2 Samuel 7:12–29

¹²When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.^{* 13}He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.^{* 14}I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings.^{* 15}But I will not takeⁱ my steadfast love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.^{* 16}Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me;^j your throne shall be established forever.”^{* 17}In accordance with all these words and with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

David’s Prayer

¹⁸Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?^{* 19}And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God; you have spoken also of your servant’s house into the distant future. May this be instruction for the people,^k O Lord God! ²⁰And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God!^{* 21}Because of your promise and according to your own heart, you have wrought all this greatness so that your servant may know it. ²²Therefore you are great, O Lord God, for there is no one like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.^{* 23}Who is like your people, like Israel? Is there another^l nation on earth whose God went to redeem it as a people and to make a name for himself, doing^m great and awesome things, driving outⁿ nations and their gods before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt?^{* 24}And you established your people Israel for yourself to be your people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God.^{* 25}And now, O Lord God, as for the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, confirm it forever; do as you have promised. ²⁶Thus your name will be magnified forever in the saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you.^{* 27}For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house’; therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you.^{* 28}And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant;^{* 29}now, therefore, may it please you to bless the house of your servant so that it may continue forever before you, for you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”^*