2 Samuel 7-8

Contemporary English Version

The Lord's Message to David

(1 Chronicles 17.1-15)

7 King 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^(A) 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^(B) 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^(C) 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^(D) 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?^[a] 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.

²²Lord 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^(E) 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.^[b] 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.

²⁸Lord 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.

A List of David's Victories in War

(1 Chronicles 18.1-13)

8 Later, David attacked and badly defeated the Philistines. Israel was now free from their control.^[c]

²David also defeated the Moabites. Then he made their soldiers lie down on the ground, and he measured them off with a rope. He would measure off two lengths of the rope and have those men killed, then he would measure off one length and let those men live. The people of Moab had to accept David as their ruler and pay taxes to him.

³David set out for the Euphrates River to build a monument^[d] there. On his way,^[e] he defeated the king of Zobah, whose name was Hadadezer the son of Rehob. ⁴In the battle, David captured 1,700 cavalry^[f] and 20,000 foot soldiers. He also captured war chariots, but he destroyed all but 100 of them.^[g] ⁵When troops from the Aramean kingdom of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, David killed 22,000 of them. ⁶He left some of his soldiers in Damascus, and the Arameans had to accept David as their ruler and pay taxes to him.

Everywhere David went, the Lord helped him win battles.

⁷Hadadezer's officers had carried their arrows in gold cases hung over their shoulders, but David took these cases^[h] and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸He also took a lot of bronze from the cities of Betah and Berothai, which had belonged to Hadadezer.

^9-10King Toi of Hamath and King Hadadezer had been enemies. So when Toi heard that David had attacked and defeated^[i] Hadadezer's whole army, he sent his son Joram to praise and congratulate David. Joram also brought him gifts made of silver, gold, and bronze. ¹¹David gave these to the Lord, just as he had done with the silver and gold that he had captured from ¹²Edom,^[j] Moab, Ammon, Philistia, Amalek, and from King Hadadezer of Zobah.

¹³^(F) David fought the Edomite^[k] army in Salt Valley and killed 18,000 of their soldiers. When he returned, he built a monument.^[l] ¹⁴David left soldiers all through Edom, and the people of Edom had to accept him as their ruler.

Wherever David went, the Lord helped him.

A List of David's Officials

(1 Chronicles 18.14-17)

¹⁵David ruled all Israel with fairness and justice.

¹⁶Joab the son of Zeruiah was the commander in chief of the army.

Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud kept the government records.

¹⁷Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Abiathar the son of Ahimelech,^[m] were the priests.

Seraiah was the secretary.

¹⁸Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was the commander of^[n] David's bodyguard.^[o]

David's sons were priests.

Footnotes

7.19 Is this … people: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
7.23 You … here: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
8.1 Israel … control: Or “David also took the town of Metheg-Ammah away from them.”
8.3 monument: Kings sometimes set up monuments in lands they had conquered.
8.3 David … way: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. It may have been Hadadezer who was going to the Euphrates River. And he may have gone there either to build a monument or to put down a rebellion.
8.4 1,700 cavalry: Hebrew; one ancient translation and 1 Chronicles 18.4 “1,000 chariots and 7,000 cavalry.”
8.4 He also captured … them: Or “He crippled all but 100 of the horses.”
8.7 Hadadezer's … cases: Or “Hadadezer's soldiers carried gold shields, but David took these shields.”
8.9,10 defeated: Or “killed.”
8.12 Edom: Some Hebrew manuscripts and two ancient translations (see also 1 Chronicles 18.11); most Hebrew manuscripts “Aram.” In Hebrew the words for “Edom” and “Aram” look almost alike.
8.13 Edomite: Some Hebrew manuscripts and two ancient translations (see also 1 Chronicles 18.12); most Hebrew manuscripts “Aramean.” In Hebrew the words for “Edomite” and “Aramean” look almost alike.
8.13 built a monument: Or “was famous.”
8.17 Abiathar the son of Ahimelech: One ancient translation and 1 Samuel 22.11-23; Hebrew “Ahimelech the son of Abiathar.”
8.18 was the commander of: Not in the Hebrew text of this verse, but see 1 Chronicles 18.17.
8.18 David's bodyguard: The Hebrew text has “the Cherethites and the Pelethites,” who were foreign soldiers hired by David to be his bodyguard.