Dieva apsolījums Dāvidam
(1L 17:1–15)1 Kad nu ķēniņš mita savā namā un Kungs viņam bija devis atelpu no visiem ienaidniekiem, 2 ķēniņš teica pravietim Nātānam: “Redzi nu, es mītu ciedru koka namā, bet Dieva šķirsts starp aizkariem!” 3 Nātāns teica ķēniņam: “Dari visu, kas tev padomā, jo Kungs ir ar tevi!”
4 Tajā pašā naktī Kunga vārds nāca pār Nātānu: 5 “Ej un saki manam kalpam Dāvidam: tā saka Kungs: vai tu man celsi namu, kur dzīvot? 6 Es neesmu dzīvojis namā, kopš izvedu Israēlu no Ēģiptes līdz pat šai dienai, – klejojumos es allaž esmu mitinājies teltī! 7 Visos klejojumos, iedams līdzi Israēlam, – vai es bildu kaut vārdu kādai no tām Israēla ciltīm, kam liku ganīt savu tautu Israēlu, vai es teicu: kāpēc jūs neceļat man ciedru koka namu? – 8 Tad nu tā saki manam kalpam Dāvidam: tā saka Pulku Kungs: es ņēmu tevi no ganībām, kur tu ganīji avis, lai tu būtu valdnieks manai tautai Israēlam. 9 Es biju ar tevi, lai kurp tu gāji, visus tavus ienaidniekus es iznīdēju tavā priekšā, tavu vārdu es darīju diženu kā zemes varenajiem! 10 Es ierādīšu vietu savai tautai Israēlam – es to iedēstīšu, tas tur apmetīsies, viņu vairs netraucēs. Ļaundari to vairs nevajās, kā bija iepriekš, 11 kad es iecēlu soģus savai tautai Israēlam, nu es dodu tev atelpu no visiem ienaidniekiem! Kungs tev pasludina – pats Kungs tev cels namu! 12 Kad tavs dienu skaits būs pilns, tu iesi pie saviem tēviem, es celšu tev pēcnācēju, kas no tevis paša dzimis, es nostiprināšu viņa valdīšanu! 13 Viņš uzcels namu manam vārdam, es nostiprināšu viņa valsts troni uz mūžiem! 14 Es būšu viņa tēvs, viņš būs mans dēls! Par viņa vainu es sitīšu viņu ar ļaužu rīksti, ar cilvēkbērnu pātagām. 15 Savu uzticību neatraušu viņam, kā es to atrāvu Saulam, kuru atstūmu, tev nākot! 16 Tavs nams un tava valsts pastāvēs mūžīgi manā priekšā, tavs tronis būs stiprs uz mūžiem!” 17 Nātāns izstāstīja Dāvidam visus šos vārdus un visu savu redzējumu.
Dāvida lūgšana
(1L 17:16–27)18 Tad ķēniņš Dāvids nāca, apsēdās Kunga priekšā un sacīja: “Kas gan es esmu, Kungs Dievs, kas gan mans nams, ka tu mani cēli tik augstu! 19 Vai tas tev vēl maz, Kungs Dievs, – tu runā par sava kalpa namu tik tālu nākotnē, un tā ir mācība cilvēkam, Kungs Dievs! 20 Ko vēl lai tev Dāvids saka? Tu taču pazīsti savu kalpu, Kungs Dievs! 21 Pēc saviem vārdiem un pēc savas sirds nolūka tu dari šīs diženās lietas, lai tavs kalps tās piedzīvotu! 22 Cik liels tu, Kungs Dievs, – neviens nav kā tu, nav cita Dieva bez tevis, to liecina viss, ko dzirdējām savām ausīm! 23 Kurš vēl ir kā tava tauta – kā Israēls? Vienīgā tauta virs zemes, kuru Dievs gāja izpirkt sev par tautu, lai pagodinātu sevi, lai veiktu diženas lietas, bijājamas lietas – tavā zemē, tavas tautas priekšā, kuru tu sev izpirki no Ēģiptes, no tautām un viņu dieviem! 24 Savu tautu Israēlu tu nostiprināji sev par tautu uz mūžiem, tu, Kungs, kļuvi viņiem par Dievu!
