1David var nu flyttet ind i sit kongelige palads, og Herren havde skaffet fred i landet, så israelitterne ikke længere lå i konstant krig med nabofolkene.2En dag sagde David til profeten Natan: „Her sidder jeg i mit smukke palads af cedertræ—men Guds Ark står stadig i et telt!”3„Gør du bare, hvad du har på hjerte,” svarede Natan, „for Herren er med dig.”4Men samme nat sagde Herren til Natan:5„Sig til min tjener David, at han ikke skal bygge et hus til mig!6Jeg har endnu aldrig haft et hus at bo i. Min bolig har været et telt lige siden den dag, jeg førte israelitterne ud af Egypten, og jeg er flyttet med dem fra sted til sted.7Har jeg nogen sinde beklaget mig over det til de ledere, jeg indsatte som hyrder for mit folk, Israel? Har jeg bedt nogen af dem om at bygge mig et fornemt hus af cedertræ?8Derfor skal du give David følgende besked fra den almægtige Herre: ‚Jeg hentede dig fra græsgangen, hvor du vogtede får, og satte dig til at være leder for mit folk.9Overalt hvor du kom frem, var jeg med dig og tilintetgjorde dine fjender. Jeg vil gøre dig lige så berømt som de kendteste mænd i verden.10-11Jeg har givet mit folk et sted at slå sig ned og bo uden frygt og uden at blive mishandlet af deres fjender, sådan som det skete før i tiden, dengang jeg indsatte dommere til at lede mit folk. Jeg har skaffet dig fred for alle dine fjender. Hør nu efter, hvad jeg siger: I stedet for at du bygger mig et hus, vil jeg „bygge” dig et kongehus.12Når du engang er død, skal en af dine efterkommere overtage tronen, og jeg vil gøre hans kongedømme stærkt.13Han skal bygge mig et tempel, og jeg vil gøre hans herredømme urokkeligt for evigt.[1] (1.Sam 1,22)14Jeg vil være hans far, og han skal være min søn. Når han forsynder sig overfor mig, vil jeg sende andre folkeslag imod ham for at straffe ham,15men jeg vil altid være trofast over for ham. Jeg vil ikke rive kongemagten ud af hans hænder, som jeg gjorde med Saul for at overdrage magten til dig.16Der vil altid stå en konge fra din slægt for mit ansigt. Ja, din slægts herredømme vil vare til evig tid.’ ”17Så gik Natan til David og fortalte ham alt, hvad Herren havde sagt.18David gik da ind i teltet, hvor arken stod, og han satte sig for Herrens ansigt og bad: „Herre, min Gud, du har allerede gjort så meget for mig.19Og nu giver du mig tilmed løfter, der gælder mine efterkommere langt ud i fremtiden! Min Herre og Gud, måtte mennesker forstå, hvad det her betyder.[2]20Hvad mere kan jeg sige? Du ved, at jeg ønsker at tjene dig.21Du har gjort dette for at stadfæste dit ord, og fordi du ville det. Det er store løfter, du har åbenbaret for din tjener.22Herre, du er uendelig stor—der er ingen anden Gud end dig! Det ved vi så godt.23Hvilket andet folk på den vide jord har du gjort så meget for som for Israel, dit eget folk? Du har befriet dit folk, så de kunne bringe ære til dit navn. Du har udført mægtige undere ved at frelse dit folk fra slaveriet i Egypten og drive de andre folkeslag og deres guder bort foran dig.24Du udvalgte Israels folk til at være dit folk for evigt, og du blev Israels Gud.25-26Min Herre og Gud, gid det løfte, du har givet mig og min slægt, må stå fast for evigt. Må dets opfyldelse bringe dig evig ære, så folk erkender, at Israels Gud er den almægtige Gud. Må din tjener Davids slægt altid tjene dig.27Almægtige Herre, Israels Gud, du har sagt, at du vil bygge mig et kongehus. Det er derfor, jeg drister mig til at komme med følgende bøn til dig.28Almægtige Herre, min Gud, dine ord kan man altid regne med, og du har givet mig gode løfter for fremtiden.29Velsign min slægt, så den altid må bestå for dit ansigt. Min Herre og min Gud, det er dit løfte, og når du velsigner min slægt, vil den altid være velsignet!”
1Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, (Josva 11,23; 1.Krøn 17,1)2the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” (2.Mos 26,1; 2.Sam 5,11; 2.Sam 7,17; 2.Sam 12,1)3And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.” (1.Kong 8,17; 1.Krøn 22,7; 1.Krøn 28,2; Ap G 7,46)4But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan,5“Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to dwell in? (1.Kong 5,3; 1.Kong 8,19; 1.Krøn 22,8; 1.Krøn 28,3)6I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. (2.Mos 40,18; 2.Mos 40,34; 1.Kong 8,16)7In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges[1] of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ (3.Mos 26,11; 5.Mos 23,14; 2.Sam 5,2; 1.Krøn 17,6)8Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince[2] over my people Israel. (1.Sam 16,11; Salm 78,70)9And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. (1.Sam 18,14; 2.Sam 5,10; 2.Sam 8,6; 2.Sam 8,14)10And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, (2.Kong 21,8; Salm 44,2; Salm 80,8; Salm 89,22; Jer 24,6; Amos 9,15)11from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. (2.Mos 1,21; Josva 11,23; Dom 2,14; 1.Sam 2,35; 1.Sam 12,9; 2.Sam 7,1; 2.Sam 7,27; 1.Kong 11,38)12When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. (5.Mos 31,16; 1.Kong 1,21; 1.Kong 2,1; 1.Kong 2,10; 1.Kong 8,20; Salm 132,11; Ap G 13,36)13He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. (2.Sam 7,16; 1.Kong 5,5; 1.Kong 6,12; 1.Kong 8,19; 1.Krøn 22,10; 1.Krøn 28,6; Salm 89,4; Salm 89,29; Salm 89,36)14I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, (Salm 89,26; Salm 89,32; Heb 1,5)15but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. (1.Sam 15,23; 1.Sam 15,28; 2.Sam 7,14; 1.Kong 11,13; 1.Kong 11,34)16And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.[3] Your throne shall be established forever.’” (2.Sam 7,13; Salm 89,36; Luk 1,33)17In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
David’s Prayer of Gratitude
18Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? (1.Mos 32,10)19And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! (2.Sam 7,12; 1.Krøn 17,17)20And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! (Salm 139,1)21Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it.22Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. (2.Mos 15,11; 5.Mos 3,24; 1.Krøn 16,25; 2.Krøn 2,5; Salm 86,8; Salm 89,6; Salm 89,8; Es 45,5; Jer 10,6)23And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them[4] great and awesome things by driving out before your people,[5] whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? (5.Mos 4,7; 5.Mos 4,34; 5.Mos 9,26; 5.Mos 10,21; 5.Mos 33,29; Neh 1,10; Salm 147,20)24And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God. (5.Mos 26,18; 2.Sam 7,13; 2.Sam 7,16; 2.Sam 7,26)25And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken.26And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you.27For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you.28And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. (Joh 17,17)29Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.” (2.Sam 22,51; Salm 89,28)