2 Samuel 7:12–29

¹²“ ‘When the time comes for you to lie down in death with your ancestors, I will send one of your descendants, ⸤one⸥ who will come from you. 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. If he sins, I will punish him with a rod and with blows inflicted by people. ¹⁵But I will never stop showing him my love as I did to Saul, whom I took out of your way. ¹⁶Your royal house will remain in my presence^bforever. Your throne will be established forever.’ ” 

¹⁷Nathan told David all these words and everything he had seen. 

¹⁸King David went into the tent and sat in front of the Lord. “Who am I, Almighty Lord,” he asked, “and why is my house so important that you have brought me this far? ¹⁹And even this you consider to be a small act, Almighty Lord. You’ve also spoken about the distant future of my house. Almighty Lord, this is the teaching about the man. 

²⁰“What more can I, David, say to you, Almighty Lord, since you know me so well! ²¹You’ve done this great thing because of your promise and your own desire. You made it known to me. 

²²“That is why you are great, Lord God. There is no one like you, and there is no other god except you, as we have heard with our own ears. ²³Who is like your people Israel? It is the one nation on earth that God came to free in order to make its people his own, to make his name^cknown, and to do great and wonderful things for them. You forced^dnations and their gods out of the way of your people, whom you freed from Egypt to be your own. ²⁴You created the people of Israel to be your people forever. And you, Lord, became their God. 

²⁵“Now, Lord God, keep the promise you made to me and my house forever. Do as you promised. ²⁶Your name will be respected forever when ⸤people⸥ say, ‘The Lord of Armies is God over Israel.’ And the house of your servant David will be established in your presence. ²⁷You, Lord of Armies, God of Israel, have revealed it especially to me, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ That is why I have found the courage to offer this prayer to you. 

²⁸“Almighty Lord, you are God, and your words are trustworthy. You promised me this good thing. ²⁹Now, please bless my house so that it may continue in your presence forever. Indeed, you, Almighty Lord, have promised it. With your blessing my house will be blessed forever.”