וַיְהִי כִּי יָשַׁב הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּבֵיתוֹ וַה' הֵנִיחַ לוֹ מִסָּבִיב מִכָּל אֹיְבָיו

It was when the king had settled in his house, and the Lord had given him respite from all his surrounding enemies, there were no ongoing wars at the time;

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל נָתָן הַנָּבִיא רְאֵה נָא אָנֹכִי יוֹשֵׁב בְּבֵית אֲרָזִים וַאֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים יֹשֵׁב בְּתוֹךְ הַיְרִיעָה

and the king said to Natan the prophet: See now, I am dwelling in a house of cedar that Hiram built for me, but the Ark of God dwells within the curtain. This is inappropriate; I must build a House for God.

וַיֹּאמֶר נָתָן אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר בִּלְבָבְךָ לֵךְ עֲשֵׂה כִּי ה' עִמָּךְ

Natan said to the king: Go, do everything that is in your heart, as the Lord is with you. Natan did not cite God’s answer; rather, he offered his own agreement to David’s request.

וַיְהִי בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא וַיְהִי דְּבַר ה' אֶל נָתָן לֵאמֹר

However, it was on that night and the word of the Lord was with Natan, saying:

לֵךְ וְאָמַרְתָּ אֶל עַבְדִּי אֶל דָּוִד כֹּה אָמַר ה' הַאַתָּה תִּבְנֶה לִּי בַיִת לְשִׁבְתִּי

Go and say to My servant, to David: So said the Lord: Shall you build Me a House for My living place?

כִּי לֹא יָשַׁבְתִּי בְּבַיִת לְמִיּוֹם הַעֲלֹתִי אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם וְעַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וָאֶהְיֶה מִתְהַלֵּךְ בְּאֹהֶל וּבְמִשְׁכָּן

It is not your duty to do so, for I have not dwelled in a house from the day that I took up the children of Israel from Egypt, to this day; I would make my way in a tent and in a tabernacle. Not even the Tabernacle in Shilo was a proper building; although its walls were made of stone, the curtains of the Tabernacle served as its roof.

בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר הִתְהַלַּכְתִּי בְּכָל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הֲדָבָר דִּבַּרְתִּי אֶת אַחַד שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִי לִרְעוֹת אֶת עַמִּי אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר לָמָּה לֹא בְנִיתֶם לִי בֵּית אֲרָזִים

Whenever I made my way among all the children of Israel, did I speak a word to any of the leaders of the tribes of Israel, whom I had commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying: Why did you not build Me a house of cedar? I have never asked them to perform this task.

וְעַתָּה כֹּה תֹאמַר לְעַבְדִּי לְדָוִד כֹּה אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת אֲנִי לְקַחְתִּיךָ מִן הַנָּוֶה מֵאַחַר הַצֹּאן לִהְיוֹת נָגִיד עַל עַמִּי עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל

Now, so you shall say to My servant David: So said the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from after the flock, to be ruler, king, over My people, over Israel.

וָאֶהְיֶה עִמְּךָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר הָלַכְתָּ וָאַכְרִתָה אֶת כָּל אֹיְבֶיךָ מִפָּנֶיךָ וְעָשִׂתִי לְךָ שֵׁם גָּדוֹל כְּשֵׁם הַגְּדֹלִים אֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ

I have been with you wherever you went, and I eliminated all your enemies from before you, and I made a great name for you, like the names of the most prominent men in the world. You are renowned in all the lands of the East as a great king.

וְשַׂמְתִּי מָקוֹם לְעַמִּי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וּנְטַעְתִּיו וְשָׁכַן תַּחְתָּיו וְלֹא יִרְגַּז עוֹד וְלֹא יֹסִיפוּ בְנֵי עַוְלָה לְעַנּוֹתוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה

I will make a secure place for My people Israel, and I will plant it, and they will dwell in their place and will no longer be disturbed, and iniquitous people will not continue to afflict it, as in the past,

וּלְמִן הַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִי שֹׁפְטִים עַל עַמִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַהֲנִיחֹתִי לְךָ מִכָּל אֹיְבֶיךָ וְהִגִּיד לְךָ ה' כִּי בַיִת יַעֲשֶׂה לְּךָ ה'

since the day that I appointed judges over My people Israel. You do not have to deal with the same troubles that confronted Israel in the past. But to you I have given respite from all your enemies, as your kingdom is secure. The Lord has told you that the Lord will establish a house for you, a royal dynasty.

