2 Samuel 7

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

And it came to pass, when the king had taken up his abode in his house, —and Yahweh had given him rest round about, from all his enemies,

2 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.”

that the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See, I pray thee—I, have my abode in a house, of cedar, but, the ark of God, abideth in, the midst, of curtains.

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

And Nathan said unto the king, All that is in thy heart, go—do, —for Yahweh is with thee.

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

But so it was, in that night, that the word of Yahweh came unto Nathan, saying:

5 “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?

Go and say unto my servant—unto David: Thus, saith Yahweh, —Shalt, thou, build me a house, for me to dwell in;

6 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.

seeing that I have not dwelt in a house, since the day that I brought up the sons of Israel out of Egypt, even unto this day, —but have been wandering in a tent as my habitation?

7 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?’

Wheresoever I have wandered with any of the sons of Israel, spake I ever, a word, with any one of the tribes of Israel, whom I charged to shepherd my people Israel, saying, —Wherefore have ye not built me a house, of cedar?

8 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.

Now, therefore, thus, shalt thou say unto my servant, unto David: Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, I myself, took thee away from the pasture, from after the flock, —to become leader over my people, over Israel;

9 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.

and was with thee, whithersoever thou didst go, and have cut off all thine enemies, from before thee, —and will make thee a name, like the name of the great ones who are in the earth;

10 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,

and will appoint a place for my people, for Israel, and will plant them, and they shall inhabit their place, and be unsettled no more, —neither shall the sons of perversity again humiliate them, as at first;

11 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.

even from the day when I put judges in charge over my people Israel, thus will I give thee rest from all thine enemies. And Yahweh must tell thee that, a house, will Yahweh make for thee.

12 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.

And it shall be that, when thy days shall be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, then will I raise up thy seed after thee, which proceedeth from thine own body, —and I will establish his kingdom.

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

He, shall build a house for my name, —and I will establish his kingly throne unto times age-abiding:

14 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.

I, will become his father, And, he, shall become my son: If he commit iniquity, then will I correct him, with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the sons of men;

15 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.

But, my lovingkindness, shall not depart from him, —as I caused it to depart from Saul, whom I caused to depart from before thee.

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

So shall thy house and thy kingdom be made steadfast unto times age-abiding, before thee, —thy throne, shall be established unto times age-abiding.

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

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

18 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?

Then entered King David, and tarried before Yahweh, —and said—Who am, I, My Lord, Yahweh, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me, hitherto;

19 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?

and hast yet further made this seem little in thine eyes, My Lord, Yahweh, in that thou hast spoken, even of the house, of thy servant, for a great while to come? This, then is the law of manhood, O My Lord, Yahweh!

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

What more, then, can David yet further speak unto thee, —seeing that, thou thyself knowest thy servant, O My Lord Yahweh?

21 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.

For the sake of thine own word, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this great thing, —making it known unto thy servant.

22 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.

For this cause, hast thou magnified thyself, O Yahweh Elohim, —for there is none like unto, thee, yea there is no God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

23 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.

Who, then, is like thy people, like Israel, a nation alone in the earth? whom God went to redeem for himself as a people, so to make himself a name, and to do for you the great deed, fearful things also for thy land, to make way for thy people, whom thou hadst redeemed for thyself, out of Egypt, [dealing with] nations and their god’s;

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

and hast established for thyself thy people Israel—for thyself as a people, unto times age-abiding, —thou thyself, also, O Yahweh, becoming their God.

25 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,

Now, therefore, O Yahweh Elohim, the word which thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, confirm thou, unto times age-abiding, —and do, as thou hast spoken:

26 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.

that thy name may be age-abidingly magnified, saying, Yahweh of hosts, is God over Israel, and so, the house of thy servant David, be established before thee.

27 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.

For, thou, O Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, hast unveiled the ear of thy servant, saying—A house, will I build for thee. For this cause, hath thy servant found in his heart, to pray unto thee, this prayer.

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

Now, therefore, O My Lord, Yahweh, thou, art God, and, thy words, shall prove true, —therefore hast thou spoken unto thy servant this goodness.

29 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.”

Now, therefore, be pleased to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue age-abidingly before thee, —for, thou, O My Lord, Yahweh, hast spoken, therefore, with thine own blessing, shall the house of thy servant be age-abidingly blessed.