1When King David was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all the surrounding enemies, 2the king summoned Nathan the prophet. “Look,” David said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace,* but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!”3Nathan replied to the king, “Go ahead and do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.”4But that same night the Lord said to Nathan,5“Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has declared: Are you the one to build a house for me to live in? 6I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. I have always moved from one place to another with a tent and a Tabernacle as my dwelling. 7Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel’s tribal leaders, the shepherds of my people Israel. I have never asked them, “Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?”’

8“Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. 9I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth! 10And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past, 11starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.
“ ‘Furthermore, the Lord declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings!

12For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. 13He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. 14I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. 15But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. 16Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’ ”17So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the Lord had said in this vision.
18Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed,“Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 19And now, Sovereign Lord, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! Do you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign Lord?

20“What more can I say to you? You know what your servant is really like, Sovereign Lord. 21Because of your promise and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known to your servant.
22“How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you! 23What other nation on earth is like your people Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your own people? You made a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations and gods that stood in their way. 24You made Israel your very own people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God.

25“And now, O Lord God, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. Confirm it as a promise that will last forever. 26And may your name be honored forever so that everyone will say, ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is God over Israel!’ And may the house of your servant David continue before you forever.27“O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, I have been bold enough to pray this prayer to you because you have revealed all this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you—a dynasty of kings!’ 28For you are God, O Sovereign Lord. Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to your servant. 29And now, may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you have spoken, and when you grant a blessing to your servant, O Sovereign Lord, it is an eternal blessing!”

Chapter 8

1After this, David defeated and subdued the Philistines by conquering Gath, their largest town. 2David also conquered the land of Moab. He made the people lie down on the ground in a row, and he measured them off in groups with a length of rope. He measured off two groups to be executed for every one group to be spared. The Moabites who were spared became David’s subjects and paid him tribute money.3David also destroyed the forces of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when Hadadezer marched out to strengthen his control along the Euphrates River. 4David captured 1,000 chariots, 7,000 charioteers, and 20,000 foot soldiers. He crippled all the chariot horses except enough for 100 chariots.

5 When Arameans from Damascus arrived to help King Hadadezer, David killed 22,000 of them. 6Then he placed several army garrisons in Damascus, the Aramean capital, and the Arameans became David’s subjects and paid him tribute money. So the Lord made David victorious wherever he went.7 David brought the gold shields of Hadadezer’s officers to Jerusalem, 8along with a large amount of bronze from Hadadezer’s towns of Tebah and Berothai.
9When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had destroyed the entire army of Hadadezer, 10he sent his son Joram to congratulate King David for his successful campaign. Hadadezer and Toi had been enemies and were often at war. Joram presented David with many gifts of silver, gold, and bronze.

11King David dedicated all these gifts to the Lord, as he did with the silver and gold from the other nations he had defeated—12from Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek—and from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.13So David became even more famous when he returned from destroying 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 14He placed army garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s subjects. In fact, the Lord made David victorious wherever he went.15So David reigned over all Israel and did what was just and right for all his people. 16Joab son of Zeruiah was commander of the army. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the royal historian. 17Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were the priests. Seraiah was the court secretary. 18Benaiah son of Jehoiada was captain of the king’s bodyguard. And David’s sons served as priestly leaders.

John 14:15-31

15“If you love me [  Jesus], obey* my commandments. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

22Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to him, “Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?”23Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. 24Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. 25I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

27“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. 28Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. 29 I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.30“I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me, 31but I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. Come, let’s be going.”

Psalm 119:33-48

33  Teach me your decrees, O Lord;
I will keep them to the end.

34  Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions;
I will put them into practice with all my heart.

35  Make me walk along the path of your commands,
for that is where my happiness is found.

36  Give me an eagerness for your laws
rather than a love for money!

37  Turn my eyes from worthless things,
and give me life through your word.

38  Reassure me of your promise,
made to those who fear you.

39  Help me abandon my shameful ways;
for your regulations are good.

40  I long to obey your commandments!
Renew my life with your goodness.

Waw

41  Lord, give me your unfailing love,
the salvation that you promised me.

42  Then I can answer those who taunt me,
for I trust in your word.

43  Do not snatch your word of truth from me,
for your regulations are my only hope.

44  I will keep on obeying your instructions
forever and ever.

45  I will walk in freedom,
for I have devoted myself to your commandments.

46  I will speak to kings about your laws,
and I will not be ashamed.

47  How I delight in your commands!
How I love them!

48  I honor and love your commands.
I meditate on your decrees.

Proverbs 15:33

33  Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom;
humility precedes honor