2 Samuel 7

1 And it cometh to pass, when the king sat in his house, and Jehovah hath given rest to him round about, from all his enemies,

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

2 that the king saith unto Nathan the prophet, 'See, I pray thee, I am dwelling in a house of cedars, and 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 saith unto the king, 'All that [is] in thine heart — go, do, for Jehovah [is] with thee.'

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

4 And it cometh to pass in that night, that the word of Jehovah is unto Nathan, saying,

But that night, Yahweh said to Nathan,

5 'Go, and thou hast said unto My servant, unto David, Thus said Jehovah, Dost thou 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 unto this day, and am walking up and down 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 During all [the time] that I have walked up and down among all the sons of Israel, a word have I spoken with one of the tribes of Israel which I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, 'Why have ye not built to Me a house of cedars?

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 dost thou say to My servant, to David: 'Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, I have taken thee from the comely place, 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 thee whithersoever thou hast gone, and I cut off all thine enemies from thy presence, and have made for thee a great name, 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 hath tabernacled in its place, and it is not troubled any more, and the sons of perverseness do not add to afflict it any more, 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 thee from all thine enemies, and Jehovah hath declared to thee that Jehovah doth make for thee a house.

12 'When thy days are full, and thou hast lain with thy fathers, then I have raised up thy seed after thee which goeth out from thy 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 doth build a house for My Name, and I have established the throne of his kingdom unto the age.

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 dealings 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 doth not turn aside from him, as I turned it aside from Saul, whom I turned aside from before thee,

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 stedfast [is] thy house and thy kingdom unto the age before thee, thy throne is established unto the age.'

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 spake Nathan unto David.

So Nathan told David everything that Yahweh had told him.

18 And king David cometh in and sitteth before Jehovah, and saith, 'Who [am] I, Lord Jehovah? and what my house, that Thou hast brought me hitherto?

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 Thine eyes, Lord Jehovah, and Thou dost speak also concerning the house of Thy servant afar off; and this [is] the law of the Man, Lord Jehovah.

“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 doth David add more to speak unto Thee? and Thou, Thou hast known Thy servant, Lord Jehovah.

“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 Thy word, and according to Thy heart, Thou hast done all this greatness, to cause Thy 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 Thou hast been great, Jehovah God, for there is none like Thee, and there is no God save Thee, 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 Thy people, as Israel — one nation in the earth, whom God hath gone to redeem to Him for a people, and to make for Him a name — and to do for you the greatness — even fearful things for Thy land, at the presence of Thy people, whom Thou hast redeemed to Thee 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 Yea, Thou dost establish to Thee Thy people Israel, to Thee for a people unto the age, and Thou, Jehovah, hast 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, Jehovah God, the word which Thou hast spoken concerning Thy servant, and concerning his house, establish unto the age, and do as Thou hast 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 Thy Name is great unto the age, saying, Jehovah of Hosts [is] God over Israel, and the house of Thy servant David is established before Thee,

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 Thou, Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, Thou hast uncovered the ear of Thy servant, saying, A house I build for thee, therefore hath Thy servant found his heart to pray unto Thee this prayer;

“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 Jehovah, Thou [art] God Himself, and Thy words are truth, and Thou speakest unto Thy servant this goodness,

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 Thy servant, to be unto the age before Thee, for Thou, Lord Jehovah, hast spoken, and by Thy blessing is the house of Thy servant blessed — to the age.'

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.”