The Message Bible MSG
New Living Translation NLT
1 Before long, the king made himself at home and God gave him peace from all his enemies.
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When King David was settled in his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all the surrounding enemies,
2 Then one day King David said to Nathan the prophet, "Look at this: Here I am, comfortable in a luxurious house of cedar, and the Chest of God sits in a plain tent."
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the king summoned Nathan the prophet. “Look,” David said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!”
3 Nathan told the king, "Whatever is on your heart, go and do it. God is with you."
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Nathan replied to the king, “Go ahead and do whatever you have in mind, for the LORD is with you.”
4 But that night, the word of God came to Nathan saying,
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But that same night the LORD said to Nathan,
5 "Go and tell my servant David: This is God's word on the matter: You're going to build a 'house' for me to live in?
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“Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD has declared: Are you the one to build a house for me to live in?
6 Why, I haven't lived in a 'house' from the time I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt till now. All that time I've moved about with nothing but a tent.
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I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. I have always moved from one place to another with a tent and a Tabernacle as my dwelling.
7 And in all my travels with Israel, did I ever say to any of the leaders I commanded to shepherd Israel, 'Why haven't you built me a house of cedar?'
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Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel’s tribal leaders, the shepherds of my people Israel. I have never asked them, “Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?”’
8 "So here is what you are to tell my servant David: The God-of-the-Angel-Armies has this word for you: I took you from the pasture, tagging along after sheep, and made you prince over my people Israel.
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“Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel.
9 I was with you everywhere you went and mowed your enemies down before you. Now I'm making you famous, to be ranked with the great names on earth.
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I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth!
10 And I'm going to set aside a place for my people Israel and plant them there so they'll have their own home and not be knocked around any more. Nor will evil men afflict you as they always have,
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And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past,
11 even during the days I set judges over my people Israel. Finally, I'm going to give you peace from all your enemies.
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starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. “‘Furthermore, the LORD declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings!
12 When your life is complete and you're buried with your ancestors, then I'll raise up your child, your own flesh and blood, to succeed you, and I'll firmly establish his rule.
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For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong.
13 He will build a house to honor me, and I will guarantee his kingdom's rule permanently.
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He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever.
14 I'll be a father to him, and he'll be a son to me. When he does wrong, I'll discipline him in the usual ways, the pitfalls and obstacles of this mortal life.
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I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do.
15 But I'll never remove my gracious love from him, as I removed it from Saul, who preceded you and whom I most certainly did remove.
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But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight.
16 Your family and your kingdom are permanently secured. I'm keeping my eye on them! And your royal throne will always be there, rock solid."
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Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’”
17 Nathan gave David a complete and accurate account of everything he heard and saw in the vision.
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So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the LORD had said in this vision.
18 King David went in, took his place before God, and prayed: "Who am I, my Master God, and what is my family, that you have brought me to this place in life?
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Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and prayed, “Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?
19 But that's nothing compared to what's coming, for you've also spoken of my family far into the future, given me a glimpse into tomorrow, my Master God!
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And now, Sovereign LORD, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! Do you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign LORD ?
20 What can I possibly say in the face of all this? You know me, Master God, just as I am.
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“What more can I say to you? You know what your servant is really like, Sovereign LORD .
21 You've done all this not because of who I am but because of who you are - out of your very heart! - but you've let me in on it.
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Because of your promise and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known to your servant.
22 "This is what makes you so great, Master God! There is none like you, no God but you, nothing to compare with what we've heard with our own ears.
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“How great you are, O Sovereign LORD ! There is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you!
23 And who is like your people, like Israel, a nation unique in the earth, whom God set out to redeem for himself (and became most famous for it), performing great and fearsome acts, throwing out nations and their gods left and right as you saved your people from Egypt?
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What other nation on earth is like your people Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your own people? You made a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations and gods that stood in their way.
24 You established for yourself a people - your very own Israel! - your people permanently. And you, God, became their God.
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You made Israel your very own people forever, and you, O LORD, became their God.
25 "So now, great God, this word that you have spoken to me and my family, guarantee it permanently! Do exactly what you've promised!
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“And now, O LORD God, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. Confirm it as a promise that will last forever.
26 Then your reputation will flourish always as people exclaim, 'The God-of-the-Angel-Armies is God over Israel!' And the house of your servant David will remain sure and solid in your watchful presence.
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And may your name be honored forever so that everyone will say, ‘The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is God over Israel!’ And may the house of your servant David continue before you forever.
27 For you, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel's God, told me plainly, 'I will build you a house.' That's how I was able to find the courage to pray this prayer to you.
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“O LORD of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, I have been bold enough to pray this prayer to you because you have revealed all this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you—a dynasty of kings!’
28 "And now, Master God, being the God you are, speaking sure words as you do, and having just said this wonderful thing to me,
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For you are God, O Sovereign LORD . Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to your servant.
29 please, just one more thing: Bless my family; keep your eye on them always. You've already as much as said that you would, Master God! Oh, may your blessing be on my family permanently!"
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And now, may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you have spoken, and when you grant a blessing to your servant, O Sovereign LORD, it is an eternal blessing!”
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.