2 Samuel 7:12–29

¹²When your days are full and you lie down with your ancestors,^k I will raise up your offspring after you who will go out from your 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 a father to him, and he will be a son for me, whom I will punish when he does wrong, with a rod of men and with blows of human beings.^{l 15}But my loyal love shall not depart from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ¹⁶Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before you; your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”

David Responds to Yahweh’s Covenant

¹⁷According to all these words and according to all this vision, this Nathan spoke to David. ¹⁸Then King David went and sat before Yahweh and said, “Who am I, my lord Yahweh, and what is my house that you have brought me up to this place?^{m 19}Still, this was insignificantⁿ in your eyes, my lord Yahweh, and also you have spoken about the house of your servant from afar, and this may be the teaching of humans, my lord Yahweh. ²⁰What more can David say to you?^o You know your servant, my lord Yahweh. ²¹Because of your word and according to your heart, you have done all of this great thing, in order to let your servant know. ²²Therefore you are great, my lord Yahweh, for there is no one like you, and there is no god except you, in all that we have heard with our ears. ²³Who is like your people, like Israel? Israel is the one nation on earth whose God led them,^p in order to redeem a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to do for you^q the great and awesome things for your land in the presence of your people whom he redeemed for himself from Egypt, from the nations and their gods. ²⁴You have established your people Israel for yourself as a people forever, and you, O Yahweh, have become their God. ²⁵So then, Yahweh God, the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, confirm it forever, and do just as you have promised. ²⁶Your name shall be great forever, and they will say,^r ‘Yahweh of hosts is God over Israel’; and the house of your servant David shall be established before you. ²⁷For you, O Yahweh of hosts, are God of Israel! You have revealed to the ear of your servant, ‘I will build a house for you’; therefore your servant has found courage^s to pray this prayer to you. ²⁸Now, my Lord Yahweh, you alone are God, and your words are^t true. You have promised this good to your servant. ²⁹So then, be content and bless the house of your servant to be forever in your presence, for you, my Lord Yahweh, have spoken, and because of your blessing, may the house of your servant be blessed forever.”