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 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 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.

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, Go and do all that [is] in your heart, for the Lord [is] with you.

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

But it happened in that night, behold, 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: ‘Thus says the Lord: Should you build a house for me as a dwelling place?

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 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 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?

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 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.

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

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

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

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 his house shall be made sure, and his kingdom for ever before me, and his throne shall be set up 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 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

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

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

Therefore, what more will David be able to say to you? For you know 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 according to your own heart, you have done all these great deeds, so that you would make it known to your servant.

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.

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 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?

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 And you has prepared for yourself your people Israel to be a people for ever, and you, Lord, are 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 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,

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 Let your name be magnified for ever.

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

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 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.

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.”