NETfree - II Samuel - 7

7:1  The king settled into his palace, for the LORD gave him relief from all his enemies on all sides.

7:2  The king said to Nathan the prophet, "Look! I am living in a palace made from cedar, while the ark of God sits in the middle of a tent."

7:3  Nathan replied to the king, "You should go and do whatever you have in mind, for the LORD is with you."

7:4  That night the LORD told Nathan,

7:5  "Go, tell my servant David: 'This is what the LORD says: Do you really intend to build a house for me to live in?

7:6  I have not lived in a house from the time I brought the Israelites up from Egypt to the present day. Instead, I was traveling with them and living in a tent.

7:7  Wherever I moved among all the Israelites, I did not say to any of the leaders whom I appointed to care for my people Israel, "Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?"'

7:8  "So now, say this to my servant David: 'This is what the LORD of hosts says: I took you from the pasture and from your work as a shepherd to make you leader of my people Israel.

7:9  I was with you wherever you went, and I defeated all your enemies before you. Now I will make you as famous as the great men of the earth.

7:10  I will establish a place for my people Israel and settle them there; they will live there and not be disturbed any more. Violent men will not oppress them again, as they did in the beginning

7:11  and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. Instead, I will give you relief from all your enemies. The LORD declares to you that he himself will build a dynastic house for you.

7:12  When the time comes for you to die, I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom.

7:13  He will build a house for my name, and I will make his dynasty permanent.

7:14  I will become his father and he will become my son. When he sins, I will correct him with the rod of men and with wounds inflicted by human beings.

7:15  But my loyal love will not be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.

7:16  Your house and your kingdom will stand before me permanently; your dynasty will be permanent.'"

7:17  Nathan told David all these words that were revealed to him.

7:18  King David went in, sat before the LORD, and said, "Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my family, that you should have brought me to this point?

7:19  And you didn't stop there, O LORD God! You have also spoken about the future of your servant's family. Is this your usual way of dealing with men, O LORD God?

7:20  What more can David say to you? You have given your servant special recognition, O LORD God!

7:21  For the sake of your promise and according to your purpose you have done this great thing in order to reveal it to your servant.

7:22  Therefore you are great, O LORD God, for there is none like you! There is no God besides you! What we have heard is true!

7:23  Who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation on the earth? Their God went to claim a nation for himself and to make a name for himself! You did great and awesome acts for your land, before your people whom you delivered for yourself from the Egyptian empire and its gods.

7:24  You made Israel your very own people for all time. You, O LORD, became their God.

7:25  So now, O LORD God, make this promise you have made about your servant and his family a permanent reality. Do as you promised,

7:26  so you may gain lasting fame, as people say, 'The LORD of hosts is God over Israel!' The dynasty of your servant David will be established before you,

7:27  for you, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have told your servant, 'I will build you a dynastic house.' That is why your servant has had the courage to pray this prayer to you.

7:28  Now, O sovereign LORD, you are the true God! May your words prove to be true! You have made this good promise to your servant!

7:29  Now be willing to bless your servant's dynasty so that it may stand permanently before you, for you, O sovereign LORD, have spoken. By your blessing may your servant's dynasty be blessed on into the future!"