2 Samuel 7-8
David Plans to Build a Temple
aNow it came about when the king lived in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, 2 that the king said to aNathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in ba house of cedar, but the ark of God cdwells within tent curtains.” 3 Nathan said to the king, “aGo, do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.”
4 But in the same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, 5 “Go and say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord, “aAre you the one who should build Me a house to dwell in? 6 For aI have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; but I have been moving about bin a tent, even in a tabernacle. 7 aWherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, bwhich I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’
God’s Covenant with David
8 “Now therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “aI took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, bto be ruler over My people Israel. 9 aI have been with you wherever you have gone and bhave cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth. 10 I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and awill plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, bnor will the wicked afflict them any more as formerly, 11 even afrom the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and bI will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to you that cthe Lord will make a house for you. 12 aWhen your days are complete and you blie down with your fathers, cI will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 aHe shall build a house for My name, and bI will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 aI will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; bwhen he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, 15 but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, aas I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 aYour house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”’” 17 In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
David’s Prayer
18 Then David the king went in and sat before the Lord, and he said, “aWho am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far? 19 And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes, O Lord God, afor You have spoken also of the house of Your servant concerning the distant future. And bthis is the custom of man, O Lord God. 20 Again what more can David say to You? For aYou know Your servant, O Lord God! 21 aFor the sake of Your word, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness to let Your servant know. 22 For this reason aYou are great, O Lord God; for bthere is none like You, and there is no God besides You, caccording to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 And awhat one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself, and bto do a great thing for You and awesome things for Your land, before cYour people whom dYou have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, from nations and their gods? 24 For aYou have established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your own people forever, and bYou, O Lord, have become their God. 25 Now therefore, O Lord God, the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house, confirm it forever, and do as You have spoken, 26 athat Your name may be magnified forever, by saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel’; and may the house of Your servant David be established before You. 27 For You, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made a revelation to Your servant, saying, ‘aI will build you a house’; therefore Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to You. 28 Now, O Lord God, You are God, and aYour words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant. 29 Now therefore, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You. For You, O Lord God, have spoken; and awith Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever.”
David’s Triumphs
aNow after this it came about that David defeated the Philistines and subdued them; and David took control of the chief city from the hand of the Philistines.
2 aHe defeated bMoab, and measured them with the line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death and one full line to keep alive. And cthe Moabites became servants to David, dbringing tribute.
3 Then David defeated aHadadezer, the son of Rehob king of Zobah, as bhe went to restore his rule at the River. 4 David captured from him 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers; and David ahamstrung the chariot horses, but reserved enough of them for 100 chariots. 5 When athe Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David killed 22,000 Arameans. 6 Then David put garrisons among the Arameans of Damascus, and athe Arameans became servants to David, bringing tribute. And bthe Lord helped David wherever he went. 7 David took the shields of gold which were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 From Betah and from aBerothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a very large amount of bronze.
9 Now when Toi king of aHamath heard that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer, 10 Toi sent Joram his son to King David to greet him and bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him; for Hadadezer had been at war with Toi. And Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold and of bronze. 11 King David also adedicated these to the Lord, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations which he had subdued: 12 from Aram and aMoab and bthe sons of Ammon and cthe Philistines and dAmalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13 So aDavid made a name for himself when he returned from killing 18,000 Arameans in bthe Valley of Salt. 14 He put garrisons in Edom. In all Edom he put garrisons, and aall the Edomites became servants to David. And bthe Lord helped David wherever he went.
15 So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered justice and righteousness for all his people. 16 aJoab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and bJehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was crecorder. 17 aZadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were bpriests, and Seraiah was csecretary. 18 aBenaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the bCherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were cchief ministers.
1 Chronicles 17
God’s Covenant with David
aAnd it came about, when David dwelt in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, “Behold, I am dwelling in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under curtains.” 2 Then Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”
3 It came about the same night that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, 4 “Go and tell David My servant, ‘Thus says the Lord, “aYou shall not build a house for Me to dwell in; 5 for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up Israel to this day, abut I have gone from tent to tent and from one dwelling place to another. 6 In all places where I have walked with all Israel, have I spoken a word awith any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, ‘Why have you not built for 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 from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader over My people Israel. 8 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a name like the name of the great ones who are in the earth. 9 I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and not be moved again; and the wicked will not waste them anymore as formerly, 10 even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies.
Moreover, I tell you that the Lord will build a house for you. 11 When your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up one of your descendants after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He shall build for Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 aI will be his father and he shall be My son; and I will not take My lovingkindness away from him, bas I took it from him who was before you. 14 But I will settle 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.
