2 Samuel 7

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

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 said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.

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 said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.

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

4 And it came to pass the same night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying,

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

5 Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell 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 an house since the day that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked 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 In all places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel, spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedar?

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 Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be prince 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 have been with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee; and I will make thee a great name, like unto the name of the great ones that 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 will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as at the first,

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 and [as] from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel; and I will cause thee to rest from all thine enemies. Moreover the LORD telleth thee that the LORD will make thee an 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 be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish 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 shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

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

14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son: if he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men;

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 but my mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away 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 thine house and thy kingdom shall be made sure for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.

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 did Nathan speak unto David.

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

18 Then David the king went in, and sat before the LORD; and he said, Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me thus far?

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 this was yet a small thing in thine eyes, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant’s house for a great while to come; and this too after the manner of men, O Lord GOD!

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 can David say more unto thee? for thou knowest thy servant, O Lord GOD.

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

21 For thy word’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou wrought all this greatness, to make thy servant 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 Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside 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 what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem unto himself for a people, and to make him a name, and to do great things for you, and terrible things for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee out of Egypt, [from] 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 And thou didst establish to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever; and thou, LORD, becamest their God.

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

25 And now, O LORD God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, confirm thou it for ever, 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 let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is God over Israel: and the house of thy servant David shall be 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, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house: therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.

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, O Lord GOD, thou art God, and thy words are truth, and thou hast promised this good thing unto thy servant:

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

29 now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.

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.”