Chapter 7

  Now when the king was living in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from war on every side;  

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  The king said to Nathan the prophet, See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God is housed inside the curtains of a tent.  

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  And Nathan said to the king, Go and do whatever is in your heart; for the Lord is with you.  

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  Now that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying,  

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  Go and say to my servant David, The Lord says, Are you to be the builder of a house, a living-place for me?  

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  For from the day when I took the children of Israel up out of Egypt till this day, I have had no house, but have gone from place to place in a tent.  

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  In all the places where I went with all the children of Israel, did I ever say to any of the judges of Israel, to whom I gave the care of my people Israel, Why have you not made me a house of cedar?  

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  Then say these words to my servant David, The Lord of armies says, I took you from the fields, from keeping the sheep, so that you might be a ruler over my people, over my people Israel:  

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  And I have been with you wherever you went, cutting off before you all those who were against you; and I will make your name great, like the name of the greatest ones of the earth.  

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  And I will make a resting-place for my people Israel, planting them there, so that they may be living in the place which is theirs, and never again be moved; and never again will they be troubled by evil men as they were at the first,  

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  From the time when I put judges over my people Israel; and I will give you peace from all who are against you. And the Lord says to you that he will make you the head of a line of kings.  

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  And when the time comes for you to go to rest with your fathers, I will put in your place your seed after you, the offspring of your body, and I will make his kingdom strong.  

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  He will be the builder of a house for my name, and I will make the seat of his authority certain for ever.  

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  I will be to him a father and he will be to me a son: if he does wrong, I will give him punishment with the rod of men and with the blows of the children of men;  

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  But my mercy will not be taken away from him, as I took it from him who was before you.  

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  And your family and your kingdom will keep their place before me for ever: the seat of your authority will never be overturned.  

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  So Nathan gave David an account of all these words and this vision.  

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  Then David the king went in and took his seat before the Lord, and said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have been my guide till now?  

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  And this was only a small thing to you, O Lord God; but your words have even been about the far-off future of your servant's family, O Lord God!  

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  What more may David say to you? for you have knowledge of your servant, O Lord God.  

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  Because of your word and from your heart, you have done all this great work, and let your servant see it.  

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  Truly you are great, O Lord God: there is no one like you and no other God but you, as is clear from everything which has come to our ears.  

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  And what other nation in the earth, like your people Israel, did a god go out to take for himself, to be his people, and to make a name for himself, and to do great and strange things for them, driving out a nation and its gods from before his people?  

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  But you took and made strong for yourself your people Israel, to be your people for ever; and you, Lord, became their God.  

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  And now, O Lord God, may the word which you have said about your servant and about his family, be made certain for ever, and may you do as you have said!  

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  And let your name be made great for ever, and let men say, The Lord of armies is God over Israel: and let the family of David your servant be made strong before you!  

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  For you, O Lord of armies, the God of Israel, have clearly said to your servant, I will make you the head of a family of kings: and so it has come into your servant's heart to make this prayer to you.  

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  And now, O Lord God, you are God and your words are true and you have said you will give your servant this good thing;  

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  So may it be your pleasure to give your blessing to the family of your servant, so that it may go on for ever before you: (for you, O Lord God, have said it,) and may your blessing be on your servant's family line for ever!  

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