2 Samuel 7:25-29

7:25 So now, O Lord God, make this promise you have made about your servant and his family a permanent reality.¹ Do as you promised,² 7:26 so you may gain lasting fame,³ as people say,⁴ ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel!’ The dynasty⁵ of your servant David will be established before you, 7:27 for you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have told⁶ your servant, ‘I will build you a dynastic house.’⁷ That is why your servant has had the courage⁸ to pray this prayer to you. 7:28 Now, O sovereign Lord, you are the true God!⁹ May your words prove to be true!¹⁰ You have made this good promise to your servant!¹¹ 7:29 Now be willing to bless your servant’s dynasty¹² so that it may stand permanently before you, for you, O sovereign Lord, have spoken. By your blessing may your servant’s dynasty be blessed on into the future!”¹³

¹tn Heb “and now, O Lord God, the word which you spoke concerning your servant and concerning his house, establish permanently.”

²tn Heb “as you have spoken.”

³tn Heb “and your name might be great permanently.” Following the imperative in v. 23b, the prefixed verbal form with vav conjunctive indicates purpose/result.

⁴tn Heb “saying.” The words “as people” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.

⁵tn Heb “the house.” See the note on “dynastic house” in the following verse.

⁶tn Heb “have uncovered the ear of.”

⁷tn Heb “a house.” This maintains the wordplay from v. 11 (see the note on the word “house” there) and is continued in v. 29.

⁸tn Heb “has found his heart.”

⁹tn Heb “the God.” The article indicates uniqueness here.

¹⁰tn The translation understands the prefixed verb form as a jussive, indicating David’s wish/prayer. Another option is to take the form as an imperfect and translate “your words are true.”

¹¹tn Heb “and you have spoken to your servant this good thing.”

¹²tn Heb “house” (again later in this verse). See the note on “dynastic house” in v. 27.

¹³tn Or “permanently”; cf. NLT “it is an eternal blessing.”