Chapter 7 And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house,
and the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies, that the king
said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark
of God dwelleth within curtains.
And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart,
for the Lord is with thee.
And it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came unto
Nathan, saying, Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the Lord, Shalt thou
build me an house for me to dwell in?
Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the
children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a
tent and in a tabernacle.
In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel,
spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people
Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?
Now therefore, so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the Lord of
hosts, I took thee from the sheep coat, from following the sheep, to be ruler over
my people, over Israel.
And I was with thee, whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine
enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of
the great men that are in the earth.
Moreover, I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them,
that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more.
Neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as before time,
and as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel,
and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies.
Also the Lord telleth thee that he will make thee an house.
And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers,
I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels,
and I will establish his kingdom.
He shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his
kingdom for ever.
I will be his father, and he shall be my son.
If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes
of the children of men.
But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put
away before thee.
And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee.
Thy throne shall be established for ever.
According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did
Nathan speak unto David.
Then went King David in, and sat before the Lord, and he said, Who am I,
O Lord God?
And what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?
This was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God.
But thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come.
And is this the manner of man, O Lord God?
And what can David say more unto thee?
For thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant.
For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these
great things to make thy servant know them.
Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God.
For there is none like thee, neither is there any god beside thee, according to
all that we have heard with our ears.
And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God
went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you
great things and terrible for thy land before thy people, which thou redeemest to
thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods.
For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee
forever.
And thou, Lord, art become their God.
And now, O Lord God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and
concerning his house, establish it forever.
And do as thou hast said.
And let thy name be magnified forever, saying, The Lord of hosts is the God over
Israel.
And let the house of thy servant David be established before thee.
For thou, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying,
I will build thee an house.
Therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.
And now, O Lord God, thou art that God, and thy words be true when thou hast
promised this goodness unto thy servant.
Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may
continue forever before thee.
For thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it.
And with thy blessing, let the house of thy servant be blessed forever.