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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2 Samuel 7: CEVDCI
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
2 Samuel 7
7
Nathan's Message to David
(1 Chr 17.1–15)
1King David was settled in his palace, and the LORD kept him safe from all his enemies. 2Then the king said to the prophet Nathan, “Here I am living in a house built of cedar, but God's Covenant Box is kept in a tent!”
3Nathan answered, “Do whatever you have in mind, because the LORD is with you.” 4But that night the LORD said to Nathan, 5“Go and tell my servant David that I say to him, ‘You are not the one to build a temple for me to live in. 6From the time I rescued the people of Israel from Egypt until now, I have never lived in a temple; I have travelled round living in a tent. 7In all my travelling with the people of Israel I never asked any of the leaders#7.7 Probable text (see 1 Chr 17.6) leaders; Hebrew tribes. that I appointed why they had not built me a temple made of cedar.’
8“So tell my servant David that I, the LORD Almighty, say to him, ‘I took you from looking after sheep in the fields and made you the ruler of my people Israel. 9I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have defeated all your enemies as you advanced. I will make you as famous as the greatest leaders in the world. 10-11I have chosen a place for my people Israel and have settled them there, where they will live without being oppressed any more. Ever since they entered this land, they have been attacked by violent people, but this will not happen again. I promise to keep you safe from all your enemies and to give you descendants. 12#Ps 89.3–4; 132.11; Jn 7.42; Acts 2.30When you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will make one of your sons king and will keep his kingdom strong. 13He will be the one to build a temple for me, and I will make sure that his dynasty continues for ever. 14#Ps 89.26–27; 2 Cor 6.18; Heb 1.5I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him as a father punishes his son. 15But I will not withdraw my support from him as I did from Saul, whom I removed so that you could be king. 16#Ps 89.36–37You will always have descendants, and I will make your kingdom last for ever. Your dynasty will never end.’ ”
17Nathan told David everything that God had revealed to him.
David's Prayer of Thanksgiving
(1 Chr 17.16–27)
18Then King David went into the Tent of the LORD's presence, sat down and prayed, “I am not worthy of what you have already done for me, Sovereign LORD, nor is my family. 19Yet now you are doing even more, Sovereign LORD; you have made promises about my descendants in the years to come. And you let a man see this,#7.19 Probable text you let a man see this; Hebrew this is a law for human beings. Sovereign LORD! 20What more can I say to you! You know me, your servant. 21It was your will and purpose to do this; you have done all these great things in order to teach me. 22How great you are, Sovereign LORD! There is none like you; we have always known that you alone are God. 23#Deut 4.34There is no other nation on earth like Israel, whom you rescued from slavery to make them your own people. The great and wonderful things you did for them#7.23 Probable text them; Hebrew you (plural). have spread your fame throughout the world. You drove out#7.23 One ancient translation (and see 1 Chr 17.21) You drove out; Hebrew for your land. other nations and their gods as your people advanced, the people whom you set free from Egypt to be your own. 24You have made Israel your own people for ever, and you, LORD, have become their God.
25“And now, LORD God, fulfil for all time the promise you made about me and my descendants, and do what you said you would. 26Your fame will be great, and people will for ever say, ‘The LORD Almighty is God over Israel.’ And you will preserve my dynasty for all time. 27Almighty LORD, God of Israel! I have the courage to pray this prayer to you, because you have revealed all this to me, your servant, and have told me that you will make my descendants kings.
28“And now, Sovereign LORD, you are God; you always keep your promises, and you have made this wonderful promise to me. 29I ask you to bless my descendants so that they will continue to enjoy your favour. You, Sovereign LORD, have promised this, and your blessing will rest on my descendants for ever.”
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.