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 dwelt in his house, and Jehovah had given him rest from all his enemies round about,
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 to Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within curtains.
3 “Go ahead, do whatever you want, for the Lord is with you,” Nathan told the king.
And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thy heart, for Jehovah is with thee.
4 But that night the Lord spoke to Nathan and told him,
And it came to pass the same night, that the word of Jehovah came to 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 tell my servant David, Thus says Jehovah, Shall thou build 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.
For I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up the sons of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.
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?’
In all places in which I have walked with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to be shepherd of my people Israel, saying, Why have ye not built for 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 thou shall say to my servant David, Thus says Jehovah of hosts, I took thee from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, that thou should be prince 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 I have been with thee wherever thou went, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee. And I will make thee a great name, like the name of the great ones that are on 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 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 sons of iniquity afflict them any more, as at the 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.
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 Jehovah tells thee that Jehovah will make thee a house.
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.
When thy days are fulfilled, and thou shall sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, who shall proceed out of thy bowels, 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 the throne of his kingdom forever.
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 be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten 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 loving kindness shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul whom I put away before thee.
16 Your house and your kingdom will last forever; your dynasty will be secure forever.”
And thy house and thy kingdom shall be made sure forever before thee; thy throne shall be established forever.
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 Nathan spoke to 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 David the king went in, and sat before Jehovah. And he said, Who am I, O lord Jehovah, and what is my house, that thou have brought me thus far?
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 this was yet a small thing in thine eyes, O lord Jehovah, but thou have spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and this too according to the manner of men, O lord Jehovah!
20 What more can I, David, tell you? You know exactly what your servant is like, Lord God.
And what can David say more to thee? For thou know thy servant, O lord Jehovah.
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 thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, thou have wrought all this greatness, to make thy servant know it.
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.
Therefore thou are great, O Jehovah God, for there is none like thee, neither is there any 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.
And what one nation on the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, and to make him a name, and to do great things for you, and awesome things for thy land, before thy people whom thou redeemed to thee out of Egypt, from the nations and their gods?
24 You made your people Israel your own forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.
And thou established to thyself thy people Israel to be a people to thee forever, and thou, Jehovah, became 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,
And now, O Jehovah God, the word that thou have spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, confirm it forever, and do as thou have 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.
And let thy name be magnified forever, saying, Jehovah of hosts is God over Israel, and the house of thy servant David shall 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 Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, have revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee a house. Therefore thy servant has found in his heart to pray this prayer to thee.
28 Lord Almighty, you are God! Your words are truth, and you are the one who has promised these good things to your servant.
And now, O lord Jehovah, thou are God, and thy words are truth, and thou have promised this good thing to thy servant.
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 let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee, for thou, O lord Jehovah, have spoken it. And with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed forever.
