2 Samuel 7
7
David Wants to Build a Temple
1After King David moved into his new house the Lord gave him some relief from all of his enemies around him. 2King David said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, I am living in a fancy house made of cedar wood, but God’s Holy Box is still kept in a tent!”
3Nathan said to King David, “Do whatever you want to do. The Lord will be with you.”
4But that night, the Lord’s word came to Nathan:
5“Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not the one to build a house for me to live in. 6I did not live in a house at the time I took the Israelites out of Egypt. No, I traveled around in a tent. I used the tent for my home. 7I never told any of the tribes of Israel to build me a fancy house made from cedar wood.’
8“You must say this to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: I chose you while you were out in the pasture following the sheep. I took you from that job and made you the leader of my people, the Israelites. 9I have been with you every place you went. I have defeated your enemies for you. I will make you one of the most famous people on earth. 10-11And I chose a place for my people, the Israelites. I planted the Israelites. I gave them their own place to live so that they will not have to move from place to place anymore. In the past, I sent judges to lead my people, but evil people gave them many troubles. That will not happen now. I am giving you peace from all of your enemies. I promise that I will make your family a family of kings.#7:10-11 make … family of kings Literally, “make a house for you.”
12“‘When your life is finished, you will die and be buried with your ancestors. But then I will make one of your own children become the king. 13He will build a house for my name, and I will make his kingdom strong forever. 14I will be his father, and he will be my son.#7:14 father … son God “adopted” the kings from David’s family, and they became his “sons.” See Ps. 2:7. When he sins, I will use other people to punish him. They will be my whips. 15But I will never stop loving him. I will continue to be loyal to him. I took away my love and kindness from Saul. I pushed Saul away when I turned to you. 16Your family of kings will continue—you can depend on that! For you, your kingdom will continue forever! Your throne will stand forever!’”
17Nathan told David about that vision. He told David everything God had said.
David Prays to God
18Then King David went in and sat in front of the Lord. David said,
“Lord GOD, why am I so important to you? Why is my family important? Why have you made me so important? 19I am nothing but a servant, but Lord GOD, you have also said these kind things about my future family. Lord GOD, you don’t always talk like this to people, do you? 20How can I continue talking to you? Lord GOD, you know that I am only a servant. 21You will do all these wonderful things because you said you would do them and because you want to do them. And you decided to let me know about all these things. 22Lord GOD, this is why you are so great! There is no one like you. There is no god except you! We know that because of what we ourselves have heard about what you did.
23“And there is no nation on earth like your people, Israel. They are a special people. They were slaves, but you took them out of Egypt and made them free. You made them your people. You did great and wonderful things for the Israelites and for your land. 24You made the people of Israel your very own people forever, and Lord, you became their God.
25“Now, Lord God, you promised to do something for me, your servant, and for my family. Now please do what you promised—make my family a family of kings forever! 26Then your name will be honored forever. People will say, ‘The Lord God All-Powerful rules Israel! And may the family of your servant David continue to be strong in serving you.’
27“You, Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, have shown things to me. You said, ‘I will make your family great.’ That is why I, your servant, decided to pray this prayer to you. 28Lord GOD, you are God, and I can trust what you say. And you said that these good things would happen to me, your servant. 29Now, please, bless my family. Let them stand before you and serve you forever. Lord GOD, you yourself said these things. You yourself blessed my family with a blessing that will continue forever.”
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
2 Samuel 7
7
God’s promise to David
1When the king was settled in his palace, #7.1 Or house; the same Heb word (beth) appears with different nuances (house, temple, palace, dynasty, family) in 7:2, 5, 6, 7, 11, 13, 16, 18, 19, 25-26, 27, 29. and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, 2the king said to the prophet Nathan, “Look! I’m living in a cedar palace, but God’s chest is housed in a tent!”#7.2 Or among curtains
3Nathan said to the king, “Go ahead and do whatever you are thinking, because the LORD is with you.”
4But that very night the LORD’s word came to Nathan: 5Go to my servant David and tell him: This is what the LORD says: You are not the one to build the temple for me to live in. 6In fact, I haven’t lived in a temple from the day I brought Israel out of Egypt until now. Instead, I have been traveling around in a tent and in a dwelling. 7Throughout my traveling around with the Israelites, did I ever ask any of Israel’s tribal leaders I appointed to shepherd my people: Why haven’t you built me a cedar temple?
8So then, say this to my servant David: This is what the LORD of heavenly forces says: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be leader over my people Israel. 9I’ve been with you wherever you’ve gone, and I’ve eliminated all your enemies before you. Now I will make your name great—like the name of the greatest people on earth. 10I’m going to provide a place for my people Israel, and plant them so that they may live there and no longer be disturbed. Cruel people will no longer trouble them, as they had been earlier, 11when I appointed leaders over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.
And the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make a dynasty for you. 12When the time comes for you to die and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your descendant—one of your very own children—to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13He will build a temple for my name, and I will establish his royal throne forever. 14I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me. Whenever he does wrong, I will discipline him with a human rod, with blows from human beings. 15But I will never take my faithful love away from him like I took it away from Saul, whom I set aside in favor of you. 16Your dynasty and your kingdom will be secured forever before me.#7.16 LXX (cf 7:26, 29); MT you Your throne will be established forever.
17Nathan reported all of these words and this entire vision to David.
David’s prayer
18Then King David went and sat in the LORD’s presence. He asked:
Who am I, LORD God, and of what significance is my family that you have brought me this far? 19But even this was too small in your eyes, LORD God! Now you have also spoken about your servant’s dynasty in the future and the generation to come,#7.19 Correction; Heb uncertain this is the law of humankind LORD God!
20What more can David say to you? You know your servant, LORD God. 21For the sake of your word and according to your own will, you have done this great thing so that your servant would know it.
22That is why you are so great, LORD God! No one can compare to you, no god except you, just as we have always heard with our own ears.
23And who can compare to your people Israel? They are the one nation on earth that God redeemed as his own people, establishing his name by doing great and awesome things for them,#7.23 Or you (plural) by driving out nations and their gods before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt.#7.23 LXX, 1 Chron 17:21; MT for your land before your people whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, the nations and their gods 24You established your people Israel as your own people forever, and you, LORD, became their God.
25Now, LORD God, confirm forever the promise you have made about your servant and his dynasty. Do just as you have promised 26so that your name will be great forever when people say, “The LORD of heavenly forces is Israel’s God!” May your servant David’s household be established before you, 27because you, LORD of heavenly forces, Israel’s God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a dynasty for him. That is why your servant has found the courage to pray this prayer to you.
28 LORD God, you are truly God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 29So now willingly bless your servant’s dynasty so that it might continue forever before you, because you, LORD God, have promised. Let your servant’s dynasty be blessed forever by your blessing.
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