2Sa 7 | EE | STEP | The king was living in his special king’s house. And the LORD kept him safe from all his enemies everywhere round his country.

2 Samuel 7

God gives promises to David

1 The king was living in his special king’s house. And the LORD kept him safe from all his enemies everywhere round his country. 2 Then the king spoke to Nathan the prophet. ‘I am living in a house of cedar wood, but God’s Covenant Box is still in a tent!’ he said.

3 Nathan replied to the king, ‘Do what you think is right. The LORD is with you.’

4 But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan:

5 ‘Go and speak to my servant David. Tell him that the LORD says:

“You are not the man to build a house for me to live in. 6 I have never lived in a house from the time that I brought Israel’s people out of Egypt. And I am still not living in a house today. While we moved from place to place I lived in a tent. It was called the Tabernacle. 7 I have moved about to many places with the Israelites. I chose rulers to be leaders of Israel’s tribes, who are like my sheep. But, while we travelled, I never said to any of the leaders, ‘You should have built a house of cedar wood for me.’”’

8 Now speak to my servant David. Tell him that the LORD Almighty says:

‘I took you from the fields where you were following the sheep in the fields. I took you from there to be the ruler of my people Israel. 9 I have been with you in every place that you went. I took away all your enemies. Now I will make your name great. It will be as great as the names of the greatest men on the earth. 10 And I have chosen a place for my people Israel to live. They can live there and they can be safe. Wicked men will not hurt them again, as when they first came to this country. 11 Wicked men have done that since I chose leaders for my people Israel until now. But I will cause you to have no trouble from your enemies. And the LORD says to you:

“I will give descendants to you. And that will be like a house that I have built for you.”

12 You will die and people will bury you with your ancestors. Then a son of yours will become king. I will make his kingdom strong. 13 He is the man who will build a house for my Name. And his descendants will rule Israel for all time. 14 I will be his father and he will be my son. If he does wrong things, I will punish him. I will punish him as a father punishes his son. 15 I stopped being good and kind to Saul so that you could rule. But I will not stop being good and kind to your son. 16 You will always have descendants. They will be rulers for all time.’

17 Nathan told David everything that God had said to him. And Nathan told David everything that God had shown to him.

David prays and he thanks God for his promises

18 David went into the LORD‘s tent. He sat down and he prayed. ^{▼▼7:18 This means that David went into the tent where the ark of the LORD was.}

He said, ‘I am not a special person and my family is not important. But you have done very much for me. 19 But you have promised to do more than this for my descendants. Those promises are for future years. I am only a man but you have shown this to me, LORD God.

20 I cannot say anything more. You know me, your servant, LORD God. 21 Because of your promise you have decided to do all these great things to teach me. 22 You are very great, LORD God. Nobody is like you. Only you are God. We have always known that. 23 There is no other nation on earth like your people Israel. It is the only one that you went to buy for yourself. And it is the only one that you have chosen to be your own people. The great things that you did for them and for your land have made your name great. People among all nations honour you. You pushed out nations and their gods in front of your people that you took out of Egypt. 24 You have chosen Israel as your own people for all time. And you, LORD, have become their God.

25 Now, LORD God, do what you have promised to me and to my descendants. I pray that you will do that. 26 And then your name will be great for all time. People will say, “The LORD Almighty is God over Israel!” And my descendants will be strong for all time because of you.

27 LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you have shown this to your servant. You have said, “Your descendants will be like a house that I have built for you.” So I am not afraid to pray to you like this.

28 LORD God, you are God. Your words are true and you have promised these good things to me, your servant. 29 I pray that it will give you pleasure to be good to your servant’s family. And so it will be able to continue for all time. LORD God, you have spoken to me. And if you promise to do good things for my descendants, good things will happen to them for all time.’