ¹⁷Nathan spoke to David according to all these words and this vision. ¹⁸Then King David went in and sat before the LORD. He said, "Who am I, Lord GOD? And what is my family, that you have brought me this far? ¹⁹This was still a small thing in your sight, Lord GOD, but you have also spoken about your servant's house for a long time to come. Is this the way of man, Lord GOD? ²⁰What more can David possibly say to you? You already know your servant through and through, Lord GOD. ²¹For the sake of your word, and according to your own heart, you have done all these great things to make your servant know them. ²²This is why you are so great, LORD God. There is no one like you. There is no God besides you — everything we've ever heard confirms it. ²³What nation on earth is like your people, like Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make Himself a name, and to do great and terrible things for you, for your land, before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, from the nations and their gods? ²⁴You established Israel as your own people forever, and you, LORD, became their God. ²⁵So now, LORD God, the promise you've made about your servant and his family — let it stand forever. Do exactly what you've said. ²⁶Let your name be honored forever, so that people will say, 'The LORD of hosts is God over Israel.' And let the house of your servant David be established in your presence. ²⁷For you, LORD of hosts, God of Israel, revealed this to your servant when you said, 'I will build you a dynasty.' That is why your servant has found the courage to pray this prayer to you. ²⁸Lord GOD, you are God. Your words are true, and you have promised this wonderful thing to your servant. ²⁹So now, please bless the house of your servant so that it will continue forever in your presence. For you, Lord GOD, have spoken it — and with your blessing, let your servant's house be blessed forever."