Adonai’s Promise to David

7 Now it came about when the king lived in his palace and Adonai had granted him rest from all his enemies around him, ² that the king said to the prophet Nathan, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, yet the ark of God remains within curtains.”

³ “Go, do all that is in your heart,” Nathan said to the king, “for Adonai is with you.”

⁴ But it came to pass the same night that the word of Adonai came to Nathan saying: ⁵ “Go, tell My servant David: Thus says Adonai: Are you to build Me a house for Me to dwell in? ⁶ Since the day that I brought up the children of Israel from Egypt to this day I have not dwelt in a house, but have been moving about in a tent, even in a tabernacle. ⁷ In all My journeying among all the children of Israel, did I ever speak a word to any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ ⁸ So now, thus you shall say to My servant David: Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. ⁹ I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make your name as great as the greatest on earth. ¹⁰ I will also set up a place for My people Israel and will plant them, so they may dwell in their own place and not be disturbed again. Nor will the children of wickedness afflict them anymore as in the past, ¹¹ since the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. So I will give you rest from all your enemies.

“Moreover, Adonai declares to you that Adonai will make a house for you. ¹² When your days are done and you sleep with your fathers, I will raise up your seed, who will come forth from you after you, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish his royal throne forever. ^{[a] 14} I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to Me.^[b] If he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and with the strokes from sons of men. ¹⁵ Yet My lovingkindness will not be withdrawn from him as I withdrew it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ¹⁶ So your house and your kingship will be secure forever before you; your throne will be established forever.” ^{[c] 17} Just so Nathan spoke all these words and all this vision to David.

¹⁸ Then King David went in and sat before Adonai and said, “Who am I, my Lord Adonai, and what is my family, that You have brought me this far? ¹⁹ Yet this was a small thing in Your eyes, my Lord Adonai—for You have spoken also of Your servant’s house for the distant future. This is a revelation^[d] for humanity, my Lord Adonai. ²⁰ What more can David add in speaking to You? For You already know Your servant, my Lord Adonai. ²¹ For the sake of Your word and according to Your own heart, You have done everything great, revealing this to Your servant. ²² Therefore You are great, my Lord Adonai! For there is none like You, and there is no other God besides You, as we all have heard with our ears. ²³ What one nation on earth is like Your people, like Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a Name, to do for You a great thing and awesome deeds for Your land, before Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt—driving out nations and their gods? ²⁴ So You established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your very own people forever, and You, Adonai, have become their God.

²⁵ “So now, my Lord Adonai, confirm the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house forever, and do as You have promised. ²⁶ Let Your Name be magnified forever by saying, ‘Adonai-Tzva’ot is God over Israel!’ May the house of Your servant David be established before You. ²⁷ For You, Adonai-Tzva’ot God of Israel, have made a revelation to Your servant saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore Your servant has found his heart to pray this prayer to You. ²⁸ So now, my Lord Adonai, You alone are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised Your servant this good thing. ²⁹ So now let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, to continue forever before You. For You, my Lord Adonai, have spoken, and with Your blessing Your servant’s house will be blessed forever.”