II Samuel 7

¹Now 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,

²he 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?”

³And Nathan said to the king: “Go, do all that is in your heart. For the Lord is with you.”

⁴But 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: Should you build a house for me as a dwelling place?

⁶For 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.

⁷And 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?’

⁸And 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.

⁹And 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.

¹⁰And 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,

¹¹from 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.

¹²And 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.

¹³He himself shall build a house to my name. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom, even forever.

¹⁴I 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.

¹⁵But my mercy I will not take away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before my face.

¹⁶And your house shall be faithful, and your kingdom shall be before your face, for eternity, and your throne shall be secure continuously.’ ”

¹⁷According to all these words, and according to this entire vision, so did Nathan speak to David.

¹⁸Then 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?

¹⁹Moreover, 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.

²⁰Therefore, what more will David be able to say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God.

²¹Because 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.

²²For 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.

²³But 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.

²⁴For you have secured your people Israel for yourself, as an everlasting people. And you, O Lord God, have become their God.

²⁵Now 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,

²⁶so 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.

²⁷For 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.

²⁸Now therefore, O Lord God, you are God, and your words shall be true. For you have spoken to your servant these good things.

²⁹Therefore, 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.”

II Samuel 7

¹And it came to pass when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies,

²He said to Nathan the prophet: Dost thou see that I dwell in a house of cedar, and the ark of God is lodged within skins?

³And Nathan said to the king: Go, do all that is in they heart: because the Lord is with thee.

⁴But it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:

⁵Go, and say to my servant David: Thus saith the Lord: Shalt thou build me a house to dwell in?

⁶Whereas I have not dwelt in a house from the day that I brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt even to this day: but have walked in a tabernacle, and in a tent.

⁷In all the places that I have gone through with all the children of Israel, did ever I speak a word to any one of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying: Why have you not built me a house of cedar?

⁸And now thus shalt thou speak to my servant David: Thus saith the Lord of hosts: I took thee out of the pastures from following the sheep to be ruler over my people Israel:

⁹And I have been with thee wheresoever thou hast walked, and have slain all thy enemies from before thy face: and I have made thee a great man, like unto the name of the great ones that are on the earth.

¹⁰And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them, and they shall dwell therein, and shall be disturbed no more: neither shall the children of iniquity afflict them any more as they did before,

¹¹From the day that I appointed judges over my people Israel: and I will give thee rest from all thy enemies. And the Lord foretelleth to thee, that the Lord will make thee a house.

¹²And when thy days shall be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of the bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

¹³He shall build a house to my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom fore ever.

¹⁴I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son: and if he commit any iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men.

¹⁵But my mercy I will not take away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before my face.

¹⁶And thy house shall be faithful, and thy kingdom for ever before thy face, and thy throne shall be firm for ever.

¹⁷According to all these words and according to all this vision so did Nathan speak to David.

¹⁸And David went in, and sat before the Lord, and said: Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me thus far?

¹⁹Bur yet this hath seemed little in thy sight, O Lord God, unless thou didst also speak of the house of thy servant for a long time to come: for this is the law of Adam, O Lord God:

²⁰And what can David say more unto thee? for thou knowest thy servant, O Lord God:

²¹For thy word's sake, and according to thy own heart thou has done all these great things, so that thou wouldst make it known to thy servant.

²²Therefore thou art magnified, O Lord God, because there is none like to thee, neither is there any God besides thee, in all the things that we have heard with our ears.

²³And what nation is there upon earth, as thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for them great and terrible things, upon the earth, before the face of thy people, whom thou redeemedst to thyself out of Egypt, from the nations and their gods.

²⁴For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be an everlasting people: and thou, O Lord God, art become their God.

²⁵And now, O Lord God, raise up for ever the word that thou hast spoken, concerning thy servant and concerning his house: and do as thou hast spoken,

²⁶That thy name may be magnified for ever, and it may be said: The Lord of hosts is God over Israel. And the house of thy servant David shall be established before the Lord.

²⁷Because thou, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to the ear of thy servant, saying: I will build thee a house: therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer to thee.

²⁸And now, O Lord God, thou art God, and thy words shall be true: for thou hast spoken to thy servant these good things.

²⁹And now begin, and bless the house of thy servant, that it may endure for ever before thee: because thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it, and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.