2 Samuel 7

New International Version

God’s Promise to David^(A)

7 After the king was settled in his palace^(B) and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies^(C) around him,^(D) ²he said to Nathan^(E) the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house^(F) of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”^(G)

³Nathan replied to the king, “Whatever you have in mind,^(H) go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.”

⁴But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:

⁵“Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you^(I) the one to build me a house to dwell in?^(J) ⁶I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day.^(K) I have been moving from place to place with a tent^(L) as my dwelling.^(M) ⁷Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites,^(N) did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd^(O) my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house^(P) of cedar?^(Q)”’

⁸“Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock,^(R) and appointed you ruler^(S) over my people Israel.^(T) ⁹I have been with you wherever you have gone,^(U) and I have cut off all your enemies from before you.^(V) Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth.^(W) ¹⁰And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant^(X) them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed.^(Y) Wicked^(Z) people will not oppress them anymore,^(AA) as they did at the beginning ¹¹and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders^[a]^(AB) over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.^(AC)

“‘The Lord declares^(AD) to you that the Lord himself will establish^(AE) a house^(AF) for you: ¹²When your days are over and you rest^(AG) with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood,^(AH) and I will establish his kingdom.^(AI) ¹³He is the one who will build a house^(AJ) for my Name,^(AK) and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.^(AL) ¹⁴I will be his father, and he will be my son.^(AM) When he does wrong, I will punish him^(AN) with a rod^(AO) wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. ¹⁵But my love will never be taken away from him,^(AP) as I took it away from Saul,^(AQ) whom I removed from before you. ¹⁶Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me^[b]; your throne^(AR) will be established^(AS) forever.^(AT)’”

¹⁷Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.

David’s Prayer^(AU)

¹⁸Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said:

“Who am I,^(AV) Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? ¹⁹And as if this were not enough in your sight, Sovereign Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant—and this decree,^(AW) Sovereign Lord, is for a mere human!^[c]

²⁰“What more can David say^(AX) to you? For you know^(AY) your servant,^(AZ) Sovereign Lord. ²¹For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.

²²“How great^(BA) you are,^(BB) Sovereign Lord! There is no one like^(BC) you, and there is no God^(BD) but you, as we have heard with our own ears.^(BE) ²³And who is like your people Israel^(BF)—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name^(BG) for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders^(BH) by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed^(BI) from Egypt?^[d] ²⁴You have established your people Israel as your very own^(BJ) forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.^(BK)

²⁵“And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise^(BL) you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, ²⁶so that your name^(BM) will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!’ And the house of your servant David will be established^(BN) in your sight.

²⁷“Lord Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ So your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. ²⁸Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy,^(BO) and you have promised these good things to your servant. ²⁹Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing^(BP) the house of your servant will be blessed forever.”

Footnotes

2 Samuel 7:11 Traditionally judges
2 Samuel 7:16 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts you
2 Samuel 7:19 Or for the human race
2 Samuel 7:23 See Septuagint and 1 Chron. 17:21; Hebrew wonders for your land and before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt, from the nations and their gods.

1 Timothy 1

New International Version

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God^(A) our Savior^(B) and of Christ Jesus our hope,^(C)

²To Timothy^(D) my true son^(E) in the faith:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.^(F)

Timothy Charged to Oppose False Teachers

³As I urged you when I went into Macedonia,^(G) stay there in Ephesus^(H) so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines^(I) any longer ⁴or to devote themselves to myths^(J) and endless genealogies.^(K) Such things promote controversial speculations^(L) rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. ⁵The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart^(M) and a good conscience^(N) and a sincere faith.^(O) ⁶Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. ⁷They want to be teachers^(P) of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.^(Q)

⁸We know that the law is good^(R) if one uses it properly. ⁹We also know that the law is made not for the righteous^(S) but for lawbreakers and rebels,^(T) the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, ¹⁰for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine^(U) ¹¹that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.^(V)

The Lord’s Grace to Paul

¹²I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength,^(W) that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.^(X) ¹³Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor^(Y) and a violent man, I was shown mercy^(Z) because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.^(AA) ¹⁴The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly,^(AB) along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.^(AC)

¹⁵Here is a trustworthy saying^(AD) that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners^(AE)—of whom I am the worst. ¹⁶But for that very reason I was shown mercy^(AF) so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience^(AG) as an example for those who would believe^(AH) in him and receive eternal life.^(AI) ¹⁷Now to the King^(AJ) eternal, immortal,^(AK) invisible,^(AL) the only God,^(AM) be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.^(AN)

The Charge to Timothy Renewed

¹⁸Timothy, my son,^(AO) I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you,^(AP) so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well,^(AQ) ¹⁹holding on to faith and a good conscience,^(AR) which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.^(AS) ²⁰Among them are Hymenaeus^(AT) and Alexander,^(AU) whom I have handed over to Satan^(AV) to be taught not to blaspheme.

Proverbs 5

New International Version

Warning Against Adultery

5 My son,^(A) pay attention to my wisdom,
    turn your ear to my words^(B) of insight,
²that you may maintain discretion
    and your lips may preserve knowledge.
³For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,
    and her speech is smoother than oil;^(C)
⁴but in the end she is bitter as gall,^(D)
    sharp as a double-edged sword.
⁵Her feet go down to death;
    her steps lead straight to the grave.^(E)
⁶She gives no thought to the way of life;
    her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.^(F)

⁷Now then, my sons, listen^(G) to me;
    do not turn aside from what I say.
⁸Keep to a path far from her,^(H)
    do not go near the door of her house,
⁹lest you lose your honor to others
    and your dignity^[a] to one who is cruel,
¹⁰lest strangers feast on your wealth
    and your toil enrich the house of another.^(I)
¹¹At the end of your life you will groan,
    when your flesh and body are spent.
¹²You will say, “How I hated discipline!
    How my heart spurned correction!^(J)
¹³I would not obey my teachers
    or turn my ear to my instructors.
¹⁴And I was soon in serious trouble^(K)
    in the assembly of God’s people.”^(L)

¹⁵Drink water from your own cistern,
    running water from your own well.
¹⁶Should your springs overflow in the streets,
    your streams of water in the public squares?
¹⁷Let them be yours alone,
    never to be shared with strangers.
¹⁸May your fountain^(M) be blessed,
    and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.^(N)
¹⁹A loving doe, a graceful deer^(O)—
    may her breasts satisfy you always,
    may you ever be intoxicated with her love.
²⁰Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife?
    Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?

²¹For your ways are in full view^(P) of the Lord,
    and he examines^(Q) all your paths.^(R)
²²The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them;^(S)
    the cords of their sins hold them fast.^(T)
²³For lack of discipline they will die,^(U)
    led astray by their own great folly.^(V)