כִּי יִמְלְאוּ יָמֶיךָ וְשָׁכַבְתָּ אֶת אֲבֹתֶיךָ וַהֲקִימֹתִי אֶת זַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר יֵצֵא מִמֵּעֶיךָ וַהֲכִינֹתִי אֶת מַמְלַכְתּוֹ

When your days are completed, when the time comes for you to die, and you lie with your fathers, I will set up your offspring after you. There will be one who will be born to you, who will emerge from your body, and I will establish his kingdom securely. Your son will reign after you.

הוּא יִבְנֶה בַּיִת לִשְׁמִי וְכֹנַנְתִּי אֶת כִּסֵּא מַמְלַכְתּוֹ עַד עוֹלָם

That king, who will be born into a calmer, more peaceful world, he will build a House for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. His monarchy will never end.

אֲנִי אֶהְיֶה לּוֹ לְאָב וְהוּא יִהְיֶה לִּי לְבֵן אֲשֶׁר בְּהַעֲוֹתוֹ וְהֹכַחְתִּיו בְּשֵׁבֶט אֲנָשִׁים וּבְנִגְעֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם

I will have a special relationship with this future son of yours: I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me who, when he commits iniquity, I will rebuke him with the staff of men, with which men strike their sons, and with the afflictions, the blows, of the children of men. I will punish him in the manner that one disciplines his son.

וְחַסְדִּי לֹא יָסוּר מִמֶּנּוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר הֲסִרֹתִי מֵעִם שָׁאוּל אֲשֶׁר הֲסִרֹתִי מִלְּפָנֶיךָ

My kindness will not be removed from him, as I removed it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. My covenant with your descendants will remain forever.

וְנֶאְמַן בֵּיתְךָ וּמַמְלַכְתְּךָ עַד עוֹלָם לְפָנֶיךָ כִּסְאֲךָ יִהְיֶה נָכוֹן עַד עוֹלָם

Your dynasty and your kingdom will be resolute, it will stand firm, before you, in your lifetime, and forever; your throne will be established forever.

כְּכֹל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וּכְכֹל הַחִזָּיוֹן הַזֶּה כֵּן דִּבֶּר נָתָן אֶל דָּוִד

In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with this entire nightly vision, so Natan spoke to David.

וַיָּבֹא הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד וַיֵּשֶׁב לִפְנֵי ה' וַיֹּאמֶר מִי אָנֹכִי ה' אֱלוֹהִים וּמִי בֵיתִי כִּי הֲבִיאֹתַנִי עַד הֲלֹם

David the king came, and he sat before the Lord; he remained there for a while. The Sages derive from the literal meaning of this statement that kings from the Davidic dynasty are permitted to sit in the Temple, even though this is prohibited to all other people. And he said: Who am I, my Lord God, and who is my household that You have brought me to this point, and granted me all the glories of royalty?

וַתִּקְטַן עוֹד זֹאת בְּעֵינֶיךָ ה' אֱלוֹהִים וַתְּדַבֵּר גַּם אֶל בֵּית עַבְדְּךָ לְמֵרָחוֹק וְזֹאת תּוֹרַת הָאָדָם ה' אֱלוֹהִים

This, the gift of the monarchy, did not suffice in Your eyes, My Lord God, and You have even spoken of Your servant’s house in the distant future, for future generations; is this the prerogative of a person, My Lord God? Is this the standard gift for great men? What more could one ask for? Alternatively this is a statement: Only great men deserve this greatness.

וּמַה יּוֹסִיף דָּוִד עוֹד לְדַבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ ואַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ אֶת עַבְדְּךָ ה' אֱלוֹהִים

What more can David, speaking in the third person, speak to You? You know Your servant, My Lord God. I am unworthy of all this goodness.

