God’s Agreement with David

17 Now when David lived in his house, he said to Nathan the special preacher, “See, I am living in a house of cedar wood. But the special box with the Law of the Lord is under a tent.” ² Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart. For God is with you.” ³ But that same night the Word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, ⁴ “Go and tell My servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says. “You will not build a house for Me to live in. ⁵ For I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up Israel to this day. But I have gone from tent to tent and from one place to another to live. ⁶ In all the places I have gone with all Israel, have I said a word to any of the judges of Israel about this? Have I said to anyone whom I told to watch over My people, ‘Why have you not built a house of cedar wood for Me?’”’ ⁷ So now say to My servant David, ‘The Lord of All says, “I took you from the field, from following the sheep, to be leader over My people Israel. ⁸ I have been with you in every place you have gone. I have destroyed in front of you all those who hate you. And I will make your name to be known like the name of the great ones of the earth. ⁹ I will choose a place for My people Israel, and will plant them. So they will live in their own place and not be moved again. Never again will they be under the power of sinful men, as they were before, ¹⁰ from the time that I told judges to rule My people Israel. I will put under your power all those who hate you. And I say to you that the Lord will build a house for you. ¹¹ When your days are over, the time will come when you must go to be with your fathers. But then I will put into power one of your sons after you. I will make him king. ¹² He will build a house for Me. And I will make his throne last forever. ¹³ I will be his father, and he will be My son. I will not take My loving-kindness away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. ¹⁴ But I will put him over My house and in My nation forever. And his throne will last forever.”’” ¹⁵ Nathan told David all these words from all this special dream.

David’s Prayer of Thanks

¹⁶ Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and said, “Who am I, O God? What is my house, that You have brought me this far? ¹⁷ This was a small thing in Your eyes, O God. You have spoken of Your servant’s house for a long time to come. You have thought of me as if I were an important man, O Lord God. ¹⁸ What more can David say to You about the honor given to Your servant? For You know Your servant. ¹⁹ You have made all this greatness, O Lord. You have made known all these great things, for Your servant, and by Your own heart. ²⁰ O Lord, there is no one like You. There is no God other than You, by all that we have heard with our ears. ²¹ What other nation on earth is like Your people Israel? God went to free them to be His people. You made Yourself a name by great things which filled people with fear. You drove out the nations before Your people, whom You set free from Egypt. ²² You made Your people Israel to be Your people forever. And You, O Lord, became their God. ²³ Now, O Lord, let the Word that You have spoken about Your servant and his house be made sure forever. Do as You have said. ²⁴ Let Your name be made sure and honored forever, saying, ‘The Lord of All, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God. And the house of Your servant David is made to last before You.’ ²⁵ For You, O my God, have made it known to Your servant that You will build a house for him. So Your servant has found strength of heart to pray to You. ²⁶ And now, O Lord, You are God. You have promised this good thing to Your servant. ²⁷ Now it has pleased You to bring good to the house of Your servant. May it last forever before You. For when You bring good to something, O Lord, good is with it forever.”

David’s Battles

18 After this David won the war against the Philistines and put them under his power. He took Gath and its towns from the Philistines. ² He won the war against Moab. And the Moabites were made to work for David, bringing taxes to him. ³ David won the war against King Hadadezer of Zobah as far as Hamath, as he went to bring his power to the Euphrates River. ⁴ David took from him 1,000 war-wagons, 7,000 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. And he cut the legs of all but 100 war-wagon horses.

⁵ The Syrians of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah. But David killed 22,000 of the Syrian men. ⁶ Then David put soldiers in Syria of Damascus. And the Syrians became servants to David, paying taxes. The Lord helped David in every place he went. ⁷ David took the battle-coverings of gold which were carried by Hadadezer’s servants, and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ He took a very large amount of brass from Hadadezer’s cities, Tibhath and Cun. This was the brass Solomon used to make the brass pool, the pillars, and the brass pots.

⁹ King Tou of Hamath heard that David had won the war against all the army of King Hadadezer of Zobah. ¹⁰ So he sent his son Hadoram to King David, to greet him and give honor to him, because David had fought against Hadadezer and won. For Hadadezer had been at war with Tou. Hadoram brought all kinds of things of gold and silver and brass. ¹¹ King David set these apart to the Lord, with the silver and gold he had carried away from all the nations. He took things from Edom, Moab, the sons of Ammon, the Philistines, and Amalek.

¹² Abishai the son of Zeruiah won the war from 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. ¹³ Then he put soldiers in Edom. And the Edomites became servants to David. The Lord helped David every place he went.

¹⁴ So David ruled over all Israel. He did what was fair and right and good for all his people. ¹⁵ Joab the son of Zeruiah was captain of the army. Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud wrote down the things of the nation. ¹⁶ Zadok the son of Ahitub and Abimelech the son of Abiathar were religious leaders. Shavsha was the one who writes everything down. ¹⁷ Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And the sons of David were leaders at the king’s side.