God’s Promise to David
1After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”
3Nathan replied to the king, “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.”
4But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:
5“Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? 6I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. 7Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” ’
8“Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 9I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth. 10And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning 11and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders7:11 Traditionally judges over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.
“ ‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: 12When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13He is the one who 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 punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. 15But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me7:16 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts you; your throne will be established forever.’ ”
17Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.
David’s Prayer
18Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said:
“Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 19And as if this were not enough in your sight, Sovereign Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant—and this decree, Sovereign Lord, is for a mere human!7:19 Or for the human race
20“What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, Sovereign Lord. 21For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.
22“How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. 23And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt?7:23 See Septuagint and 1 Chron. 17:21; Hebrew wonders for your land and before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt, from the nations and their gods. 24You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.
25“And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, 26so that your name will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!’ And the house of your servant David will be established in your sight.
27“Lord Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ So your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. 28Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. 29Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever.”
Onyankopɔn Hyɛ Dawid Ɛbɔ
1Ɛberɛ a wɔbɔɔ ɔhene no atenaseɛ wɔ nʼahemfie na Awurade ama asomdwoeɛ aba asase no so no, 2Dawid frɛɛ nkɔmhyɛni Natan sɛ, “Hwɛ, mete ahemfie a wɔde ntweneduro asi mu, na Onyankopɔn Adaka no nso si ntomadan mu.”
3Na Natan buaa ɔhene no sɛ, “Biribiara a woadwene ho sɛ wobɛyɛ no, kɔ so na yɛ, na Awurade ka wo ho.”
4Na anadwo no, Awurade asɛm baa Natan so sɛ,
5“Kɔka kyerɛ me ɔsomfoɔ Dawid sɛ, ‘Sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie: Wone obi a ɛsɛ sɛ wosi ɛdan ma me na metena mu anaa? 6Ɛfiri ɛberɛ a mede Israelfoɔ firi Misraim baeɛ de bɛsi ɛnnɛ no, mentenaa ɛdan mu da. Daa wɔtu mʼase firi beaeɛ kɔ beaeɛ. 7Ɛberɛ biara a wɔtu mʼase a Israelman nyinaa ka me ho no, motee sɛ mebisaa wɔn sodifoɔ, wɔn a mehyɛ wɔn sɛ wɔnhwɛ me nkurɔfoɔ Israelfoɔ no sɛ, “Adɛn enti na momfaa ntweneduro nsii fie mmaa me da?” ’
8“Afei, kɔka kyerɛ me ɔsomfoɔ Dawid sɛ, ‘Sɛdeɛ Awurade Otumfoɔ seɛ nie: Meyii wo firii mmoa adidibea ne nnwan akyidie mu, de wo bɛsii me nkurɔfoɔ Israel so ɔhene. 9Na baabiara a wokɔ no, meka wo ho, na matwa wʼatamfoɔ nyinaa afiri wʼanim. Na mɛma wɔagye din wɔ asase yi nyinaa so. 10Na mapɛ tenaberɛ ama me nkurɔfoɔ Israel; beaeɛ bi a ɛwɔ banbɔ a obiara renha wɔn. Ɛhɔ bɛyɛ wɔn ankasa asase a aman amumuyɛfoɔ renhyɛ wɔn so, sɛdeɛ wɔyɛɛ wɔ ɛberɛ bi a atwam no, 11ɛfiri ɛberɛ a mepaa atemmufoɔ sɛ wɔnni me nkurɔfoɔ so no. Mɛsane ama mo banbɔ afiri mo atamfoɔ nyinaa nsam.
