2 Samuel 7

• 1. When the LORD had brought peace to the land and King David was settled in his palace,
• 2. David summoned Nathan the prophet. "Look!" David said. "Here I am living in this beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out in a tent!"
• 3. Nathan replied, "Go ahead and do what you have in mind, for the LORD is with you."
• 4. But that same night the LORD said to Nathan,
• 5. "Go and tell my servant David, `This is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build me a temple to live in?
• 6. I have never lived in a temple, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until now. My home has always been a tent, moving from one place to another.
• 7. And I have never once complained to Israel's leaders, the shepherds of my people Israel. I have never asked them, "Why haven't you built me a beautiful cedar temple?"'
• 8. "Now go and say to my servant David, `This is what the LORD Almighty says: I chose you to lead my people Israel when you were just a shepherd boy, tending your sheep out in the pasture.
• 9. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies. Now I will make your name famous throughout the earth!
• 10. And I have provided a permanent homeland for my people Israel, a secure place where they will never be disturbed. It will be their own land where wicked nations won't oppress them as they did in the past,
• 11. from the time I appointed judges to rule my people. And I will keep you safe from all your enemies. "`And now the LORD declares that he will build a house for you--a dynasty of kings!
• 12. For when you die, I will raise up one of your descendants, and I will make his kingdom strong.
• 13. He is the one who will build a house--a temple--for my name. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
• 14. I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will use other nations to punish him.
• 15. But my unfailing love will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed before you.
• 16. Your dynasty and your kingdom will continue for all time before me, and your throne will be secure forever.'"
• 17. So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the LORD had said.
• 18. 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. And now, Sovereign LORD, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving me a lasting dynasty! Do you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign LORD?
• 20. What more can I say? You know what I am really like, Sovereign LORD.
• 21. For the sake of your promise and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have shown them to me.
• 22. "How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you--there is no other God. We have never even heard of another god like you!
• 23. What other nation on earth is like 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 rescued your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations and gods that stood in their way.
• 24. You made Israel your people forever, and you, O LORD, became their God.
• 25. "And now, O LORD God, do as you have promised concerning me and my family. Confirm it as a promise that will last forever.
• 26. And may your name be honored forever so that all the world will say, `The LORD Almighty is God over Israel!' And may the dynasty of your servant David be established in your presence.
• 27. "O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, I have been bold enough to pray this prayer because you have revealed that you will build a house for me--an eternal dynasty!
• 28. For you are God, O Sovereign LORD. Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to me, your servant.
• 29. And now, may it please you to bless me and my family so that our dynasty may continue forever before you. For when you grant a blessing to your servant, O Sovereign LORD, it is an eternal blessing!"

2 Samuel 8

• 1. After this, David subdued and humbled the Philistines by conquering Gath, their largest city.
• 2. David also conquered the land of Moab. He made the people lie down on the ground in a row, and he measured them off in groups with a length of rope. He measured off two groups to be executed for every one group to be spared. The Moabites who were spared became David's servants and brought him tribute money.
• 3. David also destroyed the forces of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when Hadadezer marched out to strengthen his control along the Euphrates River.
• 4. David captured seventeen hundred charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. Then he crippled all but one hundred of the chariot horses.
• 5. When Arameans from Damascus arrived to help Hadadezer, David killed twenty-two thousand of them.
• 6. Then he placed several army garrisons in Damascus, the Aramean capital, and the Arameans became David's subjects and brought him tribute money. So the LORD gave David victory wherever he went.
• 7. David brought the gold shields of Hadadezer's officers to Jerusalem,
• 8. along with a large amount of bronze from Hadadezer's cities of Tebah and Berothai.
• 9. When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had destroyed the army of Hadadezer,
• 10. he sent his son Joram to congratulate David on his success. Hadadezer and Toi had long been enemies, and there had been many wars between them. Joram presented David with many gifts of silver, gold, and bronze.
• 11. King David dedicated all these gifts to the LORD, along with the silver and gold he had set apart from the other nations he had subdued--
• 12. Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek--and from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
• 13. So David became very famous. After his return he destroyed eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
• 14. He placed army garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became David's subjects. This was another example of how the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.
• 15. David reigned over all Israel and was fair to everyone.
• 16. Joab son of Zeruiah was commander of the army. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the royal historian.
• 17. Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were the priests. Seraiah was the court secretary.
• 18. Benaiah son of Jehoiada was captain of the king's bodyguard. David's sons served as priestly leaders.

2 Samuel 9

• 1. One day David began wondering if anyone in Saul's family was still alive, for he had promised Jonathan that he would show kindness to them.
• 2. He summoned a man named Ziba, who had been one of Saul's servants. "Are you Ziba?" the king asked. "Yes sir, I am," Ziba replied.
• 3. The king then asked him, "Is anyone still alive from Saul's family? If so, I want to show God's kindness to them in any way I can." Ziba replied, "Yes, one of Jonathan's sons is still alive, but he is crippled."
• 4. "Where is he?" the king asked. "In Lo-debar," Ziba told him, "at the home of Makir son of Ammiel."
• 5. So David sent for him and brought him from Makir's home.
• 6. His name was Mephibosheth; he was Jonathan's son and Saul's grandson. When he came to David, he bowed low in great fear and said, "I am your servant."
• 7. But David said, "Don't be afraid! I've asked you to come so that I can be kind to you because of my vow to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the land that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you may live here with me at the palace!"
• 8. Mephibosheth fell to the ground before the king. "Should the king show such kindness to a dead dog like me?" he exclaimed.
• 9. Then the king summoned Saul's servant Ziba and said, "I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family.
• 10. You and your sons and servants are to farm the land for him to produce food for his family. But Mephibosheth will live here at the palace with me." Ziba, who had fifteen sons and twenty servants, replied,
• 11. "Yes, my lord; I will do all that you have commanded." And from that time on, Mephibosheth ate regularly with David, as though he were one of his own sons.
• 12. Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. And from then on, all the members of Ziba's household were Mephibosheth's servants.
• 13. And Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet, moved to Jerusalem to live at the palace.

New Living Translation: 95 of 324 days.