2 Samuel 7

1 And it comes to pass, when the king sat in his house, and YHWH has given rest to him all around, from all his enemies,

After [King] David began to live in his palace, Yahweh protected him from all his enemies.

2 that the king says to Nathan the prophet, “Now see, I am dwelling in a house of cedars, but the Ark of God is dwelling in the midst of the curtain.”

One day he said to the prophet Nathan, “[It is not right that] I am here, living in a [beautiful] house made of cedar [wood], but the chest that contains God’s Ten Commandments is kept in a tent!”

3 And Nathan says to the king, “All that [is] in your heart—go, do, for YHWH [is] with you.”

Then Nathan said to the king, “Yahweh is helping/directing you, so do [regarding that chest] whatever you are thinking.”

4 And it comes to pass in that night, that the word of YHWH is to Nathan, saying,

But that night, Yahweh said to Nathan,

5 “Go, and you have said to My servant, to David, Thus said YHWH: Do you build for Me a house for My dwelling in?

“Go and tell my servant, David, that this is what [I], Yahweh, am saying to him: ‘You are not the one [RHQ] who should build a temple for me to live in.

6 For I have not dwelt in a house even from the day of My bringing up the sons of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, and am walking up and down in a tent and in a dwelling place.

I have not lived in any building from the day that I brought the Israeli people up from Egypt until now. Instead, I have been living in a tent, moving from one place to another [when the Israelis] moved to other places.

7 During all [the time] that I have walked up and down among all the sons of Israel, have I spoken a word with one of the tribes of Israel, which I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why have you not built a house of cedars for Me?

Wherever I went with all the Israelis [as they traveled], I never said [RHQ] to any of their leaders whom I appointed to lead them, “Why have you not built me a temple made of cedar [wood]?”’

8 And now, thus you say to My servant, to David, Thus said YHWH of Hosts: I have taken you from the pasture, from after the flock, to be leader over My people, over Israel;

So this is what you should say to my servant David: ‘The Almighty Commander of the armies of angels says that he took you from a pasture where you were taking care of sheep, [and appointed you] to become the ruler of my Israeli people.

9 and I am with you wherever you have gone, and I cut off all your enemies from your presence, and have made a great name for you, as the name of the great ones who [are] in the earth,

I have (been with/helped) you wherever you have gone. I have gotten rid of all your enemies as you advanced. I will enable you to become very famous, as well-known as the names of all the greatest men [who have ever lived] on the earth.

10 and I have appointed a place for My people, for Israel, and have planted it, and it has dwelt in its place, and it is not troubled anymore, and the sons of perverseness do not add to afflict it anymore, as in the beginning,

Formerly, during the time that I appointed leaders for my Israeli people, many violent groups oppressed the Israelis. But this will not happen any more. I have chosen a place where my Israeli people can live [peacefully] and no one will disturb them any more. I will give them rest from [being attacked by] their enemies. And I will defeat all your enemies. I declare to you that I, Yahweh, will enable your descendants to rule after you [die].

11 even from the day that I appointed judges over My people Israel; and I have given rest to you from all your enemies, and YHWH has declared to you that YHWH makes a house for you.

12 When your days are full, and you have lain with your fathers, then I have raised up your seed after you which goes out from your bowels, and have established his kingdom;

When your life ends [EUP] and you go to be with your ancestors, I will appoint one of your sons to be king, and I will enable his kingdom to (be strong/resist all their enemies).

13 he builds a house for My Name, and I have established the throne of his kingdom for all time.

He is the one who will arrange for a temple to be built for me [MTY], and I will cause his [descendants] to be kings [MTY] [of Israel] forever.

14 I am to him for a father, and he is to Me for a son; whom in his dealing perversely I have even reproved with a rod of men, and with strokes of the sons of Adam,

I will be [like] a father to him, and [it will be as though] he [is] a son to me [MET]. When he does something that is wrong, I will punish him as fathers punish their sons.

