Yahweh Makes a Covenant with David

¹ It happened that the king settled in his house. (Now Yahweh had given rest to him from all his enemies all around.)

² And the king said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, please, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God is staying in the middle of the tent.”

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

⁴ But it happened ⌞that night⌟,¹ the word of Yahweh came² to Nathan, saying,

1. Literally “in the night the that”
2. Hebrew “was”

⁵ “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh: “Are you the one to build for me a house for my dwelling?

⁶ For I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought up the ⌞Israelites⌟¹ from Egypt until this day; rather, I was going about in a tent and in a tabernacle.

1. Literally “sons/children of Israel”

⁷ In all of my going about among all the ⌞Israelites⌟,¹ did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, ‘Why did you not build me a cedar house?’ ” ’

1. Literally “sons/children of Israel”

⁸ So then, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “I took you from the pasture ⌞from following⌟¹ the sheep to be a leader over my people, over Israel,

1. Literally “from behind”

⁹ and I have been with you ⌞everywhere you went⌟.¹ I have cut off all of your enemies from in front of you, and I will make a great name for you, as the name of the great ones who are on the earth.

1. Literally “in all that you went”

¹⁰ I will make a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them¹ so that they² can dwell ⌞in their own place⌟.³ They will not tremble any longer, and the children of wickedness will not afflict them again, as in the former days.

1. Hebrew “him”
2. Hebrew “he”
3. Literally “under him”

¹¹ ⌞In the manner that⌟¹ I appointed judges over my people Israel, I will give you rest from all your enemies. And Yahweh declares to you that Yahweh will build a house for you.

1. Literally “And as far as” or “And from the day”

¹² When your days are full and you lie down with your ancestors,¹ I will raise up your offspring after you who will go out from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.

1. Or “fathers”

¹³ He will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

¹⁴ I will be a father to him, and he will be a son for me, whom I will punish when he does wrong, with a rod of men and with blows of the ⌞human beings⌟.¹

1. Literally “children of men”

¹⁵ But my loyal love shall not depart from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.

¹⁶ Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before you; your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”

David Responds to Yahweh’s Covenant

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

¹⁸ Then King David went and sat before Yahweh and said, “Who am I, my lord Yahweh, and what is my house that you have brought me up to ⌞this place⌟?¹

1. Literally “here”

¹⁹ Still, this was ⌞insignificant⌟¹ in your eyes, my lord Yahweh, and also you have spoken about the house of your servant from afar, and this may be the teaching of humans, my lord Yahweh.

1. Literally “small”

²⁰ ⌞What more can David say to you⌟?¹ You know your servant, my lord Yahweh.

1. Literally “And what can David still add to say”

²¹ Because of your word and according to your heart, you have done all of this great thing, in order to let your servant know.

²² Therefore you are great, my lord Yahweh, for there is no one like you, and there is no god except you, in all that we have heard with our ears.

²³ Who is like your people, like Israel? Israel is the one nation on earth whose God ⌞led them⌟,¹ in order to redeem a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to do for you² the great and awesome things for your land in the presence of your people whom he redeemed for himself from Egypt, from the nations and their gods.

1. Literally “went”; LXX reads “led”
2. David switches pronouns from the third person to the second person

²⁴ You have established your people Israel for yourself as a people forever, and you, O Yahweh, have become their God.

²⁵ So then, Yahweh God, the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, confirm it forever, and do just as you have promised.

²⁶ Your name shall be great forever, ⌞and they will say⌟,¹ ‘Yahweh of hosts is God over Israel’; and the house of your servant David shall be established before you.

1. Literally “saying”

²⁷ For you, O Yahweh of hosts, are God of Israel! You have revealed to the ear of your servant, ‘I will build a house for you’; therefore your servant ⌞has found courage⌟¹ to pray this prayer to you.

1. Literally “has found his heart”

²⁸ Now, my Lord Yahweh, you alone are God, and your words are¹ true. You have promised this good to your servant.

1. Hebrew “will be”

²⁹ So then, be content and bless the house of your servant to be forever in your presence, for you, my Lord Yahweh, have spoken, and because of your blessing, may the house of your servant be blessed forever.”