¹Now it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD remaineth under curtains.

¹大衛有意為耶和華建殿（撒下7:1~17）大衛住在自己宮中的時候，他對拿單先知說：“看哪，我住在香柏木做的王宮，耶和華的約櫃卻在帳幕裡。”

²Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that is in thine heart; for God is with thee.

²拿單對大衛說：“你可以照你的心意去作，因為　神與你同在。”

³And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

³當夜，　神的話臨到拿單，說：

⁴Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in:

⁴“你去對我的僕人大衛說：‘耶和華這樣說：你不可建殿給我居住。

⁵For I have not dwelt in an house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day; but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another.

⁵因為自從我領以色列人上來那天起，直到今日，我都未曾住過殿宇，只是從這帳幕到那帳幕，從這帳棚到那帳棚。

⁶Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel, spake I a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedars?

⁶我和以色列眾人，無論走到甚麼地方，從沒有向以色列的一個士師，就是我所吩咐牧養我的子民的，說：你們為甚麼不給我建造香柏木的殿宇呢？’

⁷Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, even from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler over my people Israel:

⁷現在你要對我的僕人大衛說：‘萬軍之耶和華這樣說：我把你從羊圈中選召出來，使你不再跟隨羊群，使你作領袖管治我的子民以色列。

⁸And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name like the name of the great men that are in the earth.

⁸無論你到哪裡去，我總與你同在；在你面前消滅你所有的仇敵；我必使你獲得名聲，好像世上偉人的名聲一樣。

⁹Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the beginning,

⁹我要為我的子民以色列人選定一個地方，栽培他們，使他們住在自己的地方，不再受攪擾，也不再像從前被惡徒苦害他們，

¹⁰And since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. Moreover I will subdue all thine enemies. Furthermore I tell thee that the LORD will build thee an house.

¹⁰好像我吩咐士師統治我的子民以色列人的日子一樣。我必制伏你所有的仇敵，並且我告訴你，耶和華必為你建立家室。

¹¹And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.

¹¹你的壽數滿足，歸你列祖那裡的時候，我必興起你的後裔接替你，他是你的眾子中的一位；我必堅立他的國。

¹²He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever.

¹²他要為我建造殿宇，我必堅立他的王位，直到永遠。

¹³I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee:

¹³我要作他的父親，他要作我的兒子；我的慈愛必不離開他，像離開在你以前的那位一樣；

¹⁴But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.

¹⁴我卻要把他堅立在我的家裡和我的國裡，直到永遠；他的王位必永遠堅立。’”

¹⁵According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

¹⁵拿單就按著這一切話和他所見的一切，告訴了大衛。

¹⁶And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said, Who am I, O LORD God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?

¹⁶大衛的禱告與稱頌（撒下7:18~29）於是大衛王進去，坐在耶和華面前，說：“耶和華　神啊，我是甚麼人？我的家算甚麼，你竟帶領我到這個地步？

¹⁷And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God; for thou hast also spoken of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O LORD God.

¹⁷　神啊，這在你眼中看為小事，你對你僕人的家的未來發出應許！耶和華　神啊，你看我好像一個高貴的人。

¹⁸What can David speak more to thee for the honor of thy servant? for thou knowest thy servant.

¹⁸你把榮耀加在你僕人身上，我還有甚麼話可以對你說呢？你認識你的僕人。

¹⁹O LORD, for thy servant's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things.

¹⁹耶和華啊，為了你僕人的緣故，也是按著你的心意，你行了這一切大事，為要使人知道這一切大事。

²⁰O LORD, there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

²⁰耶和華啊，照著我們耳中所聽見的，沒有誰能與你相比；除你以外，再沒有別的神。

²¹And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his own people, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt?

²¹世上有哪一個國能比得上你的子民以色列呢？　神親自把他們救贖出來，作自己的子民，又在你從埃及所救贖出來的子民面前驅逐列國，以大而可畏的事建立自己的名。

²²For thy people Israel didst thou make thine own people for ever; and thou, LORD, becamest their God.

²²你使你的子民以色列永遠作你的子民；耶和華啊，你也作了他們的　神。

²³Therefore now, LORD, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as thou hast said.

²³耶和華啊，現在求你永遠堅立你應許你僕人和他的家的話，照著你所說的實行吧。

²⁴Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel: and let the house of David thy servant be established before thee.

²⁴願你的名永遠堅立、尊大，以致人人都說：‘萬軍之耶和華以色列的　神，實在是以色列人的　神。’這樣，你僕人大衛的家就在你面前得到堅立了。

²⁵For thou, O my God, hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him an house: therefore thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before thee.

²⁵我的　神啊，因為你啟示了你的僕人，要你的僕人為你建造殿宇，所以你僕人才敢在你面前這樣禱告。

²⁶And now, LORD, thou art God, and hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:

²⁶耶和華啊，唯有你是　神，你曾應許把這福氣賜給你的僕人；

²⁷Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest, O LORD, and it shall be blessed for ever.

²⁷現在請你賜福你僕人的家，使它在你面前永遠存留。耶和華啊，因為你已經賜福了你僕人的家，它必永遠蒙福。”