2 Samuel 7

1 And it came to pass, when the king had taken up his abode in his house, —and Yahweh had given him rest round about, from all his enemies,

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 unto Nathan the prophet, See, I pray thee—I, have my abode in a house, of cedar, but, the ark of God, abideth in, the midst, of curtains.

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 unto the king, All that is in thy heart, go—do, —for Yahweh is with thee.

And Nathan said to the king: “Go, do all that is in your heart. For the Lord is with you.”

4 But so it was, in that night, that the word of Yahweh came unto Nathan, saying:

But it happened in that night, behold, the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:

5 Go and say unto my servant—unto David: Thus, saith Yahweh, —Shalt, thou, 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 seeing that I have not dwelt in a house, since the day that I brought up the sons of Israel out of Egypt, even unto this day, —but have been wandering in a tent as my habitation?

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 Wheresoever I have wandered with any of the sons of Israel, spake I ever, a word, with any one of the tribes of Israel, whom I charged to shepherd my people Israel, saying, —Wherefore have ye 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 Now, therefore, thus, shalt thou say unto my servant, unto David: Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, I myself, took thee away from the pasture, from after the flock, —to become leader 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 was with thee, whithersoever thou didst go, and have cut off all thine enemies, from before thee, —and will make thee a name, like the name of the great ones who are in 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 will appoint a place for my people, for Israel, and will plant them, and they shall inhabit their place, and be unsettled no more, —neither shall the sons of perversity again humiliate them, as at first;

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 even from the day when I put judges in charge over my people Israel, thus will I give thee rest from all thine enemies. And Yahweh must tell thee that, a house, will Yahweh make for thee.

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 be that, when thy days shall be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, then will I raise up thy seed after thee, which proceedeth from thine own body, —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 a house for my name, —and I will establish his kingly throne unto times age-abiding:

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

14 I, will become his father, And, he, shall become my son: If he commit iniquity, then will I correct 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 lovingkindness, shall not depart from him, —as I caused it to depart from Saul, whom I caused to depart from before thee.

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 So shall thy house and thy kingdom be made steadfast unto times age-abiding, before thee, —thy throne, shall be established unto times age-abiding.

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, spake Nathan unto David.

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

18 Then entered King David, and tarried before Yahweh, —and said—Who am, I, My Lord, Yahweh, and what is my house, that thou hast brought 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 and hast yet further made this seem little in thine eyes, My Lord, Yahweh, in that thou hast spoken, even of the house, of thy servant, for a great while to come? This, then is the law of manhood, O My Lord, Yahweh!

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 What more, then, can David yet further speak unto thee, —seeing that, thou thyself knowest thy servant, O My Lord Yahweh?

Therefore, what more will David be able to say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God.

21 For the sake of thine own word, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this great thing, —making it known unto thy 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 For this cause, hast thou magnified thyself, O Yahweh Elohim, —for there is none like unto, thee, yea there is no God besides thee, according to all that 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 Who, then, is like thy people, like Israel, a nation alone in the earth? whom God went to redeem for himself as a people, so to make himself a name, and to do for you the great deed, fearful things also for thy land, to make way for thy people, whom thou hadst redeemed for thyself, out of Egypt, [dealing with] nations and their god’s;

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 hast established for thyself thy people Israel—for thyself as a people, unto times age-abiding, —thou thyself, also, O Yahweh, becoming 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 Now, therefore, O Yahweh Elohim, the word which thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, confirm thou, unto times age-abiding, —and do, as thou hast spoken:

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 that thy name may be age-abidingly magnified, saying, Yahweh of hosts, is God over Israel, and so, the house of thy servant David, be established before thee.

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 For, thou, O Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, hast unveiled the ear of thy servant, saying—A house, will I build for thee. For this cause, hath thy servant found in his heart, to pray unto thee, this prayer.

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 Now, therefore, O My Lord, Yahweh, thou, art God, and, thy words, shall prove true, —therefore hast thou spoken unto thy servant this goodness.

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 Now, therefore, be pleased to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue age-abidingly before thee, —for, thou, O My Lord, Yahweh, hast spoken, therefore, with thine own blessing, shall the house of thy servant be age-abidingly blessed.

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.”