7King David was settled in his palace, and the LORD kept him safe from all his enemies.H4428H3427H1004H3068H5117H5439H3412Then the king said to the prophet Nathan, "Here I am living in a house built of cedar, but God's Covenant Box is kept in a tent!"H4428H559H5416H5030H7200H3427H1004H730H727H430H3427H8432H34073Nathan answered, "Do whatever you have in mind, because the LORD is with you."H5416H559H4428H3212H6213H3824H30684But that night the LORD said to Nathan,H3915H1697H3068H5416H5595"Go and tell my servant David that I say to him, 'You are not the one to build a temple for me to live in.H3212H559H5650H1732H559H3068H1129H1004H34276From the time I rescued the people of Israel from Egypt until now, I have never lived in a temple; I have traveled around living in a tent.H3427H1004H3117H5927H1121H3478H4714H3117H1980H168H49087In all my traveling with the people of Israel I never asked any of the leaders that I appointed why they had not built me a temple made of cedar.'H1980H1121H3478H1696H1697H259H7626H3478H6680H7462H5971H3478H559H1129H1004H7308"So tell my servant David that I, the LORD Almighty, say to him, 'I took you from looking after sheep in the fields and made you the ruler of my people Israel.H559H5650H1732H559H3068H6635H3947H5116H310H6629H5057H5971H34789I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have defeated all your enemies as you advanced. I will make you as famous as the greatest leaders in the world.H1980H3772H341H6440H6213H1419H8034H8034H1419H77610I have chosen a place for my people Israel and have settled them there, where they will live without being oppressed any more.H7760H4725H5971H3478H5193H7931H7264H1121H5766H6031H3254H722311Ever since they entered this land, they have been attacked by violent people, but this will not happen again. I promise to keep you safe from all your enemies and to give you descendants.H3117H6680H8199H5971H3478H5117H341H3068H5046H6213H100412When you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will make one of your sons king and will keep his kingdom strong.H3117H4390H7901H1H6965H2233H310H3318H4578H3559H446713He will be the one to build a temple for me, and I will make sure that his dynasty continues forever.H1129H1004H8034H3559H3678H4467H5704H576914I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him as a father punishes his son.H1H1121H5753H3198H7626H582H5061H1121H12015But I will not withdraw my support from him as I did from Saul, whom I removed so that you could be king.H2617H5493H5493H7586H5493H644016You will always have descendants, and I will make your kingdom last forever. Your dynasty will never end.' "H1004H4467H539H5704H5769H6440H3678H3559H5704H576917Nathan told David everything that God had revealed to him.H1697H2384H5416H1696H173218Then King David went into the Tent of the LORD's presence, sat down and prayed, "Sovereign LORD, I am not worthy of what you have already done for me, nor is my family.H935H4428H1732H3427H6440H3068H559H136H3069H1004H935H198819Yet now you are doing even more, Sovereign LORD; you have made promises about my descendants in the years to come. And you let a man see this, Sovereign LORD!H6994H5869H136H3069H1696H5650H1004H7350H8452H120H136H306920What more can I say to you! You know me, your servant.H3254H1732H1696H3254H136H3069H3045H565021It was your will and purpose to do this; you have done all these great things in order to instruct me.H1697H3820H6213H1420H5650H304522How great you are, Sovereign LORD! There is none like you; we have always known that you alone are God.H1431H3068H430H430H2108H8085H24123There is no other nation on earth like Israel, whom you rescued from slavery to make them your own people. The great and wonderful things you did for them have spread your fame throughout the world. You drove out other nations and their gods as your people advanced, the people whom you set free from Egypt to be your own.H259H1471H776H5971H3478H430H1980H6299H5971H7760H8034H6213H1420H3372H776H6440H5971H6299H4714H1471H43024You have made Israel your own people forever, and you, LORD, have become their God.H3559H5971H3478H5971H5704H5769H3068H1961H43025"And now, LORD God, fulfill for all time the promise you made about me and my descendants, and do what you said you would.H3068H430H1697H1696H5650H1004H6965H5704H5769H6213H169626Your fame will be great, and people will forever say, 'The LORD Almighty is God over Israel.' And you will preserve my dynasty for all time.H8034H1431H5704H5769H559H3068H6635H430H3478H1004H5650H1732H3559H644027LORD Almighty, God of Israel! I have the courage to pray this prayer to you, because you have revealed all this to me, your servant, and have told me that you will make my descendants kings.H3068H6635H430H3478H1540H241H5650H559H1129H1004H5650H4672H3820H6419H860528"And now, Sovereign LORD, you are God; you always keep your promises, and you have made this wonderful promise to me.H136H3069H430H1697H571H1696H2896H565029I ask you to bless my descendants so that they will continue to enjoy your favor. You, Sovereign LORD, have promised this, and your blessing will rest on my descendants forever."H2974H1288H1004H5650H5769H6440H136H3069H1696H1293H1004H5650H1288H5769
Dublin, OH
