1Now it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD remaineth under curtains. 2Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that is in thine heart; for God is with thee.
3¶ And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, 4Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in: 5For I have not dwelt in an house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day; but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another.17.5 have gone: Heb. have been 6Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel, spake I a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedars? 7Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, even from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler over my people Israel:17.7 from following: Heb. from after 8And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name like the name of the great men that are in the earth. 9Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the beginning, 10And since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. Moreover I will subdue all thine enemies. Furthermore I tell thee that the LORD will build thee an house.
11¶ And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom. 12He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever. 13I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee: 14But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore. 15According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
16¶ And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said, Who am I, O LORD God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? 17And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God; for thou hast also spoken of thy servant’s house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O LORD God. 18What can David speak more to thee for the honour of thy servant? for thou knowest thy servant. 19O LORD, for thy servant’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things.17.19 great…: Heb. greatnesses 20O LORD, there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 21And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his own people, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people, whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt? 22For thy people Israel didst thou make thine own people for ever; and thou, LORD, becamest their God. 23Therefore now, LORD, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as thou hast said. 24Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel: and let the house of David thy servant be established before thee. 25For thou, O my God, hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him an house: therefore thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before thee.17.25 hast…: Heb. hast revealed the ear of thy servant 26And now, LORD, thou art God, and hast promised this goodness unto thy servant: 27Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest, O LORD, and it shall be blessed for ever.17.27 let…: or, it hath pleased thee
上帝对大卫的应许
1大卫住进宫殿后，对拿单先知说：“你看，我住在香柏木建的王宫中，耶和华的约柜却在帐篷里。” 2拿单对大卫说：“你有什么想法，就去做吧！因为上帝与你同在。”
3当晚，上帝对拿单说： 4“你去告诉我的仆人大卫，‘耶和华说，你不是为我建造殿宇的人。’ 5从我把以色列人带出埃及那天起直到今天，我从未住过殿宇，都住在四处迁移的帐篷里。 6在我与以色列人同行的日子，我从未责问任何我委派牧养我子民的士师，‘你为何不为我建造香柏木的殿宇呢？’
7“现在你要告诉我的仆人大卫，‘万军之耶和华说，你原本在草场牧羊，我召你来做我以色列子民的首领。 8无论你去哪里，我都与你同在，为你铲除所有仇敌。现在我要使你声名远播，与世上的伟人齐名。 9-10我必为我的以色列子民预备一个地方，栽培他们，使他们住在自己的家园，不再受惊扰，不会像从前我设立士师治理他们的时候那样受恶人压迫。我必制服你所有的仇敌，我耶和华向你宣告，我必建立你的王朝。 11你离世归到祖先那里的时候，我必使你的一位后裔继承你的王位，使他的国坚立。 12他要为我建造殿宇，我必使他王位永固。 13我要做他的父亲，他要做我的儿子。我的慈爱曾离开在你之前的扫罗王，但我的慈爱必不离开他。 14我要使他永远治理我的家和我的国。他的王位必永远稳固。’” 15拿单就把所听到的启示全部告诉大卫。
大卫的祷告
16于是，大卫王走进会幕，在耶和华面前坐下，说：“耶和华上帝啊，我是谁？我的家算什么？你竟如此厚待我。 17上帝啊，不止如此，你还应许将来要恩待仆人的后裔。耶和华上帝啊，你视我为尊贵的人。 18你将尊荣加于仆人，我还能说什么？因为你了解仆人。 19耶和华啊，你按照自己的心意为仆人成就这大事，并显明出来。 20耶和华啊，我们从未听过有谁能与你相比，你是独一无二的上帝。 21世上有谁能与你的以色列子民相比？你从埃及救赎他们，让他们做你的子民，为他们驱逐外族人、行伟大奇妙的事，使自己声名远播。 22你让以色列人永远做你的子民，你耶和华做他们的上帝。
23“耶和华啊，愿你永远信守你对仆人和仆人家的应许，愿你成就自己的应许。 24这样，你的名必永远坚立，被尊崇，人们必说，‘以色列的上帝——万军之耶和华是以色列的上帝’，你仆人大卫的家必在你面前坚立。 25我的上帝啊，因为你曾启示仆人，说要为仆人建立王朝，仆人才敢这样向你祈求。 26耶和华啊，唯独你是上帝，你应许要将这福气赐给仆人。 27愿你赐福仆人的王朝，使它在你面前永远坚立。耶和华啊，你已赐下祝福，你的祝福是永远的！”