15 and My kindness does not turn aside from him, as I turned it aside from Saul, whom I turned aside from before you,

But I will not stop faithfully loving him as I stopped loving Saul, whom I removed from being king before you became king.

16 and your house and your kingdom [are] steadfast before you for all time, your throne is established for all time.”

Your descendants will rule the kingdom [of Israel] forever. Their rule will never end. [DOU]’”

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

So Nathan told David everything that Yahweh had told him.

18 And King David comes in and sits before YHWH, and says, “Who [am] I, Lord YHWH? And what [is] my house, that You have brought me here?

Then David went into [the Sacred Tent] and sat in the presence of Yahweh, and prayed this: “Yahweh, my God, I am not worthy [RHQ] [for you to have done all these things] for me, and my family is not worthy, either.

19 And yet this [is] little in Your eyes, Lord YHWH, and You also speak concerning the house of Your servant far off; and this [is] the law of the man, Lord YHWH.

“And now, O Yahweh my God, in addition to everything else, you have spoken about what will happen to my descendants in the future for many generations.

20 And what does David add more to speak to You? And You, You have known Your servant, Lord YHWH.

“Yahweh God, what more can I, David, say to you [for honoring me]? Although you know very well [what I am like], Yahweh my God, you have done things for me as though I was the most important man [on the earth]!

21 Because of Your word, and according to Your heart, You have done all this greatness, to cause Your servant to know [it].

For my sake and because it is what you wanted to do, you have done all these great things for me.

22 Therefore You have been great, YHWH God, for there is none like You, and there is no God except You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

“Yahweh my God, you are great. There is no one like you. Only you are God, just as we have always heard.

23 And who [is] as Your people, as Israel—one nation in the earth, whom God has gone to redeem for a people for Himself, and to make for Himself a name—and to do for Yourself the greatness—even fearful things for Your land, at the presence of Your people, whom You have redeemed for Yourself out of Egypt—[among the] nations and their gods?

And there is no other nation in the world like Israel. Israel is the only nation on the earth whose people you went out to rescue [RHQ]. By the great and awesome things that you did, you have become famous/well-known throughout the world. As your people advanced [through this land], you expelled other people-groups [who were here in Canaan], who worshiped other gods.

24 Indeed, You establish Your people Israel for Yourself, for a people for Yourself for all time, and You, YHWH, have been to them for God.

And you caused us Israeli people to be your people forever, and you, Yahweh, have become our God!

25 And now, YHWH God, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant, and concerning his house, establish for all time, and do as You have spoken.

“And now, Yahweh my God, [I pray that you will] cause the things that you promised to me about my descendants to be fulfilled forever, and [that you will] do the things that you said [that you would do].

26 And Your Name is great for all time, saying, YHWH of Hosts [is] God over Israel, and the house of Your servant David is established before You,

When that happens, you will become famous forever, and people will exclaim, ‘The Almighty Commander of the armies of angels is the God who rules Israel.’ And you will cause that forever there will be descendants of mine who will rule.

27 for You, YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel, have uncovered the ear of Your servant, saying, I build a house for you, therefore Your servant has found his heart to pray this prayer to You.

“Yahweh Almighty, the God whom we Israeli people [worship], you have revealed to me that you will make some of my descendants kings. For that reason, I have been brave enough to pray like this to you.

28 And now, Lord YHWH, You [are] God Himself, and Your words are truth, and You speak this goodness to Your servant,

So now, O Yahweh Almighty, because you are God, we can trust that you will do what you promise. You have promised these good things to me.

29 and now, begin and bless the house of Your servant, to be before You for all time, for You, Lord YHWH, have spoken, and by Your blessing the house of Your servant is blessed for all time.”

So now I ask you that if it pleases you, you will bless my descendants, in order that they may continue [to rule] forever. Yahweh God, you have promised these things, and [so I know that] you will keep blessing my descendants forever.”