2 Samuel 7

1 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;

Now it happened that, when the king had settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies,

2 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.

he said to the prophet Nathan, “Do you not see that I live in a house of cedar, and that the ark of God has been placed in the midst of tent skins?”

3 And Nathan said to the king, all that is in thy heart go and do; for the Lord is with thee.

And Nathan said to the king: “Go, do all that is in your heart. For the Lord is with you.”

4 And it came to pass during that night, That the word of the Lord came unto Nathan, saying,

But it happened in that night, behold, the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:

5 Go and say unto my servant, unto David, Thus hath said the Lord, Wilt thou indeed build me a house for my dwelling?

“Go, and say to my servant David: ‘Thus says the Lord: Should you build a house for me as a dwelling place?

6 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.

For I have not lived in a house from the day that I led the sons of Israel away from the land of Egypt, even to this day. Instead, I have walked in a tabernacle, and in a tent.

7 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?

And in all the places that I have crossed through, with all the sons of Israel, did I ever speak a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I instructed to pasture my people Israel, saying: Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’

8 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;

And now, so shall you speak to my servant David: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pastures, from following the sheep, so that you would be the leader over my people Israel.

9 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;

And I have been with you everywhere that you walked. And I have slain all your enemies before your face. And I have made you a great name, beside the name of the great ones who are upon the earth.

10 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,

And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them, and they shall live there, and they shall no longer be disturbed. Neither shall the sons of iniquity continue to afflict them as before,

11 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.

from the day when I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give rest to you from all your enemies. And the Lord foretells to you that the Lord himself will make a house for you.

12 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.

And when your days will have been fulfilled, and you will sleep with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who will go forth from your loins, and I will make firm his kingdom.

13 He it is that shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

He himself shall build a house to my name. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom, even forever.

14 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;

I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. And if he will commit any iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and with the wounds of the sons of men.

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

But my mercy I will not take away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before my face.

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

And your house shall be faithful, and your kingdom shall be before your face, for eternity, and your throne shall be secure continuously.’”

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

According to all these words, and according to this entire vision, so did Nathan speak to David.

18 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?

Then king David entered and sat before the Lord, and he said: “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you would bring me to this point?

19 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?

Moreover, this has seemed little in your sight, O Lord God, unless you also will speak about the house of your servant for a long time. For this is the law of Adam, O Lord God.

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

Therefore, what more will David be able to say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God.

21 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.

Because of your word, and according to your own heart, you have done all these great deeds, so that you would make it known to your servant.

22 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.

For this reason, you are magnified, O Lord God. For there is no one like you. And there is no God except you, in all the things that we have heard with our own ears.

23 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.

But what nation is there upon the earth like your people Israel, because of whom God went forth, so that he might redeem a people for himself, and establish a name for himself, and accomplish for them great and terrible things upon the earth, before the face of your people, whom you redeemed for yourself away from Egypt, the nations and their gods.

24 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.

For you have secured your people Israel for yourself, as an everlasting people. And you, O Lord God, have become their God.

25 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.

Now therefore, O Lord God, raise up forever the word that you have spoken over your servant and over his house. And do just as you have said,

26 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.

so that your name may be magnified even forever, and so that it may be said: ‘The Lord of hosts is the God over Israel.’ And the house of your servant David will be established in the sight of the Lord.

27 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.

For you, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed to the ear of your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ Because of this, your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to you.

28 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:

Now therefore, O Lord God, you are God, and your words shall be true. For you have spoken to your servant these good things.

29 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.

Therefore, begin, and bless the house of your servant, so that it may be forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken. And so, let the house of your servant be blessed with your blessing forever.”