2 Samuel 7:8–29

⁸“Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock,^x and appointed you ruler^y over my people Israel.^{z 9}I have been with you wherever you have gone,^a and I have cut off all your enemies from before you.^b Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth.^{c 10}And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant^d them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed.^e Wicked^f people will not oppress them anymore,^g as they did at the beginning ¹¹and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders^ah over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.ⁱ

“ ‘The Lord declares^j to you that the Lord himself will establish^k a house^l for you: ¹²When your days are over and you rest^m with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood,ⁿ and I will establish his kingdom.^{o 13}He is the one who will build a house^p for my Name,^q and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.^{r 14}I will be his father, and he will be my son.^s When he does wrong, I will punish him^t with a rod^u wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. ¹⁵But my love will never be taken away from him,^v as I took it away from Saul,^w whom I removed from before you. ¹⁶Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me^b; your throne^x will be established^y forever.^z’ ”

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

David’s Prayer

7:18–29pp—1Ch 17:16–27

¹⁸Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said:

“Who am I,^a Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? ¹⁹And as if this were not enough in your sight, Sovereign Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant—and this decree,^b Sovereign Lord, is for a mere human!^c

²⁰“What more can David say^c to you? For you know^d your servant,^e Sovereign Lord. ²¹For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.

²²“How great^f you are,^g Sovereign Lord! There is no one like^h you, and there is no Godⁱ but you, as we have heard with our own ears.^{j 23}And who is like your people Israel^k—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name^l for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders^m by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemedⁿ from Egypt?^{d 24}You have established your people Israel as your very own^o forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.^p

²⁵“And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise^q you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, ²⁶so that your name^r will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!’ And the house of your servant David will be established^s in your sight.

²⁷“Lord Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ So your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. ²⁸Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy,^t and you have promised these good things to your servant. ²⁹Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing^u the house of your servant will be blessed forever.”