It is different when I speak with my servant Moses; I have put him in charge of all my people Israel.

"Go and tell my servant David that I say to him, 'You are not the one to build a temple for me to live in.

"So tell my servant David that I, the LORD Almighty, say to him, 'I took you from looking after sheep in the fields and made you the ruler of my people Israel.

I have chosen a place for my people Israel and have settled them there, where they will live without being oppressed any more. Ever since they entered this land, they have been attacked by violent people, but this will not happen again. I promise to keep you safe from all your enemies and to give you descendants.

When you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will make one of your sons king and will keep his kingdom strong.

"You are that man," Nathan said to David. "And this is what the LORD God of Israel says: 'I made you king of Israel and rescued you from Saul.

I gave you his kingdom and his wives; I made you king over Israel and Judah. If this had not been enough, I would have given you twice as much.

The LORD lives! Praise my defender! Proclaim the greatness of the strong God who saves me!

and saves me from my foes. O LORD, you give me victory over my enemies and protect me from violent men.

God gives great victories to his king; he shows constant love to the one he has chosen, to David and his descendants forever.

All riches and wealth come from you; you rule everything by your strength and power; and you are able to make anyone great and strong.

"Yet my people and I cannot really give you anything, because everything is a gift from you, and we have only given back what is yours already.

He chose his servant David; he took him from the pastures,

David took care of them with unselfish devotion and led them with skill.

I will sing to you, O LORD, because you have been good to me.

Be confident, my heart, because the LORD has been good to me.

Be good to me, your servant, so that I may live and obey your teachings.

So I thought it was necessary to urge these believers to go to you ahead of me and get ready in advance the gift you promised to make. Then it will be ready when I arrive, and it will show that you give because you want to, not because you have to.

He will always make you rich enough to be generous at all times, so that many will thank God for your gifts which they receive from us.

If you obey him, the LORD will keep the promise he made when he told me that my descendants would rule Israel as long as they were careful to obey his commands faithfully with all their heart and soul.

If you will serve me in honesty and integrity, as your father David did, and if you obey my laws and do everything I have commanded you,

The LORD did this because David had done what pleased him and had never disobeyed any of his commands, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.

"Remember, LORD, that I have served you faithfully and loyally and that I have always tried to do what you wanted me to." And he began to cry bitterly.

Those who obey God in everything and always do what is right, whose words are true and sincere,

The LORD rewards me because I do what is right; he blesses me because I am innocent.

I have observed all his laws; I have not disobeyed his commands.

And so he rewards me because I do what is right, because he knows that I am innocent.

and prayed, 'Let us praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who has today made one of my descendants succeed me as king, and has let me live to see it!' "