2 Samuel 7
Open in the reader1After the king had settled into his palace and He-Who-Is had given him rest from all his enemies around him,
2he said to He-Has-Given the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the Chest of God remains in a tent.”
3And He-Has-Given replied to the king, “Go and do all that is in your heart, for He-Who-Is is with you.”
4But that night the word of He-Who-Is came to He-Has-Given, saying,
5“Go and tell My servant Beloved that this is what He-Who-Is says: Are you the one to build for Me a house to dwell in?
6For I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Strives-with-Godites up out of Two-Straits until this day, but I have moved about with a tent as My dwelling.
7In all My journeys with all the children of Strives-with-God, have I ever asked any of the leaders I appointed to shepherd My people Strives-with-God, ‘Why haven’t you built Me a house of cedar?’
8Now then, you are to tell My servant Beloved that this is what He-Who-Is of Hosts says: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be the ruler over My people Strives-with-God.
9I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make for you a name like that of the greatest in the land.
10And I will provide a place for My people Strives-with-God and will plant them so that they may dwell in a place of their own and be disturbed no more. No longer will the sons of wickedness oppress them as they did at the beginning
11and have done since the day I appointed judges over My people Strives-with-God. I will give you rest from all your enemies. He-Who-Is declares to you that He Himself will establish a house for you.
12And when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.
13He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
14I will be his Father, and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.
15But My loving devotion will never be removed from him as I removed it from Asked-For, whom I removed from before you.
16Your house and kingdom will endure forever before Me, and your throne will be established forever.”
17So He-Has-Given relayed to Beloved all the words of this entire revelation.
18Then King Beloved went in, sat before He-Who-Is, and said, “Who am I, O Lord He-Who-Is, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?
19And as if this was a small thing in Your eyes, O Lord He-Who-Is, You have also spoken about the future of the house of Your servant. Is this Your custom with man, O Lord He-Who-Is?
20What more can Beloved say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord He-Who-Is.
21For the sake of Your word and according to Your own heart, You have accomplished this great thing and revealed it to Your servant.
22How great You are, O Lord He-Who-Is! For there is none like You, and there is no God but You, according to everything we have heard with our own ears.
23And who is like Your people Strives-with-God—the one nation on earth whom God went out to redeem as a people for Himself and to make a name for Himself? You performed great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before Your people, whom You redeemed for Yourself from Two-Straits.
24For You have established Your people Strives-with-God as Your very own forever, and You, O He-Who-Is, have become their God.
25And now, O He-Who-Is God, confirm forever the word You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house. Do as You have promised,
26so that Your name will be magnified forever when it is said, ‘He-Who-Is of Hosts is God over Strives-with-God.’ And the house of Your servant Beloved will be established before You.
27For You, O He-Who-Is of Hosts, the God of Strives-with-God, have revealed this to Your servant when You said, ‘I will build a house for you.’ Therefore Your servant has found the courage to offer this prayer to You.
28And now, O Lord He-Who-Is, You are God! Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant.
29Now therefore, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord He-Who-Is, have spoken, and with Your blessing the house of Your servant will be blessed forever.”