“ ‘Na Awurade aka akyerɛ wo sɛ, ɔno Awurade na ɔbɛkyekyere efie ama wo; ahemfo ntoatoasoɔ efie. 12Na sɛ wo nna to twa a, mɛma wʼaseni a ɔfiri wʼasenem adi wʼadeɛ, na matim nʼahemman ase. 13Ɔno ne obi a ɔbɛsi dan de me din ato so. Na matim nʼahemman mu ahennwa ase afebɔɔ. 14Mɛyɛ nʼagya, na wayɛ me ba. Sɛ ɔyɛ bɔne a, mɛma aman bi atwe nʼaso. 15Nanso, merenyi me dɔ mfiri ne so da, sɛdeɛ meyi mefirii Saulo a meyii no firii wʼanim no so ansa na wobɛdii nʼadeɛ no. 16Wo fie ne wʼahemman bɛtim wɔ mʼanim afebɔɔ; na wʼahennwa bɛtena hɔ daa.’ ”
17Natan kaa saa adiyisɛm yi nyinaa kyerɛɛ Dawid.
Dawid Aseda Mpaeɛbɔ
18Na ɔhene Dawid kɔtenaa Awurade anim bɔɔ mpaeɛ sɛ,
“Ao, Awurade Otumfoɔ, mene hwan, na me fiefoɔ yɛ ɛdeɛn a wode me abɛduru ɛnnɛ? 19Na afei Otumfoɔ Awurade, yeinom nyinaa akyi no, woka sɛ wobɛma me ahennie a ɛte hɔ daa. Woyɛ nnipa nyinaa sei anaa, Ao Awurade Otumfoɔ?
20“Ɛdeɛbɛn bio na mɛtumi aka? Ɛfiri sɛ, wonim sɛdeɛ wʼakoa teɛ, Ao Awurade Otumfoɔ. 21Wʼasɛm ne wo pɛ mu enti, woayɛ nneɛma kɛseɛ yi nyinaa akyerɛ wo ɔsomfoɔ.
22“Wo kɛseyɛ yɛ kokuroo, Ao Awurade Otumfoɔ! Obi biara nte sɛ wo, Onyankopɔn bi nni hɔ sɛ wo, na yɛntee onyame foforɔ bi mpo ho asɛm! 23Ɔman bɛn na ɛwɔ asase yi so a ɛte sɛ Israel? Ɔman foforɔ bɛn na woayi no afiri nkoasom mu de wɔn ayɛ wo ɔman? Ɛberɛ a woyii wo nkurɔfoɔ firii Misraim no, wogyee edin. Woyɛɛ anwanwadeɛ akɛseɛ de pamoo aman ne ahoni ahodoɔ a na wɔyɛ akwansideɛ ma wo nkurɔfoɔ. 24Woatim wo nkurɔfoɔ Israel sɛ wʼankasa wʼadeɛ afebɔɔ, na wo Ao Awurade, woabɛyɛ wɔn Onyankopɔn.
25“Na afei, Awurade Onyankopɔn, di ɛbɔ a wohyɛ faa wʼakoa ne ne mʼabusuafoɔ ho no so. Ma ɛnyɛ bɔhyɛ a ɛbɛtena hɔ daa. 26Na ma wo din nkron afebɔɔ na ewiase nyinaa nka sɛ, ‘Awurade Otumfoɔ yɛ Israel so Onyankopɔn.’ Na ma wo ɔsomfoɔ Dawid ahennie ase ntim wɔ wʼanim.
27“Ao, Awurade Otumfoɔ, Israel Onyankopɔn, masi me bo abɔ saa mpaeɛ yi ɛfiri sɛ woakyerɛ sɛ wobɛkyekyere fie a ɛyɛ daa ahennie ama me. 28Ao, Awurade Otumfoɔ, woyɛ Onyankopɔn! Wo nsɛm mu wɔ ahotosoɔ, na woahyɛ wo ɔsomfoɔ nnepa ho bɔ. 29Afei, ma ɛnyɛ wo pɛ sɛ wobɛhyira wʼakoa fie so, na atoa so afebɔɔ wɔ wʼanim, na wo, Ao Awurade Otumfoɔ, woakasa, na wo nhyira a wode bɛhyira wo ɔsomfoɔ fie no bɛyɛ daapem nhyira.”