בַּעֲבוּר דְּבָרְךָ וּכְלִבְּךָ עָשִׂיתָ אֵת כָּל הַגְּדוּלָּה הַזֹּאת לְהוֹדִיעַ אֶת עַבְדֶּךָ

It is because of Your word and in accordance with Your heart, Your will, that You have done all this greatness, informing Your servant of it, as You wished. From his youth David considered himself a servant of God, whose main purpose in life was to fulfill God’s will, rather than to advance his personal status.

עַל כֵּן גָּדַלְתָּ ה' אֱלוֹהִים כִּי אֵין כָּמוֹךָ וְאֵין אֱלֹהִים זוּלָתֶךָ בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְנוּ בְּאָזְנֵינוּ

Therefore, You are great, My Lord God, as there is none like You, and there is no god besides You, according to, just like, all that we have heard with our ears.

וּמִי כְעַמְּךָ כְּיִשְׂרָאֵל גּוֹי אֶחָד בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר הָלְכוּ אֱלֹהִים לִפְדּוֹת לוֹ לְעָם וְלָשׂוּם לוֹ שֵׁם וְלַעֲשׂוֹת לָכֶם הַגְּדוּלָּה וְנֹרָאוֹת לְאַרְצֶךָ מִפְּנֵי עַמְּךָ אֲשֶׁר פָּדִיתָ לְּךָ מִמִּצְרַיִם גּוֹיִם וֵאלֹהָיו

Who is like Your people, like Israel, one unique nation on earth, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, and to make Himself a name, to publicize His name in the world, and to perform for you, Israel, greatness and awesome things, shocking deeds on behalf of Your land to the nations and their respective gods, in driving them out from before Your people, whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt.

וַתְּכוֹנֵן לְךָ אֶת עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְךָ לְעָם עַד עוֹלָם וְאַתָּה ה' הָיִיתָ לָהֶם לֵאלֹהִים

You established for Yourself Your people Israel, as Your people forever, and You, Lord, became their God.

וְעַתָּה ה' אֱלוֹהִים הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ עַל עַבְדְּךָ וְעַל בֵּיתוֹ הָקֵם עַד עוֹלָם וַעֲשֵׂה כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ

Now, Lord God, what more can I request? Let the matter that You have spoken about Your servant and about his house be established forever, and do as You have spoken. All I ask is that You fulfill Your promise to me.

וְיִגְדַּל שִׁמְךָ עַד עוֹלָם לֵאמֹר ה' צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהִים עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבֵית עַבְדְּךָ דָוִד יִהְיֶה נָכוֹן לְפָנֶיךָ

May Your name be glorified forever, saying: The Lord of hosts is God and He will rule over Israel, and the house of Your servant David will be established and exist forever before You.

כִּי אַתָּה ה' צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל גָּלִיתָה אֶת אֹזֶן עַבְדְּךָ לֵאמֹר בַּיִת אֶבְנֶה לָּךְ עַל כֵּן מָצָא עַבְדְּךָ אֶת לִבּוֹ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל אֵלֶיךָ אֶת הַתְּפִלָּה הַזֹּאת

For You, Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have revealed to the ear of Your servant, saying: I will build you a house, a royal dynasty; therefore Your servant has found it in his heart to pray this prayer to You, to give thanks for all that I have received and for Your promises about the future.

וְעַתָּה ה' אֱלוֹהִים אַתָּה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים וּדְבָרֶיךָ יִהְיוּ אֱמֶת וַתְּדַבֵּר אֶל עַבְדְּךָ אֶת הַטּוֹבָה הַזֹּאת

Now, my Lord God, You are God, who rules over everything, and who has the power to fulfill His promises; and Your words will be truth, they will be shown to be true, and indeed You have spoken to Your servant this benevolence.

וְעַתָּה הוֹאֵל וּבָרֵךְ אֶת בֵּית עַבְדְּךָ לִהְיוֹת לְעוֹלָם לְפָנֶיךָ כִּי אַתָּה ה' אֱלוֹהִים דִּבַּרְתָּ וּמִבִּרְכָתְךָ יְבֹרַךְ בֵּית עַבְדְּךָ לְעוֹלָם

Now, may You wish to bless the house of Your servant to be forever before You, for You, My Lord God, have spoken, and from Your blessing let the house of Your servant be blessed forever.