2 Samuel 7

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Once the king had settled into his palace and Yahweh had granted him rest from al the enemiessurrounding him,	1 And 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,
2 the king said to the prophet Nathan, 'Look, I am living in a cedar-wood palace, while the ark of God isunder awnings.'	2 He 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?
3 Nathan said to the king, 'Go and do whatever you have in mind, for Yahweh is with you.'	3 And Nathan said to the king: Go, do all that is in thy heart: because the Lord is with thee.
4 But that very night, the word of Yahweh came to Nathan:	4 But it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:
5 'Go and tell my servant David, "Yahweh says this: Are you to build me a temple for me to live in?	5 Go, and say to my servant David: Thus saith the Lord: Shalt thou build me a house to dwell in?
6 I have never lived in a house from the day when I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until today, buthave kept travel ing with a tent for shelter.	6 Whereas 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.
7 In al my travels with al the Israelites, did I say to any of the judges of Israel, whom I had commanded to shepherd my people Israel: Why do you not build me a cedar-wood temple?"	7 In 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?
8 This is what you must say to my servant David, "Yahweh Sabaoth says this: I took you from thepasture, from following the sheep, to be leader of my people Israel;	8 And now thus shalt thou speak to my servant David: Thus saith the Lord of hosts: a I took thee out of the pastures from following the sheep to be ruler over my people Israel:
9 I have been with you wherever you went; I have got rid of al your enemies for you. I am going to makeyour fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth.	9 And 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.
10 I am going to provide a place for my people Israel; I shall plant them there, and there they wil live andnever be disturbed again; nor wil they be oppressed by the wicked any more, as they were in former times	10 And 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,
11 ever since the time when I instituted judges to govern my people Israel; and I shal grant you rest fromal your enemies. Yahweh furthermore tel s you that he wil make you a dynasty.	11 From 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.
12 And when your days are over and you fal asleep with your ancestors, I shal appoint your heir, yourown son to succeed you (and I shal make his sovereignty secure.	12 And 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 thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 He wil build a temple for my name) and I shal make his royal throne secure for ever.	13 He shall build a house to my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
14 I shal be a father to him and he a son to me; if he does wrong, I shal punish him with a rod such asmen use, with blows such as mankind gives.	14 I 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.
15 But my faithful love wil never be withdrawn from him as I withdrew it from Saul, whom I removed frombefore you.	15 But my mercy I will not take away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before my face.
16 Your dynasty and your sovereignty will ever stand firm before me and your throne be for ever secure."'	16 And thy house shall be faithful, and thy kingdom for ever before thy face, and thy throne shall be firm for ever.
17 Nathan related al these words and this whole revelation to David.	17 According to all these words and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak to David.
18 King David then went in, sat down in Yahweh's presence and said: 'Who am I, Lord Yahweh, and whatis my lineage, for you to have led me as far as this?	18 And 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?
19 Yet, to you, Lord Yahweh, this seemed too little, and now you extend your promises for your servant'sfamily into the distant future. Such is human destiny, Lord Yahweh.	19 But 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.
20 What more can David say to you, since you, Lord Yahweh, know al about your servant?	20 And what can David say more unto thee? for thou knowest thy servant, O Lord God:
21 Because of your promise and since you were so inclined, you have had the generosity to reveal this toyour servant.	21 For thy word's sake, and according to thy own heart thou hast done all these great things, so that thou wouldst make it known to thy servant.
22 That is why you are great, Lord Yahweh; there is no one like you, no God but you alone, as everythingthat we have heard confirms.	22 Therefore 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.
23 Is there another people on earth like your people, like Israel, whom a god proceeded to redeem, tomake them his people and to make a name for himself by performing great and terrible things on their behalf, bydriving out nations and their gods before his people? -	23 And 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.
24 for you constituted your people Israel your own people for ever and you, Yahweh, became their God.	24 For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be an everlasting people: and thou, O Lord God, art become their God.
25 'Now, Yahweh God, may the promise which you have made for your servant and for his family standfirm forever as you have said,	25 And 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,
26 so that your name wil be exalted for ever and people wil say, "Israel's God is Yahweh Sabaoth." Yourservant David's dynasty wil be secure before you,	26 That 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.
27 since you, Yahweh Sabaoth, the God of Israel, have disclosed to your servant, "I am going to buildyou a dynasty." Hence, your servant has ventured to offer this prayer to you.	27 Because 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.
28 Yes, Lord Yahweh, you are God indeed, your words are true and you have made this generouspromise to your servant.	28 And now, O Lord God, thou art God, and thy words shall be true: for thou hast spoken to thy servant these good things.
29 What is more, you have deigned to bless your servant's dynasty, so that it may remain for ever beforeyou; for you, Lord Yahweh, have spoken; and may your servant's dynasty be blessed with your blessing forever.'	29 And 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.