2 Samuel

God’s Covenant with David

1After the king had settled into his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him,

2he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”

3And Nathan replied to the king, “Go and do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you.”

4But that night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying,

5“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?

6For 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.

7In all My journeys with all the Israelites, have I ever asked any of the leadersI appointed to shepherd My people Israel, ‘Why haven’t you built Me a house of cedar?’

8Now 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.

9I 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 that of the greatest in the land.

10And 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

11and 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.

12And 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.

13He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

14I 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.

15But My loving devotion will never be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.

16Your house and kingdom will endure forever before Me,and your throne will be established forever.”

17So Nathan relayed to David all the words of this entire revelation.

David’s Prayer of Thanksgiving

18Then 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?

19And 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?

20What more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord GOD.

21For the sake of Your word and according to Your own heart, You have accomplished this great thing and revealed it to Your servant.

22How 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.

23And 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.

24For You have established Your people Israel as Your very own forever, and You, O LORD, have become their God.

25And now, O LORD God, confirm forever the word You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house. Do as You have promised,

26so 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.

27For 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.

28And now, O Lord GOD, You are God! Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant.

29Now 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.”

1And it cometh to pass, when the king sat in his house, and Jehovah hath given rest to him round about, from all his enemies,

2that the king saith unto Nathan the prophet, 'See, I pray thee, I am dwelling in a house of cedars, and the ark of God is dwelling in the midst of the curtain.'

3And Nathan saith unto the king, 'All that [is] in thine heart — go, do, for Jehovah [is] with thee.'

4And it cometh to pass in that night, that the word of Jehovah is unto Nathan, saying,

5'Go, and thou hast said unto My servant, unto David, Thus said Jehovah, Dost thou build for Me a house for My dwelling in?

6for I have not dwelt in a house even from the day of My bringing up the sons of Israel out of Egypt, even unto this day, and am walking up and down in a tent and in a tabernacle.

7During all [the time] that I have walked up and down among all the sons of Israel, a word have I spoken with one of the tribes of Israel which I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, 'Why have ye not built to Me a house of cedars?

8and now, thus dost thou say to My servant, to David: 'Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, I have taken thee from the comely place, from after the flock, to be leader over My people, over Israel;

9and I am with thee whithersoever thou hast gone, and I cut off all thine enemies from thy presence, and have made for thee a great name, as the name of the great ones who [are] in the earth,

10and I have appointed a place for My people, for Israel, and have planted it, and it hath tabernacled in its place, and it is not troubled any more, and the sons of perverseness do not add to afflict it any more, as in the beginning,

11even from the day that I appointed judges over My people Israel; and I have given rest to thee from all thine enemies, and Jehovah hath declared to thee that Jehovah doth make for thee a house.

12'When thy days are full, and thou hast lain with thy fathers, then I have raised up thy seed after thee which goeth out from thy bowels, and have established his kingdom;

13He doth build a house for My Name, and I have established the throne of his kingdom unto the age.

14I am to him for a father, and he is to Me for a son; whom in his dealings perversely I have even reproved with a rod of men, and with strokes of the sons of Adam,

15and My kindness doth not turn aside from him, as I turned it aside from Saul, whom I turned aside from before thee,

16and stedfast [is] thy house and thy kingdom unto the age before thee, thy throne is established unto the age.'

17According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so spake Nathan unto David.

18And king David cometh in and sitteth before Jehovah, and saith, 'Who [am] I, Lord Jehovah? and what my house, that Thou hast brought me hitherto?

19And yet this [is] little in Thine eyes, Lord Jehovah, and Thou dost speak also concerning the house of Thy servant afar off; and this [is] the law of the Man, Lord Jehovah.

20And what doth David add more to speak unto Thee? and Thou, Thou hast known Thy servant, Lord Jehovah.

21Because of Thy word, and according to Thy heart, Thou hast done all this greatness, to cause Thy servant to know [it].

22Therefore Thou hast been great, Jehovah God, for there is none like Thee, and there is no God save Thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

23'And who [is] as Thy people, as Israel — one nation in the earth, whom God hath gone to redeem to Him for a people, and to make for Him a name — and to do for you the greatness — even fearful things for Thy land, at the presence of Thy people, whom Thou hast redeemed to Thee out of Egypt — [among the] nations and their gods?

24Yea, Thou dost establish to Thee Thy people Israel, to Thee for a people unto the age, and Thou, Jehovah, hast been to them for God.

25'And now, Jehovah God, the word which Thou hast spoken concerning Thy servant, and concerning his house, establish unto the age, and do as Thou hast spoken;

26And Thy Name is great unto the age, saying, Jehovah of Hosts [is] God over Israel, and the house of Thy servant David is established before Thee,

27For Thou, Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, Thou hast uncovered the ear of Thy servant, saying, A house I build for thee, therefore hath Thy servant found his heart to pray unto Thee this prayer;

28And now, Lord Jehovah, Thou [art] God Himself, and Thy words are truth, and Thou speakest unto Thy servant this goodness,

29And now, begin and bless the house of Thy servant, to be unto the age before Thee, for Thou, Lord Jehovah, hast spoken, and by Thy blessing is the house of Thy servant blessed — to the age.'