Kings II 7

1 And it came to pass when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him an inheritance on every side [free] from all his enemies round about him;

Now when the king was living in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from war on every side;

2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, Behold now, I live in a house of cedar, and the ark of the Lord dwells in the midst of a tent.

The king said to Nathan the prophet, See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God is housed inside the curtains of a tent.

3 And Nathan said to the king, Go and do all that [is] in your heart, for the Lord [is] with you.

And Nathan said to the king, Go and do whatever is in your heart; for the Lord is with you.

4 And it came to pass in that night, that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying,

Now that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying,

5 Go, and say to my servant David, Thus says the Lord, You shall not build me a house for me to dwell in.

Go and say to my servant David, The Lord says, Are you to be the builder of a house, a living-place for me?

6 For I have not lived in a house from the day that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt to this day, but I have been walking in a lodge and in a tent,

For from the day when I took the children of Israel up out of Egypt till this day, I have had no house, but have gone from place to place in a tent.

7 wherever I went with all Israel. Have I ever spoken to any of the tribes of Israel, which I commanded to tend my people Israel, saying, Why have you not built me a house of Cedar?

In all the places where I went with all the children of Israel, did I ever say to any of the judges of Israel, to whom I gave the care of my people Israel, Why have you not made me a house of cedar?

8 And now thus shall you say to my servant David, Thus says the Lord Almighty, I took you from the sheep-cote, that you should be a prince over my people, over Israel.

Then say these words to my servant David, The Lord of armies says, I took you from the fields, from keeping the sheep, so that you might be a ruler over my people, over my people Israel:

9 And I was with you wherever you went, and I destroyed all your enemies before you, and I made you renowned according to the renown of the great ones on the earth.

And I have been with you wherever you went, cutting off before you all those who were against you; and I will make your name great, like the name of the greatest ones of the earth.

10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell by themselves, and shall be no more distressed; and the son of iniquity shall no more afflict them, as he [has done] from the beginning,

And I will make a resting-place for my people Israel, planting them there, so that they may be living in the place which is theirs, and never again be moved; and never again will they be troubled by evil men as they were at the first,

11 from the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel: and I will give you rest from all your enemies, and the Lord will tell you that you shall build a house to him.

From the time when I put judges over my people Israel; and I will give you peace from all who are against you. And the Lord says to you that he will make you the head of a line of kings.

12 And it shall come to pass when your days shall have been fulfilled, and you shall sleep with your fathers, that I will raise up your seed after you, even your own issue, and I will establish his kingdom.

And when the time comes for you to go to rest with your fathers, I will put in your place your seed after you, the offspring of your body, and I will make his kingdom strong.

13 He shall build for me a house to my name, and I will set up his throne even for ever.

He will be the builder of a house for my name, and I will make the seat of his authority certain for ever.

14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. And when he happens to transgress, then will I chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the sons of men.

I will be to him a father and he will be to me a son: if he does wrong, I will give him punishment with the rod of men and with the blows of the children of men;

15 But my mercy I will not take from him, as I took it from those whom I removed from my presence.

But my mercy will not be taken away from him, as I took it from him who was before you.

16 And his house shall be made sure, and his kingdom for ever before me, and his throne shall be set up for ever.

And your family and your kingdom will keep their place before me for ever: the seat of your authority will never be overturned.

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

So Nathan gave David an account of all these words and this vision.

18 And king David came in, and sat before the Lord, and said, Who am I, O Lord, my Lord, and what [is] my house, that you have loved me hitherto?

Then David the king went in and took his seat before the Lord, and said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have been my guide till now?

19 Whereas I was very little before you, O Lord, my Lord, yet you spoke concerning the house of your servant for a long time to [to come]. And [is] this the law of man, O Lord, my Lord?

And this was only a small thing to you, O Lord God; but your words have even been about the far-off future of your servant's family, O Lord God!

20 And what shall David yet say to you? and now you know your servant, O Lord, my Lord.

What more may David say to you? for you have knowledge of your servant, O Lord God.

21 And you have wrought for your servant's sake, and according to your heart you have wrought all this greatness, to make it known to your servant,

Because of your word and from your heart, you have done all this great work, and let your servant see it.

22 that he may magnify you, O my Lord; for there is no one like you, and there is no God, but you among all of whom we have heard with our ears.

Truly you are great, O Lord God: there is no one like you and no other God but you, as is clear from everything which has come to our ears.

23 And what other nation in the earth [is] as your people Israel? whereas God was his guide, to redeem for himself a people to make you a name, to do mightily and nobly, so that you should cast out nations an [their] tabernacles from the presence of your people, whom you did redeem for yourself out of Egypt?

And what other nation in the earth, like your people Israel, did a god go out to take for himself, to be his people, and to make a name for himself, and to do great and strange things for them, driving out a nation and its gods from before his people?

24 And you has prepared for yourself your people Israel to be a people for ever, and you, Lord, are become their God.

But you took and made strong for yourself your people Israel, to be your people for ever; and you, Lord, became their God.

25 And now, O my Lord, the Almighty Lord God of Israel, confirm the word for ever which you have spoken concerning your servant and his house: and now as you have said,

And now, O Lord God, may the word which you have said about your servant and about his family, be made certain for ever, and may you do as you have said!

26 Let your name be magnified for ever.

And let your name be made great for ever, and let men say, The Lord of armies is God over Israel: and let the family of David your servant be made strong before you!

27 Almighty Lord God of Israel, you have uncovered the ear of your servant, saying, I will build you a house: therefore your servant has found [in] his heart to pray this prayer to you.

For you, O Lord of armies, the God of Israel, have clearly said to your servant, I will make you the head of a family of kings: and so it has come into your servant's heart to make this prayer to you.

28 And now, O Lord my Lord, you are God; and your words will be true, and you have spoken these good things concerning your servant.

And now, O Lord God, you are God and your words are true and you have said you will give your servant this good thing;

29 And now begin and bless the house of your servant, that it may continue for ever before you; for you, O Lord, my Lord, have spoken, and the house of your servant shall be blessed with your blessing so as to continue for ever.

So may it be your pleasure to give your blessing to the family of your servant, so that it may go on for ever before you: (for you, O Lord God, have said it, ) and may your blessing be on your servant's family line for ever!