25 Tad nu, Kungs Dievs, tiem vārdiem, ko tu runāji par savu kalpu un viņa namu, liec pastāvēt mūžam un dari, kā esi sacījis! 26 Tavs vārds būs varens uz mūžiem, tie sacīs: Pulku Kungs – Israēla Dievs! Un tava kalpa Dāvida nams pastāvēs tavā priekšā! 27 Tu, Pulku Kungs, Israēla Dievs, tā vēstīji savam kalpam: es tev uzcelšu namu – tavs kalps ir uzdrīkstējies tev sacīt šo lūgšanu!
28 Mans Kungs, Dievs, tu esi Dievs, tavi vārdi ir patiesi, ko tu sacīji savam kalpam – tas labs! 29 Lai tev tīk svētīt sava kalpa namu, lai tas ir mūžīgi tavā priekšā – jo tu, mans Kungs, Dievs, esi runājis, un tava kalpa nams būs svētīts ar tavu svētību mūžīgi!”
The Lord's Message to David
(1 Chronicles 17.1-15)1 King David moved into his new palace, and the Lord let his kingdom be at peace. 2 Then one day, as David was talking with Nathan the prophet, David said, “Look around! I live in a palace made of cedar, but the sacred chest has to stay in a tent.”
3 Nathan replied, “The Lord is with you, so do what you want!”
4 That night, the Lord told Nathan 5 to go to David and give him this message:
David, you are my servant, so listen to what I say. Why should you build a temple for me? 6 I didn't live in a temple when I brought my people out of Egypt, and I don't live in one now. A tent has always been my home wherever I have gone with them. 7 I chose leaders and told them to be like shepherds for my people Israel. But did I ever say anything to even one of them about building a cedar temple for me?
8 David, this is what I, the Lord All-Powerful, say to you. I brought you in from the fields where you took care of sheep, and I made you the leader of my people. 9 Wherever you went, I helped you and destroyed your enemies right in front of your eyes. I have made you one of the most famous people in the world.
10 I have given my people Israel a land of their own where they can live in peace, and they won't have to tremble with fear any more. Evil nations won't bother them, as they did 11 when I let judges rule my people. And I have kept your enemies from attacking you.
Now I promise that you and your descendants will be kings. 12 I'll choose one of your sons to be king when you reach the end of your life and are buried in the tomb of your ancestors. I'll make him a strong ruler, 13 and no one will be able to take his kingdom away from him. He will be the one to build a temple for me. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son.
When he does wrong, I'll see that he is corrected, just as children are corrected by their parents. 15 But I will never put an end to my agreement with him, as I put an end to my agreement with Saul, who was king before you. 16 I will make sure that one of your descendants will always be king.
17 Nathan told David exactly what he had heard in the vision.
David Gives Thanks to the Lord
(1 Chronicles 17.16-27)18 David went into the tent he had set up for the sacred chest. Then he sat there and prayed:
Lord All-Powerful, my family and I don't deserve what you have already done for us, 19 and yet you have promised to do even more. Is this the way you usually treat people? 20 I am your servant, and you know my thoughts, so there is nothing more that I need to say. 21 You have done this wonderful thing, and you have let me know about it, because you wanted to keep your promise.
22 Lord All-Powerful, you are greater than all others. No one is like you, and you alone are God. Everything we have heard about you is true. 23 And there is no other nation on earth like Israel, the nation you rescued from slavery in Egypt to be your own. You became famous by using great and wonderful miracles to force other nations and their gods out of your land, so your people could live here. 24 You have chosen Israel to be your people forever, and you have become their God.
25 And now, Lord God, please do what you have promised me and my descendants. 26 Then you will be famous forever, and everyone will say, “The Lord God All-Powerful rules Israel, and David's descendants are his chosen kings.” 27 After all, you really are Israel's God, the Lord All-Powerful. You've told me that you will let my descendants be kings. That's why I have the courage to pray to you like this, even though I am only your servant.
28 Lord All-Powerful, you are God. You have promised me some very good things, and you can be trusted to do what you promise. 29 Please bless my descendants and let them always be your chosen kings. You have already promised, and I'm sure that you will bless my family forever.