1Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, (书11:23; 代上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.” (出26:1; 撒下5:11; 撒下7:17; 撒下12:1)3And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.” (王上8:17; 代上22:7; 代上28:2; 徒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? (王上5:3; 王上8:19; 代上22:8; 代上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. (出40:18; 出40:34; 王上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?”’ (利26:11; 申23:14; 撒下5:2; 代上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. (撒上16:11; 诗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. (撒上18:14; 撒下5:10; 撒下8:6; 撒下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, (王下21:8; 诗44:2; 诗80:8; 诗89:22; 耶24:6; 摩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. (出1:21; 书11:23; 士2:14; 撒上2:35; 撒上12:9; 撒下7:1; 撒下7:27; 王上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. (申31:16; 王上1:21; 王上2:1; 王上2:10; 王上8:20; 诗132:11; 徒13:36)13He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. (撒下7:16; 王上5:5; 王上6:12; 王上8:19; 代上22:10; 代上28:6; 诗89:4; 诗89:29; 诗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, (诗89:26; 诗89:32; 來1:5)15but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. (撒上15:23; 撒上15:28; 撒下7:14; 王上11:13; 王上11:34)16And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.[3] Your throne shall be established forever.’” (撒下7:13; 诗89:36; 路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? (创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! (撒下7:12; 代上17:17)20And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! (诗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. (出15:11; 申3:24; 代上16:25; 代下2:5; 诗86:8; 诗89:6; 诗89:8; 赛45:5; 耶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? (申4:7; 申4:34; 申9:26; 申10:21; 申33:29; 尼1:10; 诗147:20)24And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God. (申26:18; 撒下7:13; 撒下7:16; 撒下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. (约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.” (撒下22:51; 诗89:28)