David’s Prayer in Response
16 Then David the king went in and sat before the Lord and said, “aWho am I, O Lord God, and what is my house that You have brought me this far? 17 This was a small thing in Your eyes, O God; but You have spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the standard of a man of high degree, O Lord God. 18 What more can David still say to You concerning the honor bestowed on Your servant? For You know Your servant. 19 O Lord, afor Your servant’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have wrought all this greatness, to make 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 And what one nation in the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make You a name by great and terrible things, in driving out nations from before Your people, whom You redeemed out of Egypt? 22 aFor Your people Israel You made Your own people forever, and You, O Lord, became their God.
23 “Now, O Lord, let the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house be established forever, and do as You have spoken. 24 Let Your name be established and magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel; and the house of David Your servant is established before You.’ 25 For You, O my God, have revealed to Your servant that You will build for him a house; therefore Your servant has found courage to pray before You. 26 Now, O Lord, You are God, and have promised this good thing to Your servant. 27 And now it has pleased You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue forever before You; for You, O Lord, have blessed, and it is blessed forever.”
Psalm 132
Prayer for the Lord’s Blessing upon the Sanctuary.
A Song of Ascents.
Remember, O Lord, on David’s behalf,
All ahis affliction;
2 How he swore to the Lord
And vowed to athe Mighty One of Jacob,
3 “Surely I will not enter amy house,
Nor lie on my bed;
4 I will not agive sleep to my eyes
Or slumber to my eyelids,
5 Until I find a aplace for the Lord,
A dwelling place for bthe Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 Behold, we heard of it in aEphrathah,
We found it in the bfield of Jaar.
7 Let us go into His adwelling place;
Let us bworship at His cfootstool.
8 aArise, O Lord, to Your bresting place,
You and the ark of Your cstrength.
9 Let Your priests be aclothed with righteousness,
And let Your bgodly ones sing for joy.
10 For the sake of David Your servant,
Do not turn away the face of Your aanointed.
11 The Lord has asworn to David
A truth from which He will not turn back:
“bOf the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne.
12 “If your sons will keep My covenant
And My testimony which I will teach them,
Their sons also shall asit upon your throne forever.”
13 For the Lord has achosen Zion;
He has bdesired it for His habitation.
14 “This is My aresting place forever;
Here I will bdwell, for I have desired it.
15 “I will abundantly abless her provision;
I will bsatisfy her needy with bread.
16 “Her apriests also I will clothe with salvation,
And her agodly ones will sing aloud for joy.
17 “There I will cause the ahorn of David to spring forth;
I have prepared a blamp for Mine anointed.
18 “His enemies I will aclothe with shame,
But upon himself his bcrown shall shine.”
Acts 25
Paul before Festus
Festus then, having arrived in athe province, three days later went up to Jerusalem from bCaesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews abrought charges against Paul, and they were urging him, 3 requesting a concession against Paul, that he might have him brought to Jerusalem (at the same time, asetting an ambush to kill him on the way). 4 Festus then aanswered that Paul bwas being kept in custody at cCaesarea and that he himself was about to leave shortly. 5 “Therefore,” he *said, “let the influential men among you go there with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them prosecute him.”
6 After he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to aCaesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on bthe tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. 7 After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing amany and serious charges against him bwhich they could not prove, 8 while Paul said in his own defense, “aI have committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.” 9 But Festus, awishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “bAre you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me on these charges?” 10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s atribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know. 11 If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I aappeal to Caesar.” 12 Then when Festus had conferred with his council, he answered, “You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go.”
13 Now when several days had elapsed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at aCaesarea and paid their respects to Festus. 14 While they were spending many days there, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man who was aleft as a prisoner by Felix; 15 and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews abrought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16 I aanswered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before bthe accused meets his accusers face to face and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges. 17 So after they had assembled here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my seat on athe tribunal and ordered the man to be brought before me. 18 When the accusers stood up, they began bringing charges against him not of such crimes as I was expecting, 19 but they simply had some apoints of disagreement with him about their own breligion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20 aBeing at a loss how to investigate such matters, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these matters. 21 But when Paul aappealed to be held in custody for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar.” 22 Then aAgrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he *said, “you shall hear him.”
Paul before Agrippa
23 So, on the next day when aAgrippa came together with aBernice amid great pomp, and entered the auditorium accompanied by the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 Festus *said, “King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen here present with us, you see this man about whom aall the people of the Jews appealed to me, both at Jerusalem and here, loudly declaring that bhe ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that he had committed anothing worthy of death; and since he himself bappealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him. 26 Yet I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him before you all and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate also the charges against him.”
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