God’s Covenant with David^(A)

7 Now it came to pass ^(B)when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around, ² that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in ^(C)a house of cedar, ^(D)but the ark of God dwells inside tent ^(E)curtains.”

³ Then Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your ^(F)heart, for the Lord is with you.”

⁴ But it happened that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, ⁵ “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: ^(G)“Would you build a house for Me to dwell in? ⁶ For I have not dwelt in a house ^(H)since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in ^(I)a tent and in a tabernacle. ⁷ Wherever I have ^(J)moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded ^(K)to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ ” ’ ⁸ Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: ^(L)“I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. ⁹ And ^(M)I have been with you wherever you have gone, ^(N)and have ^[a]cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth. ¹⁰ Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will ^(O)plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; ^(P)nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, ^11 (Q)since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also the Lord ^[b]tells you ^(R)that He will make you a ^[c]house.

^12 (S)“When your days are fulfilled and you ^(T)rest with your fathers, ^(U)I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ^13 (V)He shall build a house for My name, and I will ^(W)establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ^14 (X)I will be his Father, and he shall be ^(Y)My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the ^[d]blows of the sons of men. ¹⁵ But My mercy shall not depart from him, ^(Z)as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. ¹⁶ And ^(AA)your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before ^[e]you. Your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”

¹⁷ According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

David’s Thanksgiving to God^(AB)

¹⁸ Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: ^(AC)“Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? ¹⁹ And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come. ^(AD)Is this the manner of man, O Lord God? ²⁰ Now what more can David say to You? For You, Lord God, ^(AE)know Your servant. ²¹ For Your word’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things, to make Your servant know them. ²² Therefore ^(AF)You are great, ^[f]O Lord God. For ^(AG)there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ^(AH)ears. ²³ And who is like Your people, like Israel, ^(AI)the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a name—and to do for Yourself great and awesome deeds for Your land—before ^(AJ)Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, the nations, and their gods? ²⁴ For ^(AK)You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever; ^(AL)and You, Lord, have become their God.

²⁵ “Now, O Lord God, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, establish it forever and do as You have said. ²⁶ So let Your name be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel.’ And let the house of Your servant David be established before You. ²⁷ For You, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed this to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to You.

²⁸ “And now, O Lord God, You are God, and ^(AM)Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. ²⁹ Now therefore, let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You, O Lord God, have spoken it, and with Your blessing let the house of Your servant be blessed ^(AN)forever.”

God’s Covenant with David^(A)

17 Now ^(B)it came to pass, when David was dwelling in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under tent curtains.”

² Then Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”

³ But it happened that night that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, ⁴ “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall ^(C)not build Me a house to dwell in. ⁵ For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought up Israel, even to this day, but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another. ⁶ Wherever I have moved about with all Israel, have I ever spoken a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ ” ’ ⁷ Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I took you ^(D)from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ^[a]ruler over My people Israel. ⁸ And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have ^[b]made you a name like the name of the great men who are on the earth. ⁹ Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will ^(E)plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, ¹⁰ since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. Also I will subdue all your enemies. Furthermore I tell you that the Lord will build you a ^[c]house. ¹¹ And it shall be, when your days are ^(F)fulfilled, when you must ^[d]go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your ^(G)seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. ^12 (H)He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. ^13 (I)I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, ^(J)as I took it from him who was before you. ¹⁴ And ^(K)I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”

¹⁵ According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

^16 (L)Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? ¹⁷ And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the rank of a man of high degree, O Lord God. ¹⁸ What more can David say to You for the honor of Your servant? For You know Your servant. ¹⁹ O Lord, for Your servant’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. ²⁰ O Lord, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. ^21 (M)And who is like Your people Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people—to make for Yourself a name by great and awesome deeds, by driving out nations from before Your people whom You redeemed from Egypt? ²² For You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever; and You, Lord, have become their God.

²³ “And now, O Lord, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, let it be established forever, and do as You have said. ²⁴ So let it be established, that Your name may be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God.’ And let the house of Your servant David be established before You. ²⁵ For You, O my God, ^[e]have revealed to Your servant that You will build him a house. Therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray before You. ²⁶ And now, Lord, ^[f]You are God, and have promised this goodness to Your servant. ²⁷ Now You have been pleased to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever; for You have blessed it, O Lord, and it shall be blessed forever.”

The Messiah’s Triumph and Kingdom^(A)

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ² Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³ And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, ⁴ and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. ⁵ Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. ⁶ And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing ^[a]idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ ⁷ They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, ^[b]and whatever is right you will receive.’

⁸ “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ ⁹ And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. ¹⁰ But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. ¹¹ And when they had received it, they ^[c]complained against the landowner, ¹² saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ ¹³ But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. ^15 (A)Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or ^(B)is your eye evil because I am good?’ ^16 (C)So the last will be first, and the first last. ^(D)For^[d] many are called, but few chosen.”

Jesus a Third Time Predicts His Death and Resurrection^(E)

^17 (F)Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, ^18 (G)“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, ^19 (H)and deliver Him to the Gentiles to ^(I)mock and to ^(J)scourge and to ^(K)crucify. And the third day He will ^(L)rise again.”

Greatness Is Serving^(M)

^20 (N)Then the mother of ^(O)Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.

²¹ And He said to her, “What do you wish?”

She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine ^(P)may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”

²² But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink ^(Q)the cup that I am about to drink, ^[e]and be baptized with ^(R)the baptism that I am baptized with?”

They said to Him, “We are able.”

²³ So He said to them, ^(S)“You will indeed drink My cup, ^[f]and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”

^24 (T)And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. ²⁵ But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. ²⁶ Yet ^(U)it shall not be so among you; but ^(V)whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. ^27 (W)And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— ^28 (X)just as the ^(Y)Son of Man did not come to be served, ^(Z)but to serve, and ^(AA)to give His life a ransom ^(AB)for many.”

Two Blind Men Receive Their Sight^(AC)

^29 (AD)Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. ³⁰ And behold, ^(AE)two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, ^(AF)Son of David!”

³¹ Then the multitude ^(AG)warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”

³² So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

³³ They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” ³⁴ So Jesus had ^(AH)compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.