2 Samuel 7

1 And it cometh to pass, when the king sat in his house, and Jehovah hath given rest to him round about, from all his enemies,

By now the king was comfortable in his palace and the Lord had given him peace from all the enemy nations around him.

2 that the king saith unto Nathan the prophet, 'See, I pray thee, I am dwelling in a house of cedars, and the ark of God is dwelling in the midst of the curtain.'

So he said to Nathan the prophet, “Look at me—I live in a palace made of cedar, but the Ark of God is still in a tent.”

3 And Nathan saith unto the king, 'All that [is] in thine heart — go, do, for Jehovah [is] with thee.'

“Go ahead, do whatever you want, for the Lord is with you,” Nathan told the king.

4 And it cometh to pass in that night, that the word of Jehovah is unto Nathan, saying,

But that night the Lord spoke to Nathan and told him,

5 'Go, and thou hast said unto My servant, unto David, Thus said Jehovah, Dost thou build for Me a house for My dwelling in?

“Go and tell my servant David, This is what the Lord says: Should you be the one to build a house for me to live in?

6 for I have not dwelt in a house even from the day of My bringing up the sons of Israel out of Egypt, even unto this day, and am walking up and down in a tent and in a tabernacle.

For I have never lived in a house, from the time I led the Israelites out of Egypt up till now. I have always moved from place to place, living in a tent and a Tabernacle.

7 During all [the time] that I have walked up and down among all the sons of Israel, a word have I spoken with one of the tribes of Israel which I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, 'Why have ye not built to Me a house of cedars?

But in all those travels with all of Israel did I ever ask any Israelite leader I'd ordered to take care of my people, ‘Why haven't you built a cedar house for me?’

8 and now, thus dost thou say to My servant, to David: 'Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, I have taken thee from the comely place, from after the flock, to be leader over My people, over Israel;

So then, tell my servant David this is what the Lord Almighty says. It was me who took you from the fields, from looking after sheep, to become a leader of my people Israel.

9 and I am with thee whithersoever thou hast gone, and I cut off all thine enemies from thy presence, and have made for thee a great name, as the name of the great ones who [are] in the earth,

I have been with you wherever you've gone. I have destroyed all your enemies right in front of you, and I will make your reputation as great as the most famous people on earth.

10 and I have appointed a place for My people, for Israel, and have planted it, and it hath tabernacled in its place, and it is not troubled any more, and the sons of perverseness do not add to afflict it any more, as in the beginning,

I will choose a place for my people Israel. I will settle them there and they won't be disturbed anymore. Evil people won't persecute them as they used to,

11 even from the day that I appointed judges over My people Israel; and I have given rest to thee from all thine enemies, and Jehovah hath declared to thee that Jehovah doth make for thee a house.

from the time I placed judges in charge of my people. I will defeat all of your enemies. Also I want to make it clear that I the Lord will build a house for you.

12 'When thy days are full, and thou hast lain with thy fathers, then I have raised up thy seed after thee which goeth out from thy bowels, and have established his kingdom;

For when you come to the end of your life and join your ancestors in death, I will bring to power one of your descendants, one of your sons, and make sure his kingdom is successful.

13 He doth build a house for My Name, and I have established the throne of his kingdom unto the age.

He will be the one to build me a house, and I will make sure his kingdom lasts forever.

14 I am to him for a father, and he is to Me for a son; whom in his dealings perversely I have even reproved with a rod of men, and with strokes of the sons of Adam,

I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me. If he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod like people do, like a parent punishing a child.

15 and My kindness doth not turn aside from him, as I turned it aside from Saul, whom I turned aside from before thee,

But I will never take away my kindness and love from him, as I did in the case of Saul who I removed before you.

16 and stedfast [is] thy house and thy kingdom unto the age before thee, thy throne is established unto the age.'

Your house and your kingdom will last forever; your dynasty will be secure forever.”

17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so spake Nathan unto David.

This is what Nathan explained to David—everything he was told in this divine revelation.

18 And king David cometh in and sitteth before Jehovah, and saith, 'Who [am] I, Lord Jehovah? and what my house, that Thou hast brought me hitherto?

Then King David went and sat down in the presence of the Lord. He prayed, “Who am I, Lord God, and what is significant about my family, that you have brought me to this place?

19 And yet this [is] little in Thine eyes, Lord Jehovah, and Thou dost speak also concerning the house of Thy servant afar off; and this [is] the law of the Man, Lord Jehovah.

God, you talk as if this was a small thing in your eyes, and you also have spoken about the future of my house, my family dynasty. Is this your usual way of dealing with human beings, Lord God?

20 And what doth David add more to speak unto Thee? and Thou, Thou hast known Thy servant, Lord Jehovah.

What more can I, David, tell you? You know exactly what your servant is like, Lord God.

21 Because of Thy word, and according to Thy heart, Thou hast done all this greatness, to cause Thy servant to know [it].

You're doing all this for me and you have explained it to me, your servant, and because of your promise and because it's what you want to do.

22 Therefore Thou hast been great, Jehovah God, for there is none like Thee, and there is no God save Thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

How great you are, Lord God! There really is no-one like you; there is no other God, only you. We have never heard about anyone else.

23 'And who [is] as Thy people, as Israel — one nation in the earth, whom God hath gone to redeem to Him for a people, and to make for Him a name — and to do for you the greatness — even fearful things for Thy land, at the presence of Thy people, whom Thou hast redeemed to Thee out of Egypt — [among the] nations and their gods?

Who else is as fortunate as your people Israel? Who else on earth did God go and redeem to make his own people? You gained a wonderful reputation for yourself by all the tremendous, amazing things you did in driving out other nations and their gods before your people as you redeemed them from Egypt.

24 Yea, Thou dost establish to Thee Thy people Israel, to Thee for a people unto the age, and Thou, Jehovah, hast been to them for God.

You made your people Israel your own forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.

25 'And now, Jehovah God, the word which Thou hast spoken concerning Thy servant, and concerning his house, establish unto the age, and do as Thou hast spoken;

So now, Lord God, please ensure that what you have said about me and my house happens, and is confirmed forever. Please do as you have promised,

26 And Thy Name is great unto the age, saying, Jehovah of Hosts [is] God over Israel, and the house of Thy servant David is established before Thee,

and may your true nature be honored forever, with people declaring, ‘The Lord Almighty is Israel's God!’ May the house of your servant David continue to be there in your presence.

27 For Thou, Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, Thou hast uncovered the ear of Thy servant, saying, A house I build for thee, therefore hath Thy servant found his heart to pray unto Thee this prayer;

Lord Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to me, your servant, telling me, ‘I will build a house for you.’ That's why your servant has had the courage to pray this prayer to you.

28 And now, Lord Jehovah, Thou [art] God Himself, and Thy words are truth, and Thou speakest unto Thy servant this goodness,

Lord Almighty, you are God! Your words are truth, and you are the one who has promised these good things to your servant.

29 And now, begin and bless the house of Thy servant, to be unto the age before Thee, for Thou, Lord Jehovah, hast spoken, and by Thy blessing is the house of Thy servant blessed — to the age.'

So now, please bless your servant's house that it may continue in your presence forever. For you have spoken, Lord God, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever.”