2 Samuel 7

1 It happened, when the king lived in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies all around,

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

2 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."

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 Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in your heart; for the LORD is with you."

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

4 It happened the same night, that the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying,

But that night, Yahweh said to Nathan,

5 "Go and tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD, "Shall you build me a house for me to dwell 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 lived in a house since the day that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have moved around in a tent and in a tabernacle.

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 In all places in which I have walked throughout Israel, did I say a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to be shepherd of my people Israel, saying, 'Why have you not built me a house of cedar?'"'

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 Now therefore you shall tell my servant David this, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "I took you from the sheep pen, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people 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 have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and I will make for you a name like the name of the great ones of 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 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,

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 and from the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. I will cause you to rest from all your enemies. Moreover the LORD tells you that he will build you a house.

12 And it will come about when your days are fulfilled, and you sleep with your fathers, that I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish 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 will build a house for my name, and I will establish his throne forever.

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 will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with a human rod, and with the stripes from human beings;

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 but my loving kindness I will not take from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away 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 shall be made sure forever before me, and your throne shall be established forever."'"

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 Nathan spoke to David.

So Nathan told David everything that Yahweh had told him.

18 Then king David went in and sat before the LORD and said, "Who am I, Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?

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 This was a small thing in your eyes, my Lord, and you have spoken of your servant's house for a great while to come, and you have let me look upon the generation of humankind to come, Lord GOD.

“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 more can David add to you concerning the honor which is done to your servant? For you know your servant, LORD.

“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 For your servant's sake, and according to your own heart, you have worked all this greatness, to make your servant 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 are great, Lord GOD. For there is none like you, neither is there any God besides 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 what other nation on the earth is like your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for himself, and to make a name for yourself and to do great and awesome deeds by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and it's 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 And you established your people Israel for yourself to be your people forever; and you, LORD, became their God.

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

25 And now, my Lord, the word that you have spoken concerning your servant, and concerning his house, confirm it forever, 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 Let your name be magnified forever, saying, 'The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel,' and the house of your servant David shall be 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 have revealed to your servant, saying, 'I will build you a house.' Therefore your servant has found in 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 "Now, O Lord GOD, you are God, and your words are truth, and you have promised this good thing 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 Now therefore let it please you to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you; for you, Lord GOD, have spoken it. Let the house of your servant be blessed forever with your blessing."

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.”