The idiom "the word of God came to" is used to introduce a special message from God. AT: "God gave a message to Nathan. He said," or "God spoke this message to Nathan:" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]])
This has quotations within quotations. It may be necessary to translate them as indirect quotations. AT: "saying, 'Go and tell David my servant that he will not be the one to build a house in which I will live" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations]])
Here "house" means a temple. In [1 Chronicles 17:10](./09.md) Yahweh will say that he will build a house for David. There "house" means a family. If your language has a word that can express both ideas, use it here and in 17:10.
The implied information is that this refers to God bringing up Israel out of the land of Egypt. AT: "that I brought the Israelites to the promised land from the land of Egypt" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])
# a tent, a tabernacle
Both the words "tent" and "tabernacle" describe the same thing and emphasize that he had lived in a place that was not a permanent building. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet]])
# did I ever say anything to any of Israel's leaders whom I appointed to shepherd my people, saying, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?"
This has a quotation within a quotation. The direct quotation can be stated as an indirect quotation. AT: "did I ever ask any of Israel's leaders, whom I appointed to shepherd my people, why they had not built me a house of cedar?" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations]])
# did I ever say anything to any of Israel's leaders
Yahweh uses a question to emphasize that he never asked any of Israel's leaders to build him a house. AT: "I never said anything to any of Israel's leaders" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])
# whom I appointed to shepherd my people
Those who are leaders of the people of Israel are spoken of as if they were shepherds and the people were sheep. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])
If Yahweh had asked the leaders this question, he would have been using a question to scold them for not building him a house of cedar. But, Yahweh said previously that he did not ask them this question. AT: "You should have built me a house of cedar." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])
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