2 Samuel 7
7
David Wants to Build a Temple
1King David was living in his palace. And the Lord gave him peace from all his enemies around him. 2David said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, I am living in a palace made of cedar wood. But the Ark of the Covenant of God is still kept in a tent!”
3Nathan said to the king, “Go and do what you really want to do. The Lord is with you.”
4But that night the Lord spoke his word to Nathan. The Lord said, 5“Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not the person to build a house for me to live in. 6I did not live in a house when I brought the Israelites out of Egypt. I have been moving around all this time with a tent as my home. 7I have continued to move with the tribes of Israel. But I have never asked their leaders who take care of them to build me a house of cedar wood.’
8“You must tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of heaven’s armies says: I took you from the pasture when you were following the sheep. I took you to become leader of my people, the Israelites. 9I have been with you everywhere you have gone. I have defeated your enemies for you. I will make you as famous as any of the great men on the earth. 10Also I will choose a place for my people, the Israelites. I will plant them so they can live in their own home. They will not be bothered anymore. Wicked people will no longer make them suffer as they have in the past. 11Wicked people continued to do this even when I appointed judges. But I will give you peace from all your enemies. I also tell you that I will make your descendants kings of Israel after you.
12“‘Your days will come to an end, and you will die. At that time I will make one of your sons the next king. 13He will build a temple for me. I will make his kingdom strong forever. 14I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he sins, I will use other people to punish him. They will be my whips. 15But I will not stop loving him. I took away my love and kindness from Saul. I removed Saul when I turned to you. 16But your family and your kingdom will continue forever before me. Your rule will last forever.’”
17Nathan told David everything he had heard.
David Prays to God
18Then King David went in the tent and sat in front of the Lord. David said, “Lord God, why have you made me so important to you? Why have you made my family important? 19But that was not enough for you, Lord God. You have also said these kind things about my future family. I am your servant. Lord God, this is not the usual way you talk to people.
20“What more can I say to you? Lord God, you love me, your servant, so much! 21You have done this wonderful thing because you said you would. You have done it because you wanted to. And you have decided to let me know all these great things. 22This is why you are great, Lord God! There is no one like you. There is no God except you. We have heard all this ourselves! 23And there are no others like your people, the Israelites. They are the one nation on earth that God chose to be his people. You used them to make your name well-known. You did great and wonderful miracles for them. You went ahead of them and forced other nations and their gods out of the land. You freed your people from slavery in Egypt. 24You made the people of Israel your very own people forever. And, Lord, you became their God.
25“Now, Lord God, keep the promise you made about my family and me, your servant. Do what you have promised. 26Then you will be honored forever. And people will say, ‘The Lord of heaven’s armies is God over Israel!’ And the family of your servant David will continue before you.
27“Lord of heaven’s armies, the God of Israel, you have shown things to me. You have said, ‘I will make your family great.’ So I, your servant, am brave enough to pray to you. 28Lord God, you are God, and your words are true. And you have promised these good things to me, your servant. 29Please, bless my family. Let it continue before you forever. Lord God, you have said these wonderful things. With your blessing let my family be blessed forever.”
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2 Samuel 7: ICB
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2 Samuel 7
7
The Lord's Message to David
(1 Chronicles 17.1-15)
1King David moved into his new palace, and the Lord let his kingdom be at peace. 2Then one day, as David was talking with Nathan the prophet, David said, “Look around! I live in a palace made of cedar, but the sacred chest has to stay in a tent.”
3Nathan replied, “The Lord is with you, so do what you want!”
4That night, the Lord told Nathan 5to go to David and give him this message:
David, you are my servant, so listen to what I say. Why should you build a temple for me? 6I didn't live in a temple when I brought my people out of Egypt, and I don't live in one now. A tent has always been my home wherever I have gone with them. 7I chose leaders and told them to be like shepherds for my people Israel. But did I ever say anything to even one of them about building a cedar temple for me?
8 # Ps 151.4. David, this is what I, the Lord All-Powerful, say to you. I brought you in from the fields where you took care of sheep, and I made you the leader of my people. 9Wherever you went, I helped you and destroyed your enemies right in front of your eyes. I have made you one of the most famous people in the world.
10I have given my people Israel a land of their own where they can live in peace, and they won't have to tremble with fear any more. Evil nations won't bother them, as they did 11when I let judges rule my people. And I have kept your enemies from attacking you.
Now I promise that you and your descendants will be kings. 12#Ps 89.3,4; 132.11; Jn 7.42; Ac 2.30. I'll choose one of your sons to be king when you reach the end of your life and are buried in the tomb of your ancestors. I'll make him a strong ruler, 13and no one will be able to take his kingdom away from him. He will be the one to build a temple for me. 14#Ps 89.26,27; 2 Co 6.18; He 1.5. I will be his father, and he will be my son.
When he does wrong, I'll see that he is corrected, just as children are corrected by their parents. 15But I will never put an end to my agreement with him, as I put an end to my agreement with Saul, who was king before you. 16#Ps 89.36,37. I will make sure that one of your descendants will always be king.
17Nathan told David exactly what he had heard in the vision.
David Gives Thanks to the Lord
(1 Chronicles 17.16-27)
18David went into the tent he had set up for the sacred chest. Then he sat there and prayed:
Lord All-Powerful, my family and I don't deserve what you have already done for us, 19and yet you have promised to do even more. Is this the way you usually treat people?#7.19 Is this … people: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. 20I am your servant, and you know my thoughts, so there is nothing more that I need to say. 21You have done this wonderful thing, and you have let me know about it, because you wanted to keep your promise.
22 Lord All-Powerful, you are greater than all others. No one is like you, and you alone are God. Everything we have heard about you is true. 23#Dt 4.32-34. And there is no other nation on earth like Israel, the nation you rescued from slavery in Egypt to be your own. You became famous by using great and wonderful miracles to force other nations and their gods out of your land, so your people could live here.#7.23 You … here: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. 24You have chosen Israel to be your people forever, and you have become their God.
25And now, Lord God, please do what you have promised me and my descendants. 26Then you will be famous forever, and everyone will say, “The Lord God All-Powerful rules Israel, and David's descendants are his chosen kings.” 27After all, you really are Israel's God, the Lord All-Powerful. You've told me that you will let my descendants be kings. That's why I have the courage to pray to you like this, even though I am only your servant.
28 Lord All-Powerful, you are God. You have promised me some very good things, and you can be trusted to do what you promise. 29Please bless my descendants and let them always be your chosen kings. You have already promised, and I'm sure that you will bless my family forever.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.