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;

And it came to pass, when the king dwelt in his house, and the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies;

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.

That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, while the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.

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, all that is in thy heart go and do; for the Lord is with thee.

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

And it came to pass during that night, That the word of the Lord came unto 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 unto my servant, unto David, Thus hath said the Lord, Wilt thou indeed build me a house for my dwelling?

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 I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even until this day; but have been moving about in a tent and in a tabernacle.

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 moved about among all the children of Israel, did I speak a word to any one of the tribes of Israel, whom I ordained to feed my people Israel, saying, Why have ye not built for 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.

Now therefore, thus shalt thou say unto my servant, to David, Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, I took thee from the sheep-cote, from behind the flocks, to be a ruler over my people, over 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 thee whithersoever thou didst go, and I have cut off all thy enemies from thy presence, and I have made thee a great name, like the name of the great who are on 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 have procured a place for my people, for Israel, and I have planted them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and be no more troubled; and that the children of wickedness shall not afflict them any more as aforetimes,

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.

And [as it was] since the day that I ordained judges to be over my people Israel; and I have caused thee to rest from all thy enemies; and the Lord telleth thee that he, the Lord, will make thee a house.

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.

When thy days will be completed, and thou wilt sleep with thy fathers: then will I set up thy seed after thee, who shall proceed out of thy body, and I will establish his kingdom.

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

He it is that shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom 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 too will be to him as a father, and he shall indeed be to me as a son: so that when he committeth iniquity, I will chastise him with the rod of men, and with the plagues of the children of man;

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

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

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 thy house and thy kingdom shall be steadfast for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.

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

In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

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 went king David in, and sat down before the Lord, and he said, Who am I, O Lord Eternal? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me as far as hitherward?

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 yet too small a thing in thine eyes, O Lord Eternal; and thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a distant time. And is this the desert of man, O Lord Eternal?

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

And what can David add yet more to speak unto thee? since thou, O Lord Eternal, knowest well thy servant?

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,

For the sake of thy word, and in accordance with thy own heart, hast thou done all this great thing, so as to let thy servant know 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.

Therefore art thou great, O Eternal God; for there is none like thee, and there is no God beside thee, in accordance with all that we have heard with 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 who is like thy people, like Israel, the only nation on the earth, which God went to redeem for himself as a people, and to acquire for himself a name, and to do for you this great deed, and fearful things for thy land [to drive out], from before thy people which thou hast redeemed for thyself from Egypt, nations and their gods.

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

For thou hast established for thyself thy people Israel as a people unto thee for ever; and thou, O Lord, art indeed become 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 Eternal God, let the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, stand firm for ever, and do as thou hast spoken.

26 Let your name be magnified for ever.

And let thy name be magnified unto everlasting, that men may say, The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel: and may the house of thy servant David be established before thee.

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 thou, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, hast revealed to the ear of thy servant, saying, A house will be built up for thee; therefore hath thy servant found the heart to pray unto thee this prayer.

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 Eternal, thou art the [true] God, and thy words must become the truth, and thou hast spoken unto thy servant this goodness:

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.

And now let it please thee and bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee; for thou, O Lord Eternal, hast spoken it; and from thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.