Bible Gateway passage: 2 Samuel 7 - New King James Version (2024)

God’s Covenant with David^(A)

7Now it came to pass ^(B)when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around, ²that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in ^(C)a house of cedar, ^(D)but the ark of God dwells inside tent ^(E)curtains.”

³Then Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your ^(F)heart, for the Lord is with you.”

⁴But it happened that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, ⁵“Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: ^(G)“Would you build a house for Me to dwell in? ⁶For I have not dwelt in a house ^(H)since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in ^(I)a tent and in a tabernacle. ⁷Wherever I have ^(J)moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded ^(K)to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ ” ’ ⁸Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: ^(L)“I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. ⁹And ^(M)I have been with you wherever you have gone, ^(N)and have ^[a]cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth. ¹⁰Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will ^(O)plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; ^(P)nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, ^11(Q)since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also the Lord ^[b]tells you ^(R)that He will make you a ^[c]house.

^12(S)“When your days are fulfilled and you ^(T)rest with your fathers, ^(U)I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ^13(V)He shall build a house for My name, and I will ^(W)establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ^14(X)I will be his Father, and he shall be ^(Y)My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the ^[d]blows of the sons of men. ¹⁵But My mercy shall not depart from him, ^(Z)as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ¹⁶And ^(AA)your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before ^[e]you. Your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”

¹⁷According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

David’s Thanksgiving to God^(AB)

¹⁸Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: ^(AC)“Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? ¹⁹And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come. ^(AD)Is this the manner of man, O Lord God? ²⁰Now what more can David say to You? For You, Lord God, ^(AE)know Your servant. ²¹For Your word’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things, to make Your servant know them. ²²Therefore ^(AF)You are great, ^[f]O Lord God. For ^(AG)there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ^(AH)ears. ²³And who is like Your people, like Israel, ^(AI)the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a name—and to do for Yourself great and awesome deeds for Your land—before ^(AJ)Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, the nations, and their gods? ²⁴For ^(AK)You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever; ^(AL)and You, Lord, have become their God.

²⁵“Now, O Lord God, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, establish it forever and do as You have said. ²⁶So let Your name be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel.’ And let the house of Your servant David be established before You. ²⁷For You, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to You.

²⁸“And now, O Lord God, You are God, and ^(AM)Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. ²⁹Now therefore, let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You, O Lord God, have spoken it, and with Your blessing let the house of Your servant be blessed ^(AN)forever.”