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
上帝對大衛的應許
1大衛住進宮殿後，對拿單先知說：「你看，我住在香柏木建的王宮中，耶和華的約櫃卻在帳篷裡。」 2拿單對大衛說：「你有什麼想法，就去做吧！因為上帝與你同在。」
3當晚，上帝對拿單說： 4「你去告訴我的僕人大衛，『耶和華說，你不是為我建造殿宇的人。』 5從我把以色列人帶出埃及那天起直到今天，我從未住過殿宇，都住在四處遷移的帳篷裡。 6在我與以色列人同行的日子，我從未責問任何我委派牧養我子民的士師，『你為何不為我建造香柏木的殿宇呢？』
7「現在你要告訴我的僕人大衛，『萬軍之耶和華說，你原本在草場牧羊，我召你來做我以色列子民的首領。 8無論你去哪裡，我都與你同在，為你剷除所有仇敵。現在我要使你聲名遠播，與世上的偉人齊名。 9-10我必為我的以色列子民預備一個地方，栽培他們，使他們住在自己的家園，不再受驚擾，不會像從前我設立士師治理他們的時候那樣受惡人壓迫。我必制伏你所有的仇敵，我耶和華向你宣告，我必建立你的王朝。 11你離世歸到祖先那裡的時候，我必使你的一位後裔繼承你的王位，使他的國堅立。 12他要為我建造殿宇，我必使他王位永固。 13我要做他的父親，他要做我的兒子。我的慈愛曾離開在你之前的掃羅王，但我的慈愛必不離開他。 14我要使他永遠治理我的家和我的國。他的王位必永遠穩固。』」 15拿單就把所聽到的啟示全部告訴大衛。
大衛的禱告
16於是，大衛王走進會幕，在耶和華面前坐下，說：「耶和華上帝啊，我是誰？我的家算什麼？你竟如此厚待我。 17上帝啊，不止如此，你還應許將來要恩待僕人的後裔。耶和華上帝啊，你視我為尊貴的人。 18你將尊榮加於僕人，我還能說什麼？因為你瞭解僕人。 19耶和華啊，你按照自己的心意為僕人成就這大事，並顯明出來。 20耶和華啊，我們從未聽過有誰能與你相比，你是獨一無二的上帝。 21世上有誰能與你的以色列子民相比？你從埃及救贖他們，讓他們做你的子民，為他們驅逐外族人、行偉大奇妙的事，使自己聲名遠播。 22你讓以色列人永遠做你的子民，你耶和華做他們的上帝。
23「耶和華啊，願你永遠信守你對僕人和僕人家的應許，願你成就自己的應許。 24這樣，你的名必永遠堅立，被尊崇，人們必說，『以色列的上帝——萬軍之耶和華是以色列的上帝』，你僕人大衛的家必在你面前堅立。 25我的上帝啊，因為你曾啟示僕人，說要為僕人建立王朝，僕人才敢這樣向你祈求。 26耶和華啊，唯獨你是上帝，你應許要將這福氣賜給僕人。 27願你賜福僕人的王朝，使它在你面前永遠堅立。耶和華啊，你已賜下祝福，你的祝福是永遠